On 4 September, Toho dropped the trailer for the upcoming Godzilla Minus One live-action movie – the company’s first Godzilla picture since 2016’s Shin Godzilla.
Godzilla has had numerous incarnations over the years. For western audiences, Legendary Picture’s recent reboot series is the most well known. The latest entry in their MonsterVerse series was Godzilla vs. Kong which saw the legendary kaiju square off against the iconic giant ape, King Kong. That is set to be followed by Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire n April 2024. But there’s nothing like a Japanese kaiju movie.
Announced on last year’s “Godzilla Day”, Godzilla Minus One takes the archetypal kaiju back to its roots to celebrate the franchises’ upcoming 70th anniversary.
This is everything you need to know about Godzilla Minus One…
When is Godzilla Minus One coming out?
The upcoming movie will hit theatres in Japan on 3 November 2023. It will release in the United States on 1 December.
Who is the director?
Godzilla Minus One is directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also wrote the film and served as its visual effects supervisor.
Is Godzilla Minus One a prequel?
The upcoming movie is not a prequel to other Godzilla movies including 2016’s Shin Godzilla. Instead, it serves as a standalone story from Takashi Yamazaki about the emergence of the ‘King of Monsters’ in postwar Japan.
What is Godzilla Minus One about?
The official press release explains that the movie is about a devastated postwar Japan battling against the titular monster.
After the war, Japan’s economic state has been reduced to zero. Godzilla appears and plunges the country into a negative state. The most desperate situation in the history of Japan. Who? And how? Will Japan stand up to it?
With the film taking place after World War II, fans should expect it to touch on themes such as the disastrous impact of the war and the use of nuclear weapons against civilian populations.
Is Godzilla Minus One part of the MonsterVerse?
Takashi Yamazaki’s upcoming movie is not a part of the Legendary Pictures produced MonsterVerse series of movies.
The MonsterVerse consists of Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024).
Godzilla Minus One and 2016’s Shin Godzilla are standalone movies produced within the Japanese franchises’ Reiwa era.
Godzilla Minus One size
The exact height of the ‘King of Monsters’ in the upcoming movie has not been confirmed. However, monster movie fanatic YouTuber MindQ estimated his size to be 200FT/60M. By comparison, the MonsterVerse version stands at 400FT/120M tall.
MindQ explained that, “The size assessment is based on the height of buildings relative to Godzilla’s body parts seen in the [teaser] footage.”
While this might seem like significant shrinkage compared to the MonsterVerse version, it is important to note that the new film is set in 1940s Japan. At that time, a 60 metre tall Godzilla would be more than big enough to tower over most buildings in Japan.
Trailer
You can check out the new trailer for Godzilla Minus One over on Toho’s official Godzilla YouTube channel.
Are you excited to see Godzilla back in action? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other Film & TV articles…
