Asian Blockbusters Smash Global Box Office Records Over Weekend

Asian cinema dominated the worldwide box office over the weekend as Toho and Takashi Yamazaki's "Godzilla Minus Zero" and Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari's Indian epic "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" posted massive global debuts.

Godzilla Minus Zero

"Godzilla Minus Zero" earned a $63 million worldwide bow, driven by a $31.6 million North American debut through distributor GKIDS and $31.4 million internationally. The R-rated monster sequel broke the domestic record for the largest opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film, beating Zhang Yimou's "Hero," which opened to $17.8 million in 2002. The film earned a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" grade from CinemaScore. Premium large format screens accounted for 74% of domestic ticket sales. Globally, the movie brought in $21.3 million from Imax screens, setting a record for the highest global Imax opening for a Japanese title.

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend

"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" collected a studio-reported $55.7 million global cume, setting a Diwali holiday opening record for an Indian production. Presented by Sony Pictures and Prime Focus Studios in association with Monster Mind Creations and DNEG, the mythological adventure features Ranbir Kapoor and Yash. It sold over 11 million tickets worldwide across more than 130 countries, 10,000 screens, and 17 dubbed languages. India led with a $32 million debut, while U.S. and Canadian theaters added $12.2 million. International markets contributed $11.5 million, with local records set in the U.K., Thailand, the Netherlands, and South Africa. The film also brought in $6 million on Imax worldwide.

Context

These massive openings highlight the growing global reach of non-Hollywood studio releases, particularly in premium large format formats like Imax. Both films leveraged wide international distribution and holiday timing to attract record audiences across diverse territories.