Godzilla Minus Zero eyes $30M debut that could make box office history for non-English films

When 'Godzilla Minus One' opened in December 2023, it debuted at No. 3 with $11.4 million — a respectable but modest start for a Japanese-language film with English subtitles. Its sequel, 'Godzilla Minus Zero,' is tracking to do nearly three times that in its first weekend, and if it lands at No. 1, it would join a list of only three non-English films in U.S. box office history to have ever done so.

Pre-release tracking ahead of the November 6–8 weekend puts 'Godzilla Minus Zero' — directed once again by Takashi Yamazaki and distributed in North America by GKIDS — at a projected $30 million from 3,254 theaters, according to Variety. Deadline puts the range at $25–30 million. Box Office Theory's forecast is wider, at $24–33 million. All three projections would represent a commanding lead over the weekend's other major newcomer, Warner Bros. Animation's 'The Cat in the Hat.'

The historical context makes the potential No. 1 finish significant. The first non-English film to top the U.S. weekend charts was Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' in February 2004, which opened to a still-record $83.8 million despite being shot in Hebrew, Latin, and reconstructed Aramaic. Six months later, Zhang Yimou's Mandarin-language 'Hero,' released by Miramax, topped the charts with an $18 million opening. Then, in September 2025, Sony/Crunchyroll's 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle' — released in both English and Japanese dubs — set an all-time anime opening weekend record with $70.6 million. A victory for 'Godzilla Minus Zero' would make it only the fourth film in that company.

The film also carries IMAX support. It is expanding to North America on November 6.

The predecessor's trajectory explains the optimism. 'Godzilla Minus One' earned nearly $114 million globally, including $57.1 million in the U.S. and Canada, and became the first Godzilla film to win an Oscar. Its long tail was fueled by streaming on Netflix and other platforms, which broadened awareness well beyond the franchise's devoted Western fanbase. 'Minus One' is currently streaming on Prime Video, giving new viewers a path to catch up before buying a ticket to 'Minus Zero.'

Critics have largely endorsed the sequel. 'Minus Zero' holds a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus that it is a worthy successor. The kaiju battles in particular have drawn praise, which could pull in MonsterVerse-only Godzilla fans — those familiar with the Legendary-produced Hollywood series — who have not yet sampled Toho's original Japanese version.

Standing in its way this weekend is 'The Cat in the Hat,' Warner Bros. Animation's Dr. Seuss adaptation and the studio's return to theatrical animation after a three-year absence. Variety projects it at $20–25 million from roughly 4,000 theaters; Box Office Theory's range is lower, at $12–17 million. The film's budget is reported at nearly $100 million. Lead voice actor Bill Hader has fronted a major promotional campaign, and the film is positioned as the family option for younger children who cannot see the PG-13 'Wildwood.' But if 'Cat' cannot grow beyond that core audience, it faces further pressure when Disney's 'Hexed' arrives at Thanksgiving.

Other newcomers this weekend include Sony's 'Ramayana: Part 1,' projected at $12–16 million over four days; Angel Studios' 'Drummer Boy,' at $4.5–9.5 million; Disney's 'Wild Horse Nine,' at $4–8 million; and Fathom's 'Jimmy,' at $2.5–6 million, all according to Box Office Theory.

The broader competitive picture beyond this weekend matters too. Amazon MGM's 'How to Rob a Bank' arrives next weekend, but the more significant competition for 'Godzilla Minus Zero' will come in two weeks from Lionsgate's 'Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,' which is tracking with stronger presales than its 2023 predecessor, 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,' and is expected to be the month's highest-grossing film. How well 'Minus Zero' holds in those weeks — and how many uninitiated viewers it can draw in — will determine whether it can challenge for a place among the top three highest-grossing non-English films of all time.

November is expected to be a slower month domestically, without a 'Wicked,' 'Moana,' or 'Zootopia'-level release in the marketplace — which makes the projected strength of 'Godzilla Minus Zero' more notable and gives it room to lead without the pressure of a blockbuster competitor already in theaters.

Why it matters — A No. 1 finish for a subtitled Japanese film would mark a measurable shift in what mainstream American audiences will pay to see in theaters — with implications for how studios and distributors treat non-English-language films going forward.

Sources differ on Projected opening weekend for 'The Cat in the Hat': $20–25 million (variety.com / thewrap.com) vs $12–17 million (boxofficetheory.com)

Reported by variety.com, boxofficetheory.com, deadline.com, comingsoon.net, thewrap.com, screenrant.com