Godzilla Minus Zero Is A Box Office Hero With $32M Live-Action Foreign-Language Opening Record, Best Ever For Gkids – Sunday AM Update

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SUNDAY AM WRITETHRU: In what is a never-before-seen stat, 74% of Imax and PLFs combined drove the weekend gross of Gkids’ Godzilla Minus Zero which is very close to the $32M opening that was reported yesterday, now at $31.6M. As we told you earlier today, the Takashi Yamazki directed movie is the No. 1 movie in the world with $63M, ahead of Prime Focus Studio and Sony’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend‘s $55.7M WW.

That PLF and Imax share on Godzilla Minus Zero is bigger than the first weekend gross of Universal’s The Odyssey which collected 52% of its $123.5M opening weekend from both Imax and PLF auditoriums. This success comes on a marketing spend of under $10M in North America. You know that’s true because iSpot shows zero TV spots being purchased for Godzilla Minus Zero. Japan’s running cume on Godzilla Minus Zero since Tuesday is up to $17M (or 2.7 billion yen).

Godzilla Minus Zero gets a solid A CinemaScore, just like the franchise’s first movie, 2023’s Godzilla Minus One. The definite recommend from Screen Engine/Rentrak’s PostTrak is massive at 85% and a 95% positive. As we told you, the opening here for Godzilla Minus Zero reps a record domestic start for Gkids not to mention it’s the best opening for a live-action foreign language film. (Note the overall record opening for a foreign language film at the domestic B.O. is held by Sony/Crunchyroll’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle with $70.6M).

Godzilla Minus Zero is playing evenly throughout the country but the West is rallying with a third of the gross versus 24.7% for all other titles in the marketplace. Adam Aron’s AMC Lincoln Center can trumpet the best gross for the film with $170K through Saturday.

Diversity demos are 37% Caucasian, 32% Hispanic and Latino, 13% Asian American and 13% Black. Very heavy dude skewing at 76%, with the biggest demo being 25-34 at 35% and 18-34 at a huge 63%.

RelishMix shows a social media pull before opening at 170M, 29% below sci-fi creature-feature genre norms across TikTok, Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram. Considering that, it’s amazing what Gkids pulled off here. The word of mouth index shot up from a 6.8 on RelishMix on Oct. 5 to 7.4 by Nov. 2.

“Convo runs positive for Godzilla Minus Zero and fans have cracked the title in record time: ‘Now I understand the title… Minus Zero for Monster Zero,’ which lets the excitement be summed up as ‘Minus Zero Plus Hype.’ The comparisons with Marvel favor the kaiju, from ‘This is a guaranteed cinema ticket, meanwhile Avengers < minus zero chance,” to ‘We don’t need Avengers, just gimme Ghidorah VS Godzilla.’ Toho’s efficiency is part of the brand now, with ‘Amazing what can be achieved on a budget when you actually care about a franchise,’ and ‘You can tell right away this on 10x the budget. It looks good.’ The goodwill from Godzilla Minus One is doing a lot of work: ‘If it’s even half as good as Godzilla Minus One, then I am all in! and ‘First one was like a breeze of fresh air, I hope the second one seals the deal!’ Nostalgia is spanning generations, with ‘I’m 41, and it feels like I’m 12 again wanting to see Ghidorah.’”

Warner Bros Pictures Animation’s The Cat in the Hat didn’t fall flat, rather hit $20.5M after landing an A CinemaScore. That’s a big phew from the studio as some had this Dr. Seuss classic heading to high teens, which wouldn’t be a good start for the classic IP. Still, it’s low next to other Seuss feature takes, i.e. 2012’s The Lorax ($70.2M) and Illumination/Universal’s The Grinch ($67.5M) from 2018. The opening here is on par with Pixar’s Elio which debuted to $20.8M, and ended its North American run at $72.9M. Note that Pixar dud was significantly more expensive at $150M-plus next to the less than $90M production cost here on Cat in the Hat.

Nine of Friday’s top ten theaters were in New Jersey. Huh, how? Because there was a teacher’s conference and schools were off. The AMC Dine-In Shops at Riverside, NJ is the pic’s highest grossing venue at $33K through yesterday. The notion is that this movie is headed for more traffic by Wednesday, Veterans Day. Also, with 60% under the age of 9 in the under 12 demographic, note there isn’t an expanded kid or older teen audience for this; the 18-24s showed up at a low 14%.

