#BOXOFFICE: “GODZILLA MINUS ZERO” SETS RECORD OPENING WEEKEND

Toho’s critically acclaimed GODZILLA MINUS ZERO, distributed by Cineplex Pictures in Canada, earned $30.6 million USD at the North American box office over its opening weekend, according to theatre reports. That makes it the highest opening ever for a foreign language live action film in North America.The film has earned an estimated $62 million USD worldwide to date, including over $16 million USD in its domestic market of Japan.

The previous film, Godzilla Minus One, opened to $11.4 million USD in North American theatres in December 2023, on its way to a final gross of over $57 million USD, standing currently as the third-highest grossing foreign language live action film of all time in North America.

Writer, director, and VFX lead Takashi Yamazaki said, “A huge thank you to everyone who ran to the theatres the moment the film opened! I grew up in awe of Hollywood movies and have spent my career chasing after them, so seeing our Godzilla welcomed with so much warmth and excitement by people all over the world, and watched by so many of you, honestly feels like a dream. Here in Japan, I’m hearing more and more people say that a second viewing makes the film even deeper and more fun. If you enjoyed it, I hope you’ll come back and ‘experience’ Godzilla again, two or even three times, in as many formats as you can! Above all, thank you so much. It truly means the world to me.”

“This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla and with director Takashi Yamazaki’s vision. Our first near-simultaneous global release was built on that belief. We are grateful to the fans who filled theatres, and to our partners at GKIDS for presenting the film to North American audiences with such care,” said Koji Ueda, President of Toho Global.

GODZILLA MINUS ZERO is Certified Fresh, holding a 90% Critics Score and a 96% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, and received an “A” CinemaScore from audiences. It is the first Japanese production Filmed For IMAX®, and is also playing in 4DX, Dolby Cinema, DBOX, 4D E-Motion, and other premium large formats. It is currently released in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, with over 100 confirmed. In January 2026, TOHO and GKIDS announced GKIDS would distribute the film in North America, as part of the first-ever near-simultaneous global release of a Japanese Godzilla film: Japan on Godzilla Day, November 3, followed by North America and other markets that same week.

The film made its critically-lauded world premiere as the Spotlight Gala of the 64th New York Film Festival with three sold-out screenings at Alice Tully Hall, then played the BFI London Film Festival and as the Centerpiece Selection at the Tokyo International Film Festival. IMAX Early Access tickets sold out almost immediately in major markets after going on sale October 6, and the Los Angeles premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre marked the film’s first IMAX presentation in North America, ending in a lengthy standing ovation for director Takashi Yamazaki, lead actors Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe, and members of the Sound and VFX teams who were in attendance.

Following 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, which won an Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects, director Takashi Yamazaki returns with a sequel set in 1949 as the Shikishima family faces an all-new calamity. Shot entirely in Japan with IMAX-certified cameras, the film cranks up the terror while keeping its post-WWII story at human eye level. GODZILLA MINUS ZERO is now playing nationwide.

GODZILLA MINUS ZERO Synopsis
War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus. Two years have passed since then, and the country has faced agonizing struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life.

Just as humanity managed to cling to a hard-won peace, a new threat strikes, crushing hope in an instant.

There is no third time. Everything ends here.

About GKIDS
GKIDS is the Academy Award-winning curator, producer, and distributor of artist-driven, globally inspired cinema dedicated to connecting North American audiences with distinctive stories from around the world. Widely celebrated for its leadership in the “animation is film” movement, the studio has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape for feature animation in the U.S. and internationally for nearly two decades. GKIDS represents the work of many of the world’s most acclaimed animation filmmakers, including Makoto Shinkai (Your Name., Weathering With You), Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress), Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers), Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai, Wolf Children), and serves as the North American home of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli.

Upcoming for GKIDS is Oscar nominated director Hirokazu Koreeda’s latest film, Look Back, which made its critically acclaimed world premiere at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. In addition to Godzilla Minus Zero, earlier this fall the studio released Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, the latest widely-praised Aardman feature in the beloved Oscar-nominated film series. Other recent theatrical releases include the Academy Award-nominated films Kokuho and Little Amélie and the Character of Rain, the box office hit Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, Mamoru Oshii’s cult classic Angel’s Egg, and the critically acclaimed All You Need Is Kill, alongside groundbreaking television series such as DAN DA DAN, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and Arcane: League of Legends. @GKIDSFilms

About TOHO Co., Ltd.
TOHO Co., Ltd. is a leading Japanese entertainment company founded in 1932. Its four main business pillars are the cinema business, which includes production, distribution and exhibition; the theatrical business, which includes production and exhibition; the anime business, which has been expanding globally in recent years; and the real estate business, which focuses on development in urban areas.

TOHO’s acclaimed works include theatrical films such as the “Godzilla” series and “Seven Samurai” directed by Akira Kurosawa, and TV anime series such as “My Hero Academia” and “Jujutsu Kaisen”. These anime series are produced and distributed through the TOHO animation label, and are delivered to a wide range of audiences around the world.

About Cineplex Pictures
Cineplex Pictures, a division of Cineplex, is a Canadian film distributor specializing in theatrical releases across various genres. Past releases include Godzilla Minus Zero, Michael, The Housemaid, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, The Queen of My Dreams, John Wick: Chapter 4, and The Boy and the Heron, with upcoming titles including The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping among others.