Godzilla Minus Zero Earns $6.7 Million in Previews as It Battles The Cat in the Hat at the Box Office

Godzilla Minus Zero is aiming to dominate the domestic box office this weekend, arriving alongside fellow new releases The Cat in the Hat, Wild Horse Nine and Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.

GKIDS and Toho opened the film in 3,254 North American theaters on Friday, including Imax locations. It took in $6.7 million from Thursday previews, on top of Imax-exclusive advance screenings held Tuesday to mark Godzilla Day. The distributor is forecasting an opening in the low-to-mid $20 millions for director Takashi Yamazaki's sequel to the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One from 2023.

Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe and Min Tanaka, the new film carries a reported budget in the mid-teens. Its story follows postwar Japan as it contends with assaults from the three-headed Ghidorah and the possible return of Godzilla.

A No. 1 debut would make Godzilla Minus Zero only the fourth non-English release ever to open atop the domestic chart. The others were 2004's The Passion of the Christ, which launched with $83.8 million, 2004's Hero with $18 million, and last year's Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle with $70.6 million. The film currently holds a 90 percent critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney called it a "thrilling jolt of marauding monster action."

The original Godzilla Minus One became a breakout hit after hitting North American theaters in December 2023. It opened to $11.4 million and went on to earn $57.1 million domestically, plus another $56.9 million internationally, and it became the first Japanese feature to win the Academy Award for best visual effects.

The weekend's other major contender, The Cat in the Hat, earned $1 million in Thursday previews as Warner Bros. launched it in more than 4,000 North American locations on Friday. The studio expects an opening of around $20 million for the film, which cost $92 million to make, and is counting on word of mouth to carry it through the Thanksgiving holiday and into December. The release also reaches roughly 60 international markets, with a worldwide rollout continuing over the next eight weeks.

Directed by Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni, the animated take on Dr. Seuss' classic 1957 children's book is the first theatrical release from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation since Bill Damaschke was hired as president and chief creative officer in 2023. Bill Hader voices the title character, a cat given one last chance to prove his worth by helping a pair of siblings. The book was previously adapted as Universal's 2003 live-action film starring Mike Myers, which opened to $38.3 million and finished with $101 million in North America against a $109 million budget. Critics have been mixed on the new version, which sits at 49 percent on Rotten Tomatoes; THR critic Frank Scheck described it as "more taxing than enjoyable."

Searchlight Pictures' Wild Horse Nine collected $900,000 in Thursday previews ahead of its Friday debut in 1,100 North American theaters. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, the awards hopeful stars John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi and follows two CIA operatives traveling from Santiago, Chile, to Easter Island in 1973. It holds a 95 critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and Rooney's review called it "uniquely affecting."

Meanwhile, Sony Pictures released Prime Focus Studios' Ramayana: Rise of a Legend in 1,433 North American locations on Thursday, ahead of the start of Diwali. The film grossed $3.5 million for the day, including Wednesday previews. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the religious epic about the life of Prince Rama claims the widest domestic launch ever for an Indian film, with the two-film project's budget reported at $420 million and beyond. The studio projects a $6 million opening over the four-day weekend, and the film holds a 75 critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.