Japanese monster film “Godzilla Minus Zero” has outperformed Ranbir Kapoor-starrer “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend” at the North American box office, despite having a production budget of less than one-tenth of the Indian epic’s reported cost, according to NDTV.
According to industry estimates, “Godzilla Minus Zero’ earned $31.6 million in North America from Friday to Sunday, securing the top spot. “Ramayana”, despite securing the widest North American release for an Indian film, ranked fifth with $8.7 million over the same period.
Including its extended opening weekend, “Ramayana” collected $12.2 million in North America. Based on the reported weekend figures, “Godzilla Minus Zero” earned around 260 per cent more than the Indian film.
The difference in production costs makes the comparison particularly striking. “Godzilla Minus Zero” reportedly cost $19 million to make, while “Ramayana” has an estimated budget of around $210 million.
Despite the substantial budget gap, the Japanese production secured a stronger North American opening.
Worldwide figures present a closer contest. “Godzilla Minus Zero” collected approximately $63 million during its opening weekend, while “Ramayana” earned around $55 million over its four-day opening period.
India accounted for a significant share of “Ramayana”’s earnings, contributing more than $30 million, or approximately ₹290 crore, in gross collections.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, “Godzilla Minus Zero” takes place in 1949, as Japan struggles to recover from the devastation of the Second World War.
The country faces another threat when King Ghidorah, a gigantic, three-headed dragon-like monster, emerges. Godzilla, believed to have been defeated in the 2023 film “Godzilla Minus One”, returns after regenerating through radiation and confronts the creature.
Japanese studio Toho produced the film, while GKIDS handles its North American distribution.
Veteran industry analyst David A Gross highlighted the film’s strong opening, noting that it was nearly three times the opening recorded by “Godzilla Minus One” in December 2023.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, “Ramayana” is produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. Sony Pictures handles its international distribution.
The first instalment of the planned two-part adaptation arrived in cinemas worldwide on 5 November 2026. The second part is scheduled for release during Diwali 2028.
