Sorry, Dr. Seuss — “The Cat in the Hat” was no match for “Godzilla Minus Zero,” which smashed its way to the top of the box office on Friday.
“Godzilla Minus Zero,” the highly anticipated sequel to 2023’s “Godzilla Minus One,” generated $14.5 million Friday from 3,254 North American theaters, easily taking the top spot. It’s a good start for the Kaiju movie, which is expected to gross $32 million by Sunday.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the film takes place two years after the previous installment as Godzilla regenerates and resurfaces to fight a new monster plaguing post-war Japan. The film has enjoyed word of mouth and rave reviews so far, with VarietyOwen Gleiberman of Owen Gleiberman writes that the film is “intended to reach a wide international audience.” “It’s already clear that this won’t be the last of Yamazaki’s kaiju epics,” he continued. “That’s because the film proves that when you do things right, what seemed old can become timeless.” The sci-fi epic is produced by Japanese company Toho and distributed in the United States by GKids.
Friday, “The Cat in the Hat,” from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation took second place, grossing $6 million in 4,003 North American theaters. The new release is expected to gross $18.7 million by Sunday, slightly below early forecasts of an opening weekend of $20 million to $25 million.
Bill Hader plays the main character in this cartoon version, directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja. This iteration of the beloved children’s book revolves around the shenanigans that occur after a mischievous cat wearing a hat arrives to cheer up two siblings who are moving to a new town. This version of “The Cat in the Hat” is the second adaptation of the Seuss classic following the live-action film directed by Mike Myers in 2003, which opened to $38 million.
Angel Studios’ “Drummer Boy” took third place with $3.39 million from 2,850 North American theaters. The patriotic and Christian musical is targeting $7.9 million by its first Sunday in theaters.
Directed by brothers Ben and Joel David Smallbone, the film stars Smallbone and third Smallbone brother Luke who make up the Christian music group For King + Country. According to the film’s official description, “Drummer Boy” follows a young drummer, an enslaved woman and a divided family as they seek freedom during America’s struggle for independence. Variety The review wrote that the film “provides a confident, and mostly enjoyable, return to the original musicals of old.”
A24’s “You Can See Everything” held strong with $2.55 million in its fourth Friday at 2,473 North American theaters, good enough for fourth place just behind Searchlight’s dark buddy comedy “Wild Horse Nine,” and expected to gross $8 million by Sunday, according to its rival’s estimates. This is in addition to the cumulative $73.49 million that Elizabeth Holmes’ animated documentary has already raked in across North America since its October 16 theatrical release.
“Wild Horse Nine” follows in fifth place with $2.47 million from 1,100 shoots according to rival estimates, which expect the Martin McDonagh-directed film to gross $5.5 million by Sunday. “Wild Horse Nine” follows two CIA officers (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell) sent from Santiago to Easter Island shortly before a Chilean military coup.
Close behind is the Indian epic “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend,” which grossed $2.4 million Friday from 1,433 sites and is expected to gross $7.3 million by Sunday.
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