'Godzilla Minus Zero' Roars to $63M; 'Ramayana' Sets Diwali Record

By Elena Vasquez

Takashi Yamazaki's "Godzilla Minus Zero" opened to $63 million worldwide over the weekend, breaking the 23-year-old record for the largest domestic debut by a live-action foreign-language film. The R-rated Toho sequel grossed $31.6 million in North America through distributor GKIDS and $31.4 million internationally, topping the $17.8 million benchmark set by Zhang Yimou's "Hero" in 2002.

The numbers were matched by reception. "Godzilla Minus Zero" holds a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" grade from CinemaScore exit polling. Premium large format auditoriums, including Dolby, accounted for 74% of domestic ticket sales — compared with 53% for "The Odyssey" during its debut.

What did Imax contribute?

Imax alone generated $21.3 million globally, or 34% of the film's worldwide total — a new record for the highest global Imax opening ever for a Japanese title. North American Imax screens delivered $12.7 million across 429 venues, representing 40% of the domestic haul and the highest Imax opening-weekend indexing of all time. International Imax screens added $8.6 million from 421 screens across 64 markets, led by a record-setting $4 million in Japan, the territory's biggest Imax launch in history.

Imax CEO Rich Gelfond said: "With 'Godzilla Minus Zero,' Takashi Yamazaki and our friends at Toho have delivered a tremendous feat of filmmaking with arresting visuals that somehow top its predecessor; we are proud to call this the first Filmed For Imax release from Japan and delighted fans are overwhelmingly choosing to experience it in on our screens."

Gelfond added: "Japan continues to be among the biggest success stories across our global footprint, and we know this historic success will only create further opportunities for filmmaker partnership and network growth in this thriving marketing for cinema."

How big was 'Ramayana's launch?

Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari's "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" collected a studio-reported $55.7 million globally, a new Diwali holiday opening record for an Indian production. The mythological epic, presented by Sony Pictures and Prime Focus Studios in association with Monster Mind Creations and DNEG, stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash. It sold more than 11 million tickets worldwide, making it the weekend's most-watched movie globally.

The rollout spanned more than 130 countries, over 10,000 screens and 17 dubbed languages — the widest distribution footprint ever attempted for Indian cinema. India led with a $32 million debut. U.S. and Canadian theaters added $12.2 million, the second-highest domestic opening for an Indian film behind "Dhurandhar The Revenge," which opened with $14 million in March. Another 37 international markets contributed $11.5 million.

Local records fell in several territories:

• U.K.: $3 million
• Thailand: $550,000
• Netherlands: $240,000
• South Africa: $75,000

Other top markets included the U.A.E. ($2.2 million), Australia ($1.9 million), Germany ($625,000) and Nepal ($500,000).

Can 'Ramayana' keep running?

The film enters November with extensive second- and third-wave releases timed to continuing Diwali celebrations: Indonesia on Nov. 11; Hong Kong, Mexico and Central Asia on Nov. 12; Brazil, Italy, Ukraine and Hungary on Nov. 19; Poland on Nov. 20; and Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Czechia and Central America on Nov. 26.

On Imax, "Ramayana" grossed $6 million worldwide — 11% of its global debut and an all-time record for the format's biggest global launch for an Indian film. That figure was anchored by $2 million in India (an all-time local Imax record), $2.5 million from 53 North American screens (20% of stateside earnings) and $1.4 million across 32 other territories. Combined, the two films drove Imax's global network to a $29 million weekend.

Who else charted globally?

Warner Bros.' animated "The Cat in the Hat" took third place worldwide with $30.5 million, including a $20.5 million second-place domestic frame. Trafalgar Releasing's concert broadcast "Stray Kids World Tour 'Run It' Live Viewing" secured fourth with $13.9 million, and Warner Bros.' DC title "Clayface" rounded out the top five with $13.4 million.

With two Asian titles commanding the top two global spots and rewriting Imax and distribution records in the process, the weekend signals that premium-format audiences — and worldwide release infrastructure — now anchor tentpole economics well beyond Hollywood.