Written by Niamh Sutton
Courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd..
Takashi Yamazaki's monster sequel dominates the North American box office, leaving Warner Bros.' animated adaptation trailing behind as November's theatrical season gets underway.
'Godzilla Minus Zero' has made an explosive entrance at the North American box office, collecting an impressive $14.5 million on Friday from 3,254 cinemas and comfortably securing the top spot. The highly anticipated follow-up to 2023's critically acclaimed 'Godzilla Minus One' has significantly outperformed Warner Bros.' animated adaptation of 'The Cat in the Hat', which debuted with $6 million despite playing in considerably more locations.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, 'Godzilla Minus Zero' continues the story established in its Oscar-winning predecessor, which became an international sensation thanks to its striking visual effects, emotional storytelling and relatively modest production budget. The sequel builds on that success, with early projections placing its three-day domestic opening at approximately $30 million to $32 million, nearly tripling the original film's $11.4 million North American debut. The result would also represent a major milestone for distributor GKIDS, potentially delivering its biggest opening weekend to date.
Meanwhile, 'The Cat in the Hat', featuring Bill Hader as the voice of Dr. Seuss' iconic character, has experienced a comparatively disappointing start. Opening across 4,003 North American cinemas, the animated feature generated $6 million on Friday and is currently projected to earn between $16.5 million and $20 million over its first weekend. Although family films often benefit from stronger Saturday attendance and sustained holiday interest, its initial performance falls short of Warner Bros.' earlier expectations.
Elsewhere, Angel Studios' historical musical 'Drummer Boy' emerged as another notable newcomer, earning approximately $3.4 million on Friday from 2,850 locations. The film, set during the American Revolutionary War, is expected to finish its opening weekend with around $7.9 million. A24's documentary 'You Can See Everything', centred on Elizabeth Holmes, continued its successful theatrical run with $2.55 million on Friday, taking its North American total beyond $73 million.
Searchlight Pictures' 'Wild Horse Nine', directed by Martin McDonagh and starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, also entered the market with approximately $2.47 million on Friday. The dark comedy is projected to earn around $5.5 million by Sunday, while Sony's Indian epic 'Ramayana: Rise of a Legend' collected $2.4 million on Friday and is targeting a $7.3 million three-day weekend.
For 'Godzilla Minus Zero', the early figures represent another major achievement for Japanese cinema in the international market. Following the critical and commercial triumph of 'Godzilla Minus One', Yamazaki's latest instalment appears poised to surpass its predecessor's opening performance by a considerable margin. With a commanding lead over its Hollywood competitors, the King of the Monsters has once again demonstrated the franchise's enduring appeal, delivering one of the weekend's most significant box office stories.
Figures reflect Friday, 6 November 2026, earnings and preliminary weekend projections, rather than final weekend totals.
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