Japan’s latest monster epic narrowly beat India’s biggest release of the year to the top of the worldwide box office chart over the November 6 to 8 weekend.
Godzilla Minus Zero opened to $63 million globally, according to figures reported by Sacnilk and by Techloy, which cited Screen Daily’s global box office report. Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, finished second worldwide.
How Godzilla Minus Zero performed
The film, a follow-up to the Oscar-winning 2023 hit Godzilla Minus One, was released across 101 territories, a far wider international launch than its predecessor received. Both reports put its North American opening at an estimated $31.6 million, roughly half of its global total, with about $31.4 million from international markets according to Techloy.
IMAX screens contributed $21.3 million worldwide. In Japan, Techloy reported that Toho and GKIDS put the film’s opening day at about $5.75 million, which they described as a record for a live-action film there.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the new instalment is again set in post-war Japan and pits Godzilla against King Ghidorah.
Ramayana’s global weekend
Estimates for Ramayana vary slightly between trackers, partly because the film opened on Thursday, November 5, a day before the standard weekend window:
- Sacnilk estimated its worldwide Friday-to-Sunday weekend at $54.1 million.
- Screen Daily, as cited by Techloy, put the three-day weekend at $52.2 million and the total including Thursday at about $55.7 million.
Either way, the gap to the Japanese film was less than $11 million. Sacnilk estimated the film’s worldwide total after four days at around Rs507 crore, with overseas markets contributing about 44 per cent.
Strong numbers in the UAE
Gulf audiences have played a notable part in the film’s overseas run. Sacnilk’s market breakdown for the weekend included:
- North America: about $8.7 million (Friday to Sunday), or $12.2 million including previews
- United Kingdom: $3 million
- United Arab Emirates: an estimated $2.2 million
- Australia: $1.9 million
The UAE figure placed the country among the film’s biggest international markets on its opening weekend. Algulfnews.com reported earlier on the film’s start in India: Ramayana box office day 1: Ranbir Kapoor and Yash film opens big.
Quick facts
- No 1 worldwide: Godzilla Minus Zero, $63 million
- No 2 worldwide: Ramayana, roughly $52 million to $56 million depending on the tracker and dates counted
- Godzilla IMAX share: $21.3 million
- Ramayana UAE weekend: about $2.2 million (Sacnilk estimate)
What comes next
Both films are now in their second week in cinemas, including across the UAE. Ramayana is the first part of a planned two-part adaptation of the Hindu epic, with Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Weekday figures in India and the Gulf over the coming days will give a clearer picture of whether it can overtake the Japanese film in cumulative global takings.
Sources: Sacnilk, Techloy (citing Screen Daily), Khaleej Times
