Godzilla's Unprecedented Box Office Success in the US
Toho Studios' colossal kaiju flick, Godzilla Minus One, effortlessly smashes a two-decade-old box office record in the US, leaving fans awestruck by its massive budget
Toho Studios’ latest kaiju film, Godzilla Minus One, has shattered a 20-year-old US box office record. The 33rd installment in Toho’s Godzilla series made its North American debut on December 1 after its initial release in Japan on November 3.
Godzilla Minus One has been widely embraced by critics, with many praising it as the best Godzilla movie yet. The film received a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, maintaining this rating for over two weeks. As a result, the US ticket sales projections for Godzilla Minus One were optimistic, despite the fact that it was screened in subtitled Japanese.
Godzilla Minus One sets incredible box office record in the US
The optimism proved to be well-founded. Collider obtained figures showing that Godzilla Minus One raked in $11 million at the US box office, landing it in the number three spot on the box office charts.
In addition to that, Godzilla Minus One's performance at the box office was impressive enough to make Toho's latest kaiju epic the highest-grossing foreign-language live-action film since 2002's Hero. However, the King of the Monsters fell short of surpassing Hero's $18 million debut.
Fans marvel at the size of Godzilla Minus One’s budget
Nevertheless, Toho executives are expected to be extremely satisfied with the position of Godzilla Minus One as the second-highest-grossing foreign-language live-action film in US history. They are undoubtedly thrilled by the movie's $35 million global earnings, particularly considering Godzilla Minus One's modest budget.
According to reports, the price tag for Godzilla Minus One is set at $15 million, which is considered relatively low for a VFX-heavy movie produced in Hollywood. Fans have taken to social media to compare the film favorably to The Marvels, which had a production budget of $220 million.
One X user proclaimed, "Godzilla Minus One cost around 1/15th the production budget of The Marvels and is one of the best-looking disaster movies I’ve ever seen." Another user opined, "Incredible what actual planning and not redoing sequences 1,000 times does for artistic quality and budget."
Godzilla Minus One is in cinemas now. For all the latest Godzilla content, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z fan, I'm thrilled to see Godzilla Minus One's box office success in the US. It's a testament to the enduring popularity of the Godzilla franchise and the talent of director Shinji Higuchi. The film's strong critical reception and impressive box office performance suggest that Toho Studios has a hit on their hands. I'm excited to see what the future holds for the Godzilla franchise and look forward to seeing more giant monster movies in the years to come.
The success of Godzilla Minus One also highlights the growing popularity of foreign-language films in the US. In the past, foreign-language films have often struggled to find a wide audience in the US, but Godzilla Minus One's success suggests that audiences are increasingly open to watching films from other countries. This is a positive development, as it allows more people to experience the rich diversity of world cinema.
