EXCLUSIVE: 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).
Bill Hader in ‘The Cat in the Hat‘
Warner Bros via YouTube
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.