The R-rated “Godzilla Minus Zero” looks set to stomp all over the global box-office this weekend.
The very well-reviewed title looks set to pull in $13.5 million in its domestic opening day (including previews) with opening weekend estimates now in the range of $30-33 million.
If that holds, it will be the biggest-ever opening for distributor Gkids, and easily the biggest domestic opening ever for a live-action foreign-language movie – beating 2002’s “Hero” with $17.8 million.
It also easily stomps on the opening weekend numbers of its slightly more acclaimed predecessor “Godzilla Minus One” which had a $11.4 million opening. The film is being boosted this time by IMAX screens and a lot of PLF screenings.
In fact its numbers put it nearly at the level of the Legendary-verse Godzilla films with “Godzilla vs. Kong” debuting to $32.2 million (though was pandemic and HBO Max day-and-date impacted) and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” at $47.7 million.
The film will easily beat the weekend’s other newcomer, the animated “The Cat in the Hat” film, which has been panned by critics and is looking at an opening weekend in the $17-20 million range. Angel’s colonial period film “Drummer Boy” and talked about doco “You Can See Everything” will vie for third with around $9 million each, while Indian epic “Ramayana: Rise of the Legend” and dark comedy “Wild Horse Nine” will fight for fifth place with around $6 million each.
Overseas “Godzilla Minus Zero” is up to $8.7 million after three days – a record for a live-action pic in Japan. Worldwide the film is tipped to have an opening weekend in the $60 million range.
Source: Deadline
