Come Diwali 2026, the global box office will gear up for a high-profile showdown between Gods and Monsters.This November, Nitesh Tiwari’s ‘Ramayana’ and Takashi Yamazaki’s ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ are both scheduled to release worldwide on November 6, 2026. The simultaneous release will pit one of India’s biggest mythological epics against Japan’s iconic monster franchise, with both films also eyeing IMAX screens and other premium formats.The release date for ‘Ramayana’ was officially announced on Wednesday, confirming that the Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash starrer will arrive in cinemas on November 6, coinciding with Dhanteras, the beginning of the Diwali festivities. The announcement came with the release of the film’s English trailer.
‘Ramayana’ set for extended holiday box office window
By opting for a pre-Diwali release, instead of the rumoured October 30 debut, the makers have set the film up for a long festive holiday window at the Indian box office.The release calendar provides the film with an extended festive run begining on November 6 (Friday) on Dhanteras and giving it a strong weekend. The film will also benefit on the weekdays with the Govardhan Puja/Padwa holiday, followed by Bhai Dooj on November 11. The film will have a regular working day before another strong weekend, to help boost its box office records.
‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ vs ‘Ramayana’
While ‘Ramayana’ is set to have an undisputed run at domestic markets, it will face significant competition in overseas markets from ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’, which is also slated for a release on the same day. Director Takashi Yamazaki’s latest entry in the long-running Japanese franchise has generated considerable anticipation following the success of its predecessor.The previous film, ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’, was produced on a reported budget of approximately USD 10 million and went on to earn over USD 110 million worldwide. It also made history by becoming the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, significantly boosting global interest in the franchise.
‘Godzilla’ and ‘Ramayana’ to battle for IMAX screen
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the clash is likely to be the availability of IMAX screens. According to the announced release plans, ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ has already secured an IMAX rollout and is being promoted as the first Japanese production to be filmed for IMAX. The film is expected to receive a dedicated two-to-three-week exclusive or primary IMAX window, much like Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’.
‘Ramayana’ to go the ‘Spider-Man’ way?
‘Ramayana’ has also been filmed for IMAX and has been designed to be experienced on premium large-format screens. However, with ‘Godzilla’ reportedly locking in IMAX screens ahead of release, it remains to be seen if ‘Ramayana’ goes the ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ way and leans more heavily on other premium large-format formats. As the box office records show, the superhero film, which opened to no IMAX screens, it still managed to score USD 1 billion in just 5 days at the worldwide box office.