Godzilla Minus Zero Tops Global Box Office

Moviegoers worldwide spent the weekend at the theater for two massive releases that shattered previous records for their home countries. The Japanese sequel Godzilla Minus Zero and the Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend dominated global screens, driving premium large format theaters to record earnings.

Godzilla Minus Zero took the top spot with a $63 million worldwide opening. The film earned $31.6 million in North America and $31.4 million internationally. This North American debut set a new record for a live action foreign language film, beating the $17.8 million opening of Hero in 2002. Premium large format theaters accounted for 74% of the domestic revenue, a much higher share than the 53% seen for The Odyssey.

Imax screens played a major role in the success of the Godzilla sequel. The format generated $21.3 million globally, representing 34% of the total opening. In North America, 429 Imax locations brought in $12.7 million, while Japan contributed $4 million. Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax, noted that this marks Japan’s first Filmed For Imax release. The film also received an A CinemaScore and a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend finished second with $55.7 million worldwide. Directed by Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash. It sold more than 11 million tickets, making it the most watched film of the weekend. The release reached over 130 countries and 10,000 screens in 17 dubbed languages, the widest rollout ever for an Indian production.

India generated $32 million of the total, while the United States and Canada added $12.2 million. That North American figure ranks second among Indian film openings, behind the $14 million debut of Dhurandhar The Revenge in March. Other international markets added $11.5 million, with local records reported in the United Kingdom, Thailand, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Imax screens contributed $6 million worldwide for the film.

Warner Bros.’ animated feature The Cat in the Hat placed third with $30.5 million. Trafalgar Releasing’s concert broadcast Stray Kids World Tour ‘Run It’ Live Viewing followed with $13.9 million. Warner Bros.’ DC film Clayface rounded out the top five with $13.4 million. Further releases for Ramayana are scheduled throughout November, including Indonesia on Nov. 11 and Brazil on Nov. 19.