'Godzilla Minus Zero' stomps to record-setting $31.6 mil debut

Godzilla Minus Zero earned a chart-topping $31.6 million over the weekend, according to Japan Today and CityNews. This figure represents a record debut for a foreign-language film at the North American box office, surpassing the previous live-action record held by the 2004 film Hero. While the 2023 anime Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle saw a higher debut of $70.6 million, and the 2004 film Passion of the Christ opened with $83.8 million, Godzilla Minus Zero holds the mark for live-action openings.

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the film is a sequel to the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One and is set in post-WWII Japan. CityNews reports that the film, produced by Toho and distributed by GKids, outperformed Warner Bros.’ animated The Cat in the Hat, which opened with $20.5 million in North America and $10 million overseas. Malay Mail noted that the sequel features a clash between Godzilla and King Ghidorah, blending the Japanese Tokusatsu tradition of special effects and miniatures with modern technology.

Brief written by urgent.news from Japan Today, CityNews, Malay Mail — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.