Godzilla proved far mightier than the Cat in the Hat at the weekend box office. Godzilla Minus Zero debuted at the top of the charts with $31.6 million from 3,254 theaters, an impressive launch for a foreign-language epic in North America. The Cat in the Hat, meanwhile, opened weakly with $20 million from 4,003 locations, a disappointing result for an animated film based on one of the most famous children's books ever written.
Ticket sales for Godzilla Minus Zero now stand as the biggest North American opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film, easily surpassing the $17.8 million record set by China's martial arts film Hero in 2002. The R-rated sequel rode strong reviews and audience scores, including a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A grade from CinemaScore exit polls, along with heavy demand for premium large formats. It is the first Japanese production ever filmed for Imax, and those screens delivered $12.7 million, or 40% of domestic grosses. Premium formats overall, including Dolby, accounted for 74% of ticket sales, compared with 53% for The Odyssey.
"We're so happy to see audiences embrace 'Godzilla Minus Zero' at an unprecedented scale for an international film," said Chance Huskey, VP of distribution for Gkids, which handled the U.S. release of the Toho production. "This landmark release is the result of a thoughtful campaign by Gkids and Toho that emphasized the 'must-see' intensity of the theatrical experience."
The film builds on 2023's Godzilla Minus One, which opened to a better-than-expected $11.4 million and went on to earn $57 million in North America and $113 million globally, in addition to winning a visual effects Oscar. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the new installment is set two years later, as Godzilla regenerates and resurfaces to fight a new monster tormenting postwar Japan. "'Godzilla' is a hit," said David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe. "Critics' reviews and audience scores are once again outstanding. This weekend's opening takes the Japanese production to a new level."
The Cat in the Hat earned an A grade from CinemaScore, which could help its staying power, though critics gave it just 45% on Rotten Tomatoes. Bill Hader voices the title character, a mischievous cat who arrives to cheer up two siblings after they move to a new town. Overseas, the film took in only $10 million from 60 markets for a global start of $30.5 million. Unless it rebounds in the coming weeks, the $92 million production will rank as another dud for Warner Bros., which recently merged with Paramount Skydance and has already endured flops including Digger, The Bride! and Supergirl, resulting in hundreds of millions in theatrical losses. Theater owners keep roughly 50% of ticket sales.
This is the second film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, following the 2003 live-action comedy starring Mike Myers, which opened to $38 million and finished with $134 million against a budget above $100 million. Earlier animated Seuss adaptations fared better, with 2018's The Grinch opening to $67 million and 2012's The Lorax debuting to $70 million for Universal and Illumination. Even Disney and Pixar's original film Hoppers managed a $45 million debut this spring. "This is a soft opening," Gross said. "However, family animation does extremely well in ancillary windows, earning more in digital sales and rental, streaming and TV licensing than in theatrical. That is where the film should recover its costs."
Overall box office revenue reached $114 million for the weekend, up 86% from the same frame a year ago when Predator: Badlands led the charts. Year-to-date revenues hit $8.6 billion, 20% above the same point in 2025, according to Rentrak. Exhibitors hope the momentum carries through November, which brings Paramount's Christmas fantasy Ebenezer starring Johnny Depp, Lionsgate's Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, Universal's comedy Focker in Law with Ariana Grande joining Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, and Disney's animated Hexed. "It's another encouraging sign as we head toward the all-important holiday movie season," said Rentrak's head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian.
Other newcomers included Searchlight's dark comedy Wild Horse Nine, starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell and directed by Martin McDonagh, which opened at No. 8 with $6 million from 1,100 theaters. The Oscar hopeful follows two CIA officers dispatched from Santiago to Easter Island shortly before a Chilean military coup. The Indian epic Ramayana: Rise of a Legend earned $8.6 million over the weekend and $12.1 million in its first four days, with Sony releasing it in 1,300 theaters, the widest North American release ever for an Indian film. Nitesh Tiwari's two-part adaptation of the ancient Hindu epic ranks as the most expensive Indian production ever at a combined $500 million, and it bowed to $55.7 million globally, led by India with $32 million.
Ramayana opened in fifth place behind A24's Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything, which added $8.8 million from 2,473 theaters in its fourth weekend and lifted its domestic total to $79.8 million. Angel Studios' Christian musical Drummer Boy landed at No. 3 with $9.3 million from 2,850 theaters, while Jimmy, the faith-based biopic starring KJ Apa as actor and military veteran Jimmy Stewart, finished 12th with $2.2 million from 1,470 theaters.
In limited release, A24's comedy Club Kid earned $390,583 from six screens in New York and Los Angeles, a per-theater average of $65,097. Jordan Firstman wrote, directed and stars in the film about a hard-partying club promoter who learns he has a 10-year-old son. Amazon MGM's drama I Play Rocky captured $345,000 from seven theaters, averaging $49,200 per location. Directed by Peter Farrelly, it depicts Sylvester Stallone's real-life effort to bring the 1976 classic Rocky to the screen. Both films expand nationwide around Thanksgiving. "We're incredibly encouraged by the response to 'I Play Rocky,' so far," said Amazon MGM Studios head of domestic distribution Kevin Wilson. "The enthusiasm from audiences reinforces our belief that we have a film with both awards potential and commercial appeal."