PostTrak exits are 81% positive, and an alright 61% definite recommend. Kids under 12 gave it a 61% must-see right away. Mom skewing at 57% female. The under 18 is close to a third. PLFs repped 16% of the weekend with 3D showtimes repping 15%. East and Midwest were the best areas of play, the latter counting 38% of the gross versus a norm of 33% for other titles.

Diversity demos were 33% Caucasian, 32% Latino and Hispanic, 17% Black, 7% Asian American and 11% Native American other.

Angel Studios’ Drummer Boy with a 50% Rotten Tomatoes critics score but an A CinemaScore and 93% RT audience score is filing a $9.3M opening in the No. 3 spot after a $3.5M Friday. That’s at the higher end of the single digits which was expected. The start here is above Drummer Boy co-director Joel David Smallbone’s previously directed 2024 faith-based title Unsung Hero at $7.7M. The South is the strongest with this movie collecting 28% of the gross versus a norm of 17% for other titles in the marketplace. The Regal River Ridge in Virginia is the leading single-location gross at $65K through Saturday. As is par for the course, Angel Studio movies benefit from groups scooping up tickets and giving them out free to patrons. Postrak is 81% definite recommend with 46% of the audience over 55 with an overall female leaning at 64% and 36% men. Diversity demos are 73% Caucasian, 11% Hispanic and Latino, 8% Black and 3% Asian American.

A24’s fourth weekend of You Can See Everything came in at $8.8M in fourth, -23%, after a $2.55M Friday at 2,473 theaters. Some now think this documentary has a shot at $100M stateside, the running cume by EOD Sunday up to $79.7M. The proclamation here is that it’s the second highest grossing documentary ever after Michael’s Fahrenheit 9/11 ($119.1M), and that’s not including concert documentaries. The Elizabeth Holmes and Nathan Fielder documentary just caged up March of the Penguins, that 2005 pic ending its U.S./Canada run $77.4M.

Sony Pictures’ release of Prime Focus Studios’ Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, took in $2.4M on Friday at 1,433 locations. The 3-day is shaping up to be $8.65M in the No. 5 spot for a 4-day and previews of $12.1M. That’s the second biggest 4-day for an Indian movie after March’s Dhuranhar 2: The Revenge‘s $14M. PostTrak is great with 86% in the top two boxes and a 75% definite recommend for the general audience. There were a few Imax and PLFs driving 40% of the gross. Best area of play for the pic was the East. The LSQ Cinema Bistro in Washington has Ramayana‘s best ticket sales so far with $70K through Saturday. The two-part movie, of which this is the first, cost between $420M-$500M. Mama mia….

Diversity demos are 71% Asian American, 9% Caucasian, 5% Latino and Hispanic and 3% Black. 61% male skewing. The 25-34 set is the biggest demo at 40% with the under 35 demo at 55%.

Usually Martin McDonagh movies get platformed, but Searchlight went wide with his latest Wild Horse Nine at 1,100 theaters which is seeing $2.47M on Friday (including previews) for a $6M opening. Globally at $12.6M it’s a record start for the Oscar winning filmmaker. That’s higher than CBS Films’ wide release of the Oscar winning filmmaker’s crime comedy, Seven Psychopaths in 2012 which bowed to $4.1M at 1,480 theaters and finaled at $15M. Big cities are doing well, read NYC, LA, Boston, DC, Chicago, Orlando and Austin and audiences really like it at 89% on RT and a 72% definite recommend and 5 stars on PostTrak. The theater count will increase, so all eyes on how this expands; John Malkovich is heavily buzzed in the actors race this awards season. Sixty-six men to 34% women turnout with 37% of the audience over 45 and the over 55 set being the biggest demo at 26% followed by 25-34 at 25%. Diversity demos are 71% Caucasian, 13% Hispanic and Latino, 7% Asian American and 6% Black.

An interesting stunt here for Crave’s Heated Rivalry: Regal via their Regal Entertainment Distribution is releasing paired season one episodes of the hit Bell/HBO series this weekend. So far 880 theaters collected $420K on Friday, $350K on Saturday and an expected $630K today for a $1.4M opening weekend. All circuits, not just Real, are playing the romance hockey show. Regal cut the deal with Sphere Abacus. Get excited: As Deadline first told you over the weekend, a holiday Heated Rivalry movie is in the works for release next December, the buzz that it centers around Season 1 couple, Scott (François Arnaud) and Kip (Robbie G.K.).

