Godzilla Minus Zero beats Ramayana at global box office: Japanese hit nears Rs 6 billion

A giant lizard made for under Rs 180 crore is beating one of the most expensive films India has produced. Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus Zero has collected about $63 million (roughly Rs 592.91 crore) worldwide so far. Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 stands at Rs 507.20 crore (about $54 million). The Japanese film has done this without opening in India or several other markets.

How the numbers stack up

Variety reports that Godzilla Minus Zero’s total splits almost evenly. It has taken $31.6 million (Rs 297.31 crore) in North America and $31.4 million (Rs 295.43 crore) from the overseas territories where it has opened. In Japan, its home market, Deadline puts the film at 2.7 billion yen, or about $17 million (roughly Rs 159.85 crore).

The film follows Godzilla Minus One, the 2023 hit that grossed $113 million (Rs 1,070 crore) worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. With several releases still to come, the sequel has plenty of room to close that gap.

The budget gap

The bigger story is profitability. Godzilla Minus Zero reportedly cost $19 million (Rs 178.76 crore). The two-part Ramayana franchise, led by Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, is said to cost Rs 4,000 crore in total. Assigning half of that, Rs 2,000 crore, to Part 1 means Yamazaki’s film was made for about 8.94 per cent of Ramayana’s budget, and it has still earned more.

Ramayana’s run at home

In India, the mythological action film has grossed Rs 285.20 crore in four days, with an India nett of Rs 238.85 crore, according to trade tracker Sacnilk. It opened with Rs 64.85 crore nett on Thursday, November 5. It then dipped to Rs 48.05 crore, rose to its best single day of Rs 69.80 crore, and added Rs 56.15 crore on Sunday.

Word of mouth is deciding the race

Reviews are pulling the two films in opposite directions. Strong critical response is carrying Godzilla Minus Zero across markets. Ramayana’s mixed reception appears to be slowing it, especially overseas. That could matter as the Japanese film opens in more territories, including India.