A new Japanese “Godzilla” film, “Godzilla Minus Zero,” was recently announced, which could be a direct sequel for the first time in over 20 years. We summarize the details below.
Original vs. blockbuster
The “Godzilla” franchise now includes several dozen films that can be roughly divided into two categories: on the one hand, the Japanese TOHO productions, in which Godzilla appears as a threatening force of nature, and on the other hand, the Hollywood films from Legendary, which are closely linked to the “King Kong” series.
Both categories have their supporters, but many fans see the Japanese films as the more emotional and faithful representatives, closer to the spirit of the original work, which premiered in Japan in November 1954.
So the announcement of a new Japanese “Godzilla” film should cause excitement among fans – especially because a remarkable detail is hidden in the first teaser video, which you can watch below.
First direct sequel in a long time
You first see the logo of the film “Godzilla Minus One” before it changes to “Godzilla Minus Zero” shortly before the end of the video, suggesting that it is a direct sequel to the Oscar-winning film from 2023. This also reinforces the fact that director Takashi Yamazaki is involved again.
At first glance, a sequel may seem unspectacular, but in the case of “Godzilla Minus Zero” the enthusiasm in Japan is enormous – after all, the last direct sequel to a “Godzilla” film, “Godzilla: Final Wars” from 2004, was more than twenty years ago. Since then, only independent works or complete reboots like “Shin Godzilla” have been released.
Although no date is mentioned in the trailer, our experience with “Godzilla Minus One” suggests that a premiere will be coming soon. At that time, only three months passed between the announcement and the cinema release.
In addition, TOHO and Legendary traditionally do not release their “Godzilla” films in the same year – and Legendary’s next production is not scheduled until 2027. In any case, we will keep you up to date with all the news as usual.