A24’s Cannes-pick-up, Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid posted $175K yesterday on its way to a $390,5K opening at six locations for a $65K opening theater average, just behind La Bola Negra‘s $69,4K from a few weeks ago. AMC Lincoln Square led yesterday with $47K, followed by Angelika at $32K.

A solid per theater here for Amazon MGM Studio’s Peter Farrelly directed I Play Rocky at $49,2K off an expected 3-day of $345K from seven theaters. AMC Lincoln Square through Saturday was leading locations with $54K, followed by AMC Burbank with $51K.

Overall, it’s the best first weekend in November post-Covid with all films grossing a $121.6M per Rentrak, ahead of 2021’s when Disney/Marvel’s Eternals bowed and drove a near $110M marketplace. Compared to the same weekend a year ago when Predator: Badlands debuted, this weekend is up 45%.

The domestic box office to date is $8.6 billion for Jan. 1-Nov. 8, raging +20% ahead of the same period a year ago.

1.) Godzilla Minus Zero (Gkids) 3,254 theaters, Fri $14.6M Sat $9.45M Sun $7.56M, 3-day $31.6M/Wk 1

2.) The Cat in the Hat (WB) 4,003 theaters, Fri $6M Sat $8.5M Sun $6M 3-day $20.5M/Wk 1

3.) Drummer Boy (Angel) 2,850 theaters, Fri $3.5M, Sat $3M Sun $2.75M 3-day $9.3M/Wk 1

4.) You Can See Everything (A24) 2,473 (-770) theaters Fri $2.55M (-28%) Sat $3.5M Sun $2.8M 3-day $8.8M (-23%), Total $79.7M/Wk 4

5.) Ramayana: Rise of a Legend (Sony) 1,433 theaters, $2.4M, Sat $3.8M Sun $2.4M 3-day $8.65M, Total $12.1M/Wk 1

6.) Wildwood (Laika/Fath) 2,794 (-211) theaters, Fri $1.8M (-25%) Sat $3M Sun $2.1M, 3-day $7M (-22%) /Total $39.8M/Wk 3

7.) Clayface (WB) 2,946 (-532) theaters, Fri $2M (-39%), 3-day $6.675M (-39%), Total $56.6M/Wk 3

8.) Wild Horse Nine (Sea) 1,100 theaters, Fri $2.47M, Sat $2M Sun $1.5M 3-day $6M/Wk 1

9.) Stray Kids World Tour ‘Run It’ (Traf) 917 theaters, Sat $3.7M/Wk 1

10.) Wicker (Black Bear) 2,081 (-293) theaters, Fri $1.05M (-27%) Sat $1.3M Sun $935K 3-day $3.35M (-23%), Total $19.88M/Wk 3

Notable:

Jimmy (Fath) 1,500 theaters, Fri $800K Sat $668K Sun $532K 3-day $2M/Wk 1
Fathom making waves on the charts again, even with Wildwood in release. This biopic which stars Riverdale‘s KJ Apa as Jimmy Stewart had solid sales in Dallas, Orlando, St. Louis, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, LA and Nashville. Critics weren’t won over at 64% fresh, but those who bought tickets were at 97%.

FRIDAY PM UPDATE: Gkids’ Godzilla Minus Zero looks to be coming in at its opening range of $30 million-$33 million after a $13.5M Friday at 3,254 theaters that includes $6.7M in previews. At that level, that’s not only the biggest-ever opening for distributor Gkids, but it also would be the biggest opening for a live-action foreign-language movie at the domestic box office. It would overtake the 2002 Chinese movie Hero, which bowed to $17.8M. Fantastic.

Saturday will dictate if there’s a further expanded audience for the Takashi Yamazki-directed movie.

Second place goes to Warner Bros Animation’s The Cat in the Hat with a $5M Friday (including $1M previews) and a three-day total between $17M-$20M at 4,003 theaters. Critics are saying scat to the cat at 48% Rotten on Rotten Tomatoes.

Angel Studios’ colonial period feature Drummer Boy at 2,850 theaters is third with a $3.8M Friday and $9M opening.

