Godzilla Minus Zero Rotten Tomatoes Score Officially Sets Franchise Audience Record

Published Nov 6, 2026, 11:04 AM EST

Fariba Rezwan is a Lead Editor for the Movie News team. She has been with ScreenRant for nearly five years, with roles ranging from list editor to junior news editor. 

During that time, Fariba has led coverage for breaking movies and TV news, including Hunger Games, Marvel, and streaming. Additionally, she has actively provided commentary and reactions to the biggest movies and shows on her YouTube channel, The Movieception Show. 

Godzilla Minus Zero rises from the sea, stronger than ever.

Three years after Godzilla Minus One stunned the world, director and writer Takashi Yamazaki and several cast members return for a sequel as the titular kaiju reawakens to face a new threat, King Ghidorah. The follow-up will dial up the intensity as the first Godzilla movie in history to get an R-rating. Following its September premiere at the New York Film Festival, reviews of Godzilla Minus Zero were largely positive, praising the amplified action, grand scale, and visually stunning kaiju, especially in IMAX.

However, the sequel, which now has a 91% critics' score, doesn't quite match the near-perfection of its 2023 original (99%), with criticism focused on the human story and pacing. Whereas Godzilla Minus One excelled because of its human story exploring postwar trauma, guilt, and healing, that aspect isn't as tightly focused or as emotionally resonant in the sequel. Nevertheless, with the movie now in theaters, it's clear audiences are still enjoying it despite its flaws.

With over 500 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Godzilla Minus Zero has earned a strong 96% audience score, just two points below the original movie's 98%. Yamazaki's sequel fell short of dethroning Minus One, which still has the highest audience score in franchise history. Nevertheless, Minus Zero now holds a franchise record for the second-highest audience score, edging out hits like Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (93%), Godzilla vs. Kong (91%), and 1954's Godzilla (89%).

Godzilla Movies	Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score	Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Godzilla Minus One (2023)	99%	98%
Godzilla Minus Zero (2026)	91%	96%
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)	100%	93%
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)	75%	91%
Godzilla (1954)	94%	89%
Godzilla vs. Kong (2024)	54%	89%

Moviegoers express similar sentiments about the sequel's grand scale and technical skills, especially during the third act, which is amplified by a breathtaking spectacle of King Ghidorah and Godzilla. In fact, reactions went viral over the movie's sound design, which many described as extremely loud and visceral. Godzilla Minus Zero is the first Japanese movie filmed for IMAX.

The positive reception will only boost Godzilla Minus Zero's commercial performance, especially as it reaches international audiences. The follow-up has already broken a record in its home country, Japan, setting the highest opening-day gross for any live-action film. With the sequel now set to land in the United States and Canada, it's expected to make $30 million in North America and $60 million globally.

Rearrange the movies into the correct US release order.

In comparison, Godzilla Minus One opened to $11.4 million in North America during its opening week. Thus, the sequel is expected to make nearly triple that amount if it hits the high end of opening projections. Meanwhile, the 2023 movie grossed over $57 million domestically and $113 million globally.

Although Godzilla Minus Zero has earned critical success and is expected to be a box office hit, Yamazaki hasn't decided whether to make a third installment. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, he said the chances are "fifty-fifty at this point. I’m quite satisfied and happy with the current ending we have." He will soon direct his first English-language movie, Grandgrear, set for 2028.

Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yuki Yamada, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sakura Ando, and Miou Tanaka are among the returning cast in Godzilla Minus Zero. New additions include Min Tanaka, Masami Nagasawa, and Jun Kunimura.

Godzilla Minus Zero is now playing in theaters.

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  Ryunosuke Kamiki

  Koichi Shikishima

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  Minami Hamabe

  Noriko Oishi

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  Min Tanaka

  Kanji Murakami

• Hidetaka Yoshioka

  Kenji Noda