‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Roars With $6.7M in Box Office Previews Ahead of Face-Off With ‘Cat in the Hat’

Godzilla Minus Zero is looking to conquer the domestic box office this weekend as it faces competition from fellow newcomers The Cat in the Hat, Wild Horse Nine and Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.

GKIDS and Toho release Godzilla Minus Zero in 3,254 North American theaters on Friday, including Imax. The film grossed $6.7 million in Thursday previews, in addition to Imax-exclusive advance screenings on Tuesday to celebrate Godzilla Day. The distributor is projecting an opening in the low-to-mid $20 millions for filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki‘s sequel to 2023’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One.

Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe and Min Tanaka star in the new movie that carries a reported budget in the mid-teens. It centers on postwar Japan dealing with attacks from the three-headed Ghidorah and the possibility of Godzilla’s return.

Godzilla Minus Zero could become just the fourth non-English release ever to open No. 1 at the domestic box office. It follows the winning launches for 2004’s The Passion of the Christ (and its opening of $83.8 million), 2004’s Hero ($18 million) and last year’s Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle ($70.6 million). Godzilla Minus Zero holds an impressive 90 percent critics approval on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney deeming it a “thrilling jolt of marauding monster action.”

Hitting North American theaters in December 2023, Godzilla Minus One was a massive breakout success, opening to $11.4 million before collecting $57.1 million for its run, along with adding $56.9 million internationally. It became Japan’s first feature to win the best visual effects Oscar.

The Cat in the Hat grossed $1 million in Thursday previews as Warner Bros. releases it Friday in more than 4,000 North American locations. The studio projects an opening around $20 million for the $92 million-budgeted film and hopes for word of mouth to help it play through the Thanksgiving holiday and into December. It opens in roughly 60 international markets and will continue rolling out worldwide over the next eight weeks.

Directors Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni’s animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic 1957 children’s book marks the first theatrical release for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation since Bill Damaschke’s 2023 hiring as president and chief creative officer. Bill Hader voices the titular feline who is given a final chance to prove his worth by helping a pair of siblings.

A feature adaptation of the book previously hit the big screen with Universal’s 2003 live-action The Cat in the Hat that starred Mike Myers. That one opened to $38.3 million domestically en route to a North American cume of $101 million against a $109 million budget. Critics have been mixed on the new one, as it holds a 49 percent Rotten Tomatoes score from reviewers, with THR critic Frank Scheck calling it “more taxing than enjoyable.”

Searchlight Pictures’ Wild Horse Nine notched $900,000 in Thursday previews as it opens Friday in 1,100 North American theaters. John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi star in writer-director Martin McDonagh’s awards hopeful about two CIA operatives who travel from Santiago, Chile, to Easter Island in 1973. It holds a 95 critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Rooney’s review describing it as “uniquely affecting.”

Sony Pictures released Prime Focus Studios’ Ramayana: Rise of a Legend in 1,433 North American locations Thursday prior to the start of Diwali, with the film grossing $3.5 million for the day, including Wednesday previews. Boasting the widest domestic launch for an Indian film, director Nitesh Tiwari’s religious epic focuses on the life of Prince Rama, with the two-film project’s budget reported at $420 million and beyond.

The studio projects a $6 million opening over the four-day weekend for Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, which holds a 75 score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.