A24’s You Can See Everything, booked at 2,473 screens, is seeing a fourth weekend between $8M-$9M in fourth place, -25%, for a running cume of $79.6M not the high end. Today is around $3.2M.

Sony’s release of Prime Focus Studios’ Ramayana: Rise of the Legend at 1,433 theaters is fifth with $6M over three days, $9M over four days.

Outside the top five is Searchlight’s Wild Horse Nine at 1,110 theaters, with $2.3M today and around $5M-$6M. That is around what Wicker debuted at ($5.7M) at 1,471 locations two weeks ago.

FRIDAY AM UPDATE: Gkids’ release of Toho’s Godzilla Minus Zero is higher with $6.7M in previews since Tuesday. As we told you that beats a slews of previews, including Legendary’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, last year’s Predator: Badlands, but also another big Japanese title here, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu at $5.7M. Granted, it was a PG movie to Godzilla Minus Zero‘s R, but that pic posted a $20.5M first day and $54.3M opening back in mid-May 2019.

A $30M opening was considered the high end for Godzilla Minus Zero heading into the weekend and now it looks like it’s the low end. The audience score is huge at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sony Pictures’s release of Prime Focus Studios’ Ramayana: Rise of a Legend grossed $3.5 million on Thursday from 1,433 locations (including Wednesday previews), marking the widest North American release for an Indian film. Sony still thinks the movie, which is part of a $420M-$500M two part feature, is bound for a $6M opening. The pic, released in time for Diwali, currently holds a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter.

Warner Bros’ The Cat in the Hat came in right where it was at last night with $1M in previews.

Searchlight’s previews (both Thursday and early access) for Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine are at a great $900K. That’s not far from what Paramount/Miramax’s Roofman did last year in previews which was $1M before an $8.1M opening (though that pic was uber wide at 3,362 theaters). Wild Horse Nine is booked in 1,100 theaters.

PREVIOUS EXCLUSIVE, Thursday PM: Takashi Yamazaki’s R-rated Godzilla Minus Zero is roaring in the November box office to a great start with what we’re hearing is around $6 million in previews. That includes fan shows from Godzilla Day Tuesday, last night and tonight, the latter being $4M+. Today’s showtimes began at 10AM.

It’s very interesting that Godzilla Minus Zero gets an R: There aren’t any lizards who get naked in the movie, nor does any person or monster have a ‘F’ bomb tirade despite massive destruction in Japan as Godzilla and Ghidorah.

This is easily a preview record for Godzilla Minus Zero U.S. distributor GKIDs beating their previous high, 2023’s The Boy and the Heron which posted a Thursday and early access previews of $2.39M, and a 3-day of $13M. Early monies here on Godzilla Minus Zero are way above the $2.1M made by Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One from its Wednesday and Thursday showtimes which went on to an $11.4M opening.

The industry forecast on the high end was $30M+ in North America for Godzilla Minus Zero, which is boosted by Imax and a ton of PLFs, but now it could be way higher when you look at the comps that the sequel is beating.

Last year at this time, Disney kicked off November with Predator: Badlands with $4.8M in Wednesday and Thursday previews which yielded a $15.8M Friday and $40M opening. Godzilla Minus Zero in previews is very close to another U.S. Godzilla, Legendary’s 2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters which posted $6.3M in Thursday previews on its way to a $19.4M Friday and $47.7M opening. Legendary has the rights from Toho to make any English-language version from the Godzilla universe. Godzilla Minus Zero is 91% certified fresh to Godzilla Minus One‘s 99% fresh with critics. That Oscar winning movie landed an A CinemaScore. The only other Godzilla to receive a solid A was Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021 (2024’s Godzilla x King roared an A-).

In Japan, Godzilla Minus Zero is up to 1.38 billion yen or $8.7M and that’s through three days. That opening Godzilla Day gross of 910M yen ($5.7M) is indeed a record for a live-action pic in Japan, besting the opening day of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (840M yen).

Warner Bros Pictures Animation’s net $86M production of The Cat in the Hat from filmmakers Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja is looking like $1M today after previews that began at 2PM. That’s on par with Sony Pictures Animation’s Goat which opened earlier this year and went on to open to $27.7M. Illumination/Universal’s The Grinch posted $2.2M in previews before a $67.5M opening weekend during the second frame of November 2018. Note, Cat in the Hat is one of the few family movies around this holiday season next to Disney’s girl-skewing Hexed which bows on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.