Godzilla Minus Zero tops US box office and sets Japan opening-day record
Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus Zero opened at number one in North America with $31.6m, a record for a live-action foreign-language film, and set an opening-day record in Japan.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Godzilla Minus Zero, Takashi Yamazaki's sequel to Godzilla Minus One, topped the North American box office on its opening weekend with $31.6m, according to CNA and The Guardian. CNAN “Godzilla Minus Zero stomped into movie theaters with a chart-topping US$31.6 million (S$40.53 million) over the weekend” Read at CNA ↗ The GuardianLC “swept to the top of the US box office on its opening weekend” Read at The Guardian ↗ Left · 1The Guardian reports $63m worldwide, including the $31.6m in the US and Canada. The GuardianLC “generated $63m worldwide, including $31.6m in the US and Canada” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2The result is a record opening for a live-action foreign-language film in North America. CNA says it beat the previous live-action mark of $17.9m set by Hero in 2004, and notes that The Passion of the Christ ($83.8m) and the anime Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle ($70.6m) opened bigger. CNAN “But Godzilla Minus Zero bested the mark for live-action previously held by 2004’s Hero (a US$17.9 million launch)” Read at CNA ↗ The GuardianLC “it set a record for opening weekend receipts for the biggest live-action foreign-language film” Read at The Guardian ↗
Centre · 1Collider's pre-weekend piece had projected a $33m debut, which it said would beat Godzilla vs. Kong's $32m in 2021 and be the biggest ever for an international title. It compared that with the $11m domestic debut of Godzilla Minus One. ColliderN “projected to triple its predecessor's opening-weekend haul with a $33 million domestic debut”“Godzilla Minus One grossed $11 million in its domestic debut” Read at Collider ↗ Left · 1In Japan, the Guardian says the film earned $5.75m on its opening day, 3 November. It cites Toho as saying this was a record first day for a live-action release in Japan and more than double the opening day of Godzilla Minus One. The GuardianLC “In Japan, Godzilla earned ($5.75m) on its opening day on 3 November, setting a box office revenue record for the first day of a live-action release in the country” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 2CNA puts the Japanese weekend gross at about $17m. Collider, before the weekend, cited around $13m over five days. CNAN “In Japan, Godzilla Minus Zero grossed about US$17 million over the weekend.” Read at CNA ↗ ColliderN “The movie grossed around $13 million over five days in Japan.” Read at Collider ↗
Mixed · 2Koji Ueda, president of Toho Global, said in a statement: "This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla and with Takashi Yamazaki's vision." He called it Toho's first near-simultaneous global release. CNAN ““This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla and with Takashi Yamazaki’s vision,” said Koji Ueda, president of Toho Global” Read at CNA ↗ The GuardianLC “Our first near-simultaneous global release was built on that belief.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2Large-format screens helped. The film had an early IMAX-only release on Tuesday, and IMAX generated $21.3m globally, or 34% of its take, according to CNA. The Guardian gives the same 34% share. CNAN “Godzilla Minus Zero generated US$21.3 million globally, or 34 per cent of its box-office take, from IMAX.” Read at CNA ↗ The GuardianLC “generating 34% of Godzilla’s box office take on its opening weekend” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 1The film beat Warner Bros' animated The Cat in the Hat, which CNA says opened with $20.5m. It also beat India's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, a Hindi-language epic and the most expensive Indian film made, which took $8.7m in North America and $32m in India. CNAN “That film, featuring the voice of Bill Hader, opened with US$20.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday”“it launched with US$8.7 million domestically and US$32 million in India” Read at CNA ↗
Centre · 1Reviews are strong: CNA reports a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score and an "A" CinemaScore, and says the film is set in post-war Japan with a budget under $20m. Godzilla x Kong: Supernova follows in March. CNAN “the film has scored well with critics (90 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (an “A” CinemaScore)”“In March, Warner Bros. and Legendary will release Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.” Read at CNA ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Guardian's Tokyo correspondent leads on Godzilla as Japan's global cultural star and gives plot and production detail (set in 1949, Ghidorah, shooting locations), alongside the box-office figures.
