Ever since Godzilla Minus One came to North America in December, it’s been raking in cash and catching audience attention. Either on its own merits or because the MonsterVerse movies have helped keep him in folks’ minds over the last few years, there’s a larger Godzilla fever that made Minus One’s reception and turnout a pleasant surprise. And as of this weekend, it’s now crossed a new milestone and hit a new benchmark for Japanese-made films in the US.
Per a recent press release, Minus One has now made $50.6 million in the US, in turn becoming the country’s highest-grossing Japanese language film in live-action (a distinction it earned back in December) and animation. It’s also now the fifth highest-grossing non-English film in US box office, and is expected to have a global take of over $100 million when all is said and done. (This weekend marks the film’s black-and-white re-release, and man, I would love if that came here in the states for a week or two.)
Toho hasn’t said if they’ll expand the film’s screenings like it did last month, but it may need to eventually: towards the end of last year, Minus One was revealed to be on the shortlist for best VFX at the Oscars. Should it get nominated for that or a bigger, non-technical category, folks may decide to go see what all the fuss is about or conduct a second (or third, fourth, etc) rewatch. Those nominees won’t be revealed for another week, but it’s also been nominated at the Critics Choice Awards (for best foreign film) and given accolades from various US critics groups for its VFX, villain, and as the year’s best international film.
Combined with the just-concluded first season of Monarch and the eventual release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in a few months, it’s currently Godzilla’s world, and we’re all just living in it.
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