Toho’s Godzilla Minus One has become the most successful Japanese live action movie in North American box office history. The kaiju film achieved remarkable success, surpassing expectations and garnering positive reviews, making it this year’s standout crossover hit. It secured the third spot on the domestic chart, bringing in over $25 million domestically and $26 million internationally, with $23 million from Japan alone, reaching a total global revenue of around $51 million.
This installment, the 37th in the series and the fifth in the Reiwa era, aims to surpass the $78 million global earnings of its 2016 predecessor, Shin Godzilla. Despite not reaching the massive numbers of Hollywood’s MonsterVerse franchise, it’s crucial to note that Godzilla Minus One was made at a fraction of the cost, making it a significant success.
Godzilla Minus One Is Among the Best-Reviewed Films of the Year
The film’s success is largely put down to its positive reviews, boasting a 97% “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and earning an impressive A CinemaScore from opening day audiences. The movie expertly combines spectacle, action, and deeper themes of war and loss, establishing it as a solid monster movie.
Set in 1940s Japan, Godzilla Minus One takes the iconic franchise back to its anti war origins, drawing on Godzilla’s symbolic beginnings in response to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Moreover, Godzilla has endured as a pop culture icon, experiencing a recent revival with the MonsterVerse franchise’s global success. Furthermore, the series continues with the Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire, directed by Adam Wingard, slated for release next year.
