©Courtesy of TOHO
Nine weeks after being released in American Theaters, Godzilla Minus One has officially become the third highest-grossing non-English movie in the history of US cinema.
Thanks to the 2.7 millions earned last weekend the movie has in fact reached a total of 55,1, surpassing Parasite by Bong Joon-ho which grossed 53.3. An amazing black-and-white version of the movie, Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, released exclusively for one week in the United States, helped to enter the all-time Top3.
The second place is actually not that far: Life is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni is just 2.1 millions up, having grossed 57.2 millions in 1998, when the movie surprisingly won three Academy Awards including Best Actor. Definitely more difficult is going to be reaching the first place, since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee in 2000 gained a stunning 128 millions only in the American market.
Globally, Godzilla Minus One has accomplished another remarkable result, grossing more than 102 millions, which makes it the highest-grossing Toho “Godzilla” movie in the history of the production company. The first, legendary Godzilla was released in 1954. This achievement is based on the high ratings that the movie obtained among critics all over the world and on the word-of-mouth generated by an enthusiastic audience.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One is set after the Second World War and follows the actions of Koichi Shikishima, a soldier who deserted the battle in the last days of war and hid in an island in the Pacific. That’s where he witnessed for the first time the devastating power of the giant monster. Years later, when Godzilla emerges again from the ocean ready to destroy, Koichi has to face his own ghosts and take action against the threat.
Godzilla Minus One has been nominated as Best Foreign Language Film at the last Critics Choice Awards. Yamazaki’s movie lost to Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet, winner of the Gold Palm at the last Cannes Film Festival and nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.