Godzilla Minus Zero has stormed to the top of the North American box office, opening with an estimated $31.6 million in its first weekend and setting a record as the biggest debut ever for a live-action foreign-language film in the region.

The Japanese-language sequel, directed by Takashi Yamazaki and released by GKIDS, played in 3,254 cinemas across the United States and Canada, taking $9,714 per screen. Studio estimates released on Sunday put its worldwide total at $63 million after its first weekend.

The opening shattered the previous record for a live-action foreign-language film, held by the Chinese martial arts epic Hero, which opened with $17.8 million in 2004. The only foreign-language film of any kind to open bigger in North America is the Japanese animated feature Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which took $70.6 million on its debut in 2025.

Bigger than its predecessor

Minus Zero is the direct follow-up to Godzilla Minus One, the 2023 film that opened with $11.4 million in North America, went on to gross $57 million there, and became the first entry in the series to win an Academy Award, for best visual effects. The new film has already taken nearly three times its predecessor's opening weekend.

Reviews have been strong, with the film scoring 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" grade from opening-weekend audiences polled by CinemaScore. It is also the first Japanese production ever filmed for IMAX, and the large-format screens delivered an outsized share of the takings: $12.7 million of the domestic debut, or 40 percent, came from 429 IMAX screens, with $21.3 million from IMAX globally.

The film took $6.7 million from Thursday previews, followed by $14.6 million on Friday, $9.45 million on Saturday and $7.56 million on Sunday, according to Boxoffice Pro.

A global opening

Overseas, Godzilla Minus Zero launched in more than 100 territories in the first global simultaneous release for a Japanese Godzilla film. It opened in its native Japan on November 3, Godzilla's 72nd birthday, with $8.7 million, and other territories added $22.69 million for an international weekend of $31.39 million.

Chance Huskey, vice president of distribution at GKIDS, said the release was "the result of a thoughtful campaign by GKIDS and Toho that emphasized the 'must see' intensity of the theatrical experience and director Takashi Yamazaki's vision. We're so happy to see audiences embrace Godzilla Minus Zero at an unprecedented scale for an international film."

The film, produced by Japan's Toho and set in post-war Japan two years after the events of Minus One, follows Godzilla as the monster regenerates and returns to torment the country. It was made for less than $20 million, according to reports, and is already on course to pass its predecessor's worldwide total of $113.9 million.

Warner Bros.' animated The Cat in the Hat, starring Bill Hader as the voice of the Dr. Seuss character, came second with a muted $20.5 million opening from 4,003 screens, while Angel Studios' historical musical Drummer Boy took $9.3 million in third place. The overall North American weekend total of $121.7 million was up 39.6 percent on the same weekend last year.