- Emphasis
- Japan's domestic record, the film's setting and plot, why it counts as live-action, and the Toho and analyst quotes.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give Rotten Tomatoes or CinemaScore ratings, budget, or the Cat in the Hat comparison.
- Charged language
- “takes US box office by storm”
- For example
-
“Japan’s most recognisable film star shows no sign of losing its ability to captivate global audiences” — The Guardian
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Collider and CNA treat it as an industry box-office story: a rivalry with Hollywood releases and a record for non-English films. Collider's piece is a pre-weekend projection and CNA's reports the final figures.
- Emphasis
- Competition (The Cat in the Hat, Ramayana), budgets, review scores, IMAX share and the upcoming Hollywood Godzilla film.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports the Japan opening-day record in detail (Collider's headline claims it but the text focuses on North America). Neither describes the plot.
- Charged language
- “Smashes”“crushes box-office rivals”“stomping out competition”“thrashed”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The film topped the North American box office on its opening weekend.
- It set an opening-weekend record for a live-action foreign-language film in North America.
- Toho Global's Koji Ueda called the opening historic.
- IMAX screens produced about a third of its opening take.
- It was released near-simultaneously in Japan and North America.
Where accounts differ
-
How much bigger the opening was than Godzilla Minus One's
- Left
- The Guardian cites analyst David A Gross saying it is nearly three times Godzilla Minus One's opening, and Toho saying Japan's opening day was more than double.
- Centre
- Collider projected a tripling of the predecessor's debut; CNA says it will surpass the predecessor's total haul of $57.1m.
-
Japan's gross figures
- Left
- $5.75m on opening day (3 November), a record for a live-action film.
- Centre
- CNA: about $17m over the weekend; Collider (pre-weekend): about $13m over five days.
-
Godzilla Minus Zero topped the North American box office on its opening weekend.
Supported- Supports 2
- The Guardian, CNA
- Reports 1
- Collider
-
Godzilla Minus Zero set a North American opening-weekend record for a foreign-language film (live-action).
Supported- Supports 2
- The Guardian, CNA
- Reports 1
- Collider
-
Godzilla Minus Zero's opening was roughly triple or more than double that of Godzilla Minus One.
Reported- Reports 3
- The Guardian, CNA, Collider
Godzilla Minus Zero other
Toho Global presents the opening as historic and as proof of worldwide demand for Godzilla and Yamazaki's work. Press coverage describes the film as a well-reviewed, low-budget success.
“This historic opening shows how deeply audiences around the world connect with Godzilla” — CNA
“Industry experts said the success of its global release on Imax and regular screens worldwide had easily exceeded expectations.” — The Guardian
North America1 outlet
Collider frames it as a challenge to Hollywood, with projections and budget comparisons.
“The Roald Dahl adaptation looks set to become Warner Bros.' latest box-office disappointment” — Collider
Collider
East and Southeast Asia1 outlet
CNA reports final figures, Toho's statement and the Indian release.
“The weekend also saw the widest North American release for an Indian film.” — CNA
CNA
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Guardian reports from Tokyo and stresses Japanese context and the domestic record.
“set a domestic record for a live-action film, according to the Kyodo news agency” — The Guardian
The Guardian
Left1 article
-
Godzilla Minus Zero takes US box office by storm in opening weekend
Sympathetic Tokyo-datelined report presenting Godzilla as Japan's cultural export, with plot and production detail.
Centre2 articles
-
‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Officially Smashes a Box Office Record on Day 1
Celebratory Pre-weekend industry preview that frames the film as outperforming Hollywood competition, with projected figures.
-
CNAN ·
Godzilla Minus Zero crushes box-office rivals with record US$31.6 million debut
Celebratory Final-figures report on the record for a foreign-language film, with a Hollywood-rivalry angle.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Nov 17:00 First ColliderN ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Officially Smashes a Box Office Record on Day 1
- 9 Nov 00:39 +31h 39m CNAN Godzilla Minus Zero crushes box-office rivals with record US$31.6 million debut
- 9 Nov 04:21 +35h 22m The GuardianLC Godzilla Minus Zero takes US box office by storm in opening weekend
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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