Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus Zero topped the North American box office again on Monday. According to Comscore figures reported on Tuesday, the film's domestic total rose to nearly $35m. It held off Warner Bros' The Cat in the Hat on its first Monday in cinemas.

The Japanese-language monster film opened to $31.6m over the weekend, according to Comscore. Trade reports described that total as a record for a non-English live-action release in the United States and Canada. It was nearly three times the opening of its predecessor, Godzilla Minus One, which won the Academy Award for best visual effects in 2024.

The Monday hold was in line with industry projections for a fan-driven sequel. GKIDS, a Toho-owned company that distributed the film in North America, said on Tuesday that premium large-format and IMAX screens accounted for a significant share of ticket sales.

The Cat in the Hat, Warner Bros Pictures Animation's Dr Seuss adaptation voiced by Bill Hader, finished second. Family films typically lean on weekend and holiday audiences.

Analysts at Comscore said Wednesday's Veterans Day holiday, when many US schools and federal offices close, should lift both titles midweek. The holiday will give The Cat in the Hat its first weekday chance to narrow the gap. Godzilla Minus Zero is on course to overtake the roughly $56m domestic lifetime gross of Godzilla Minus One during its second weekend.

The result marks a major moment for Toho, which has increasingly handled its own international releases rather than licensing them to Hollywood studios. Minus One grossed about $115m worldwide on a reported budget of under $15m. Its success turned Yamazaki's films into a rival to the American MonsterVerse franchise produced by Legendary Entertainment.