“Godzilla Minus Zero” enters its first weekend with $6 million in previews—and bigger expectations
The Japanese monster sequel’s estimated North American preview sales have already surpassed those of “Godzilla Minus One,” ahead of its wide release.
Box Office: 'Godzilla Minus Zero' Roars $6M Previews, 'Cat in the Hat' $1M
Godzilla Minus Zero
Box Office: 'Godzilla Minus Zero' to Beat 'Cat in the Hat'
'Godzilla Minus Zero' Review: Monster Mayhem Rules in Thrilling Sequel
Godzilla Minus Zero review: R-rated sequel follows in the first's cavernous footsteps
A head start at the box office
“Godzilla Minus Zero” has taken an estimated $6 million in North American previews, including more than $4 million on Thursday, Deadline reported. The total also includes earlier fan screenings, so it is not a Thursday-only figure.deadline
The sequel begins its wide North American release on Friday, November 6, after opening in Japan on November 3. Its early take is already well above the $2.1 million its predecessor, “Godzilla Minus One,” made in Wednesday and Thursday previews; that film went on to an $11.4 million opening weekend.deadline +1
The expectations are bigger this time
Before the preview figures emerged, Variety reported that “Minus Zero” was tracking toward roughly $30 million in its opening weekend from 3,254 North American theaters. That is a forecast, not a result: the full weekend’s sales remain to be seen.variety
The original became a surprise hit, taking about $57 million in North America and $113 million worldwide, according to Variety. It also won the Academy Award for visual effects. Takashi Yamazaki returns as writer and director for the sequel, which is being released in North America by GKIDS.godzilla +1
Bigger monsters, divided reviews
The film picks up two years after the first installment, bringing back Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe as Koichi and Noriko. The sequel adds another monster, King Ghidorah, and expands the spectacle into aerial action. It runs 2 hours and 15 minutes and is rated R.hollywoodreporter +1
The Hollywood Reporter praised the balance between monster action and the returning family’s story. The A.V. Club was less persuaded by the human scenes, arguing that the sequel leans too heavily on exposition, though it praised an aerial sequence.hollywoodreporter +1
For audiences, the difference is not just scale: RogerEbert.com notes that the R-rated sequel shows more graphic destruction than its predecessor. Whether those larger ambitions translate into a larger opening will become clearer when the weekend figures arrive.rogerebert