‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ and ‘Ramayana: Rise of a Legend’ Roar at International Box Office

Asian cinema dominated the worldwide box office over the weekend as Toho and Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus Zero” and Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari’s Indian epic “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend” posted thunderous global debuts, fueled by historic attendance on premium large format and Imax screens.

Leading the charge across the globe, “Godzilla Minus Zero” stomped to a massive $63 million worldwide bow, led by a scorching $31.6 million North American debut via distributor GKIDS and an additional $31.4 million from international territories. The R-rated monster sequel shattered the long-standing domestic milestone for the largest opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film, comfortably besting the previous high-water mark set by Zhang Yimou’s martial arts spectacle “Hero,” which opened to $17.8 million in 2002.

Audience and critical reception ran sky-high, boasting a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” grade from CinemaScore exit polling. Premium formats played an outsized role in the titan’s rampage, with PLF auditoriums, including Dolby, accounting for a staggering 74% of domestic ticket sales, outperforming recent visual benchmarks like “The Odyssey,” which drew 53% from PLFs during its debut.

Globally, “Godzilla Minus Zero” brought in $21.3 million from Imax screens alone, capturing 34% of its worldwide total and establishing a new record for the highest global Imax opening ever for a Japanese title. In North America, Imax generated $12.7 million across 429 venues, representing 40% of its domestic haul and registering the highest Imax opening weekend indexing of all time. Internationally, Imax screens added $8.6 million from 421 screens across 64 overseas markets, propelled by a record-setting $4 million haul in Japan, which now stands as the territory’s biggest Imax launch in history.

“With ‘Godzilla Minus Zero,’ Takashi Yamazaki and our friends at Toho have delivered a tremendous feat of filmmaking with arresting visuals that somehow top its predecessor; we are proud to call this the first Filmed For Imax release from Japan and delighted fans are overwhelmingly choosing to experience it in on our screens,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax. “Japan continues to be among the biggest success stories across our global footprint, and we know this historic success will only create further opportunities for filmmaker partnership and network growth in this thriving marketing for cinema.”

Right behind the radioactive reptile, “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend” staged an unprecedented global launch of its own, collecting a studio-reported $55.7 million global cume. That launch establishes a new Diwali holiday opening record for an Indian production. Presented by Sony Pictures and Prime Focus Studios in association with Monster Mind Creations and DNEG, the mythological adventure based on an ancient Indian epic and headlined by Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, sold more than 11 million tickets worldwide to become the weekend’s most-watched movie globally.

Mounted across more than 130 countries, 10,000-plus screens, and in 17 dubbed languages, the rollout represents the widest distribution footprint ever attempted for Indian cinema. Home turf led the charge with a robust $32 million debut in India, while U.S. and Canadian theaters kicked in $12.2 million, notching the second-highest domestic opening in history for a film from India, behind “Dhurandhar The Revenge” that opened with $14 million in March. An additional wave of 37 international markets contributed $11.5 million. Local records tumbled across several overseas corridors, including the U.K. ($3 million), Thailand ($550,000), the Netherlands ($240,000), and South Africa ($75,000). Other top-performing stops included the U.A.E. ($2.2 million), Australia ($1.9 million), Germany ($625,000), and Nepal ($500,000).

“Ramayana” is poised for substantial legs as Diwali holiday celebrations continue, with extensive second- and third-wave rollout plans scheduled throughout November across major markets including Indonesia on Nov. 11; Hong Kong, Mexico, and Central Asia on Nov. 12; Brazil, Italy, Ukraine, and Hungary on Nov. 19; Poland on Nov. 20; and Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Czechia, and Central America on Nov. 26.

In the large-format arena, “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend” brought in $6 million on Imax worldwide, capturing 11% of its total global debut and setting an all-time record for the format’s biggest global launch for an Indian film. That tally was anchored by $2 million from India, setting the all-time local Imax record, alongside $2.5 million from 53 North American screens (indexing at 20% of stateside earnings) and $1.4 million across 32 other international territories. Combined, “Godzilla Minus Zero” and “Ramayana” drove Imax’s global network to an exceptional $29 million weekend.

Rounding out the top global performers, Warner Bros.’ animated family entry “The Cat in the Hat” took the third spot on the worldwide charts with $30.5 million, bolstered by a $20.5 million second-place domestic frame. Event cinema outfit Trafalgar Releasing secured fourth position globally with the concert broadcast “Stray Kids World Tour ‘Run It’ Live Viewing,” which pulled in $13.9 million, while Warner Bros.’ DC title “Clayface” rounded out the worldwide top five with $13.4 million.