{
  "id": 19023427,
  "title": "'Godzilla Minus Zero' stomps to record-setting $31.6 mil debut",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/godzilla-minus-zero-stomps-to-record-setting-31-6-mil-debut",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-08T21:33:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Today",
    "slug": "japan-today",
    "url": "https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/%27godzilla-minus-zero%27-stomps-to-a-record-setting-31.6-debut-clobbering-%27the-cat-in-the-hat%27"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "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.\n\nDirected 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.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Bigger monsters, louder mayhem, human drama: How ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ takes the spectacle to another level",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/bigger-monsters-louder-mayhem-human-drama-how-godzilla-minus-zero",
        "published": "2026-11-08T10:26:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CityNews",
        "title": "‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ stomps to a record-setting $31.6 debut, clobbering ‘The Cat in the Hat’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/godzilla-minus-zero-stomps-to-a-record-setting-31-6-debut-clobbering",
        "published": "2026-11-08T18:34:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ stomps to a record-setting $31.6 debut, clobbering ‘The Cat in the Hat’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/godzilla-minus-zero-stomps-to-a-record-setting-31-6-debut-clobbering-18998696",
        "published": "2026-11-08T18:34:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}