New Delhi, Nov. 9 -- Godzilla Minus Zero is a direct sequel to Godzilla Minus One, bringing filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki back to the story of the Shikishima family two years after the events of his Oscar-winning 2023 monster film.

The follow-up opened in Japan on November 3 and began its wide North American release on November 6. It earned an estimated $31.6 million in its first North American weekend, according to Associated Press reporting, making its launch a major commercial milestone for the Japanese-language franchise.

A continuation rather than a fresh start

The sequel takes place in 1949, two years after the devastation depicted in Minus One. It returns to the survivors of that story rather than introducing an unrelated version o...