“Godzilla Minus Zero” and “Ramayana: Part One” opened this weekend at the top of the international box office, two films from different industries that arrived in their home markets and North America on the same schedule. Toho’s kaiju sequel collected roughly $63 million worldwide. North America supplied $31.6 million, a record debut there for a foreign-language film, and Japan added about $17 million.
IMAX screens delivered $21.3 million of the global total, about 34%. Director Takashi Yamazaki’s film opened at nearly triple the $11.4 million earned by its 2023 predecessor, “Godzilla Minus One,” and became the fourth non-English title to reach No. 1 on the US weekend chart.
“Ramayana: Part One” reported Rs 500.2 crore worldwide across a four-day holiday weekend. Nitesh Tiwari directed the adaptation of the Hindu epic, with Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Sony handled international distribution on a reported 70,000 screens.
Opening-day figures varied by tracker, from Rs 127.5 crore to Rs 155 crore worldwide. Either number set marks for Kapoor’s biggest opening day and the largest pre-Diwali debut, topping the Rs 44.5 crore that “Tiger 3” earned in India. Several Indian outlets stressed the other side of the ledger: the film opened below “Adipurush,” the 2023 retelling of the same story, and below “Jawan” among the biggest Indian debuts.
Overseas results will draw attention next. “Ramayana” earned $10.15 million abroad through Friday, and its US opening day reached $2.8 million. Kapoor’s overseas weekend record belongs to “Animal,” which took $13.19 million in 2023.
Pre-release buzz had been strong. Trade tracker Sacnilk reported worldwide advance bookings above Rs 100 crore for the opening weekend, and the film also benefited from a settlement of a revenue-sharing dispute between distributors and exhibitors that widened its theatrical reach.
The film is the first half of a two-part saga. Its sequel arrives at Diwali 2028, and the score comes from Oscar winners A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer. For “Godzilla Minus Zero,” the next test is how well it holds after a debut driven by premium screens and fan turnout. Domestically, it faces a second weekend against family fare and holdovers.
