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The King of the Monsters is also the king of the box office. Godzilla Minus Zero, the sequel to Takashi Yamazaki’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, opened at No. 1 in North America over the November 6–8 weekend with an estimated $31.6 million. That’s a stunning result for a Japanese-language film released by GKIDS, and roughly 2.8 times the $11.4 million opening of its predecessor.
A record-breaking result for a Japanese film
Playing in 3,254 theaters, Minus Zero averaged about $9,714 per location, the best average in the top 10. It beat Warner Bros.’ animated The Cat in the Hat, which opened in second place with $20.5 million despite playing in more than 4,000 theaters, the widest release of the weekend.
For context, Godzilla Minus One turned its modest $11.4 million start into a $57 million domestic run thanks to incredible word of mouth, and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Minus Zero has matched that film’s entire opening in roughly a single day.
Weekend box office top 10 (November 6–8, 2026)
- Godzilla Minus Zero — $31.6M (new)
- The Cat in the Hat — $20.5M (new)
- Drummer Boy — $9.3M (new)
- You Can See Everything — $8.9M (about $79.8M total)
- Ramayana: Rise of a Legend — $8.65M (new)
- Clayface — $6.7M
- Wildwood — $6.6M
- Wild Horse Nine — $6.0M (new)
- Wicker — $3.4M
- Jimmy — $2.2M (new)
The top 10 earned around $103.7 million combined, more than double the previous weekend. Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend cracking the top five is another major story from the weekend.
Watch the Godzilla Minus Zero trailer
What is Godzilla Minus Zero about?
The film picks up in 1949, two years after the events of Minus One. Japan is still clawing its way back from the devastation of World War II when Godzilla returns, and the country has to find a new way to fight back. The official tagline sets the stakes: there won’t be a third chance.
Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe return as Koichi and Noriko Shikishima, joined by new cast members including Masami Nagasawa and Jun Kunimura. Yamazaki once again writes, directs and supervises the visual effects himself.
It’s also a technical milestone: Minus Zero is the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX, shot with IMAX-certified digital cameras. If you can catch it on an IMAX screen, do it.
Why it’s working
The Minus One effect is real. That film proved that audiences will show up for a subtitled monster movie if it has real emotional weight, and its streaming afterlife built a huge new fanbase. Minus Zero also benefited from a smart release strategy, with IMAX early-access screenings on Godzilla Day (November 3) building buzz before opening weekend.
The big test comes next: holding up against Johnny Depp’s Ebenezer this weekend and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping on November 20.
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Sources: Seat42F, Boxoffice Pro, JoBlo, TOHO / GKIDS.