Takashi Yamazaki’s R-rated Godzilla Minus Zero has stormed into the November box office. It pulled in roughly $6 million from previews that included Godzilla Day fan shows on Tuesday and Wednesday’s $4 million-plus haul.
Godzilla Minus Zero scores great box office numbers in previews
Preview grosses for Godzilla Minus Zero have already smashed a record for U.S. distributor GKIDs. The company’s previous best came from The Boy and the Heron in 2023, which collected $2.39 million on Thursday and early access shows before a $13 million three-day opening. The new kaiju film’s early ticket sales also dwarf the $2.1 million that Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One collected across its Wednesday and Thursday shows ahead of an $11.4 million debut (via Deadline).
Analysts had projected $30 million plus for Godzilla Minus Zero in North America on the high end, helped by IMAX and premium large-format screens. Those estimates now look conservative given the comps the sequel is outperforming. Now the latest movie lands close to Legendary’s 2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which took $6.3 million in Thursday previews on the way to $19.4 million on Friday and $47.7 million on opening.
Nonetheless, in Japan, Godzilla Minus Zero has reached 1.38 billion yen ($8.7 million) through three days. Its Godzilla Day opening haul of 910 million yen ($5.7 million) set a record for a live-action film in Japan, surpassing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (840 million yen).
Critics so far have given Godzilla Minus Zero a 90% certified fresh score, compared with 99% for Godzilla Minus One. That Oscar-winning predecessor got an A CinemaScore, and the only other Godzilla title to reach a solid A was Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021. Godzilla x Kong scored an A- in 2024.
Godzilla Minus Zero is a 2026 Japanese epic kaiju film written, directed, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. Set in 1949, the story follows postwar Japan as it struggles to rebuild and confronts a new threat from King Ghidorah, forcing a regenerated Godzilla to resurface and fight.
