More Godzillais on the way. The Japanese kaiju franchise, which follows the titular giant irradiated lizard either wreaking havoc or defending humanity from other giant monsters, kicked off in 1954. It has since expanded to include 33 Japanese-language Godzilla movies and five English-language installments (the majority of which are part of Legendary's Monsterverse, which also includes Kong: Skull Island). Toho has produced and distributed every Japanese installment, most recently the 2023 smash critical and commercial hit Godzilla Minus One.
Via the Godzilla OfficialX account, Toho has now announced that a new Godzilla movie has been greenlit. The movie will once again be spearheaded by Godzilla Minus One writer, director, and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki. The announcement was made via a short video posing as an emergency SOS message, underscored by an urgent snippet of one of the iconic musical themes for the franchise composed by Akira Ifukube. See their post below:
What This Means For Godzilla
Godzilla Minus One Could Be Getting A Direct Sequel
It is perhaps only natural that a new Japanese Godzilla movie would come after the success of the Godzilla Minus One box office. In addition to earning a Certified Fresh, near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 99% and becoming the first movie in the franchise to win an Academy Award when it took home the Best Visual Effects Oscar, it was a smash hit, grossing $116 million against its roughly $15 million budget. It is also the highest-grossing Japanese movie of all time at the domestic box office at the time of writing.
Godzilla Minus One
is the third highest-grossing foreign language movie overall in North America, behind
Life is Beautiful
and
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
.
However, it is unclear if the new movie will take place immediately after Minus One on the Godzilla timeline. While the return of Yamazaki makes it likely that it will be a direct sequel, following up on the promise of the titular kaiju's return from the end of the 2023 movie, Toho has not made a direct sequel to any live-action movie in the franchise since 2003, when director Masaaki Tezuka followed 2002's Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla with Tokyo S.O.S.
Our Take On The New Godzilla Movie
The Seed For The Story Has Already Been Planted
Should the new Godzilla movie indeed be a direct Minus One sequel, that would be a very welcome prospect. The 2023 movie, which was already unusually character-focused for the franchise, laid the foundation for a devastating and dramatic continuing story after the miraculous survival of Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) was undercut by the reveal of a black mark on her skin that could be interpreted as radiation poisoning or the character being infected with G-cells, either of which could have huge implications on the sequel.
The Godzilla franchise, spanning over six decades, follows the adventures of the titular kaiju, a colossal, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. Originating in Japan, Godzilla has evolved from a destructive force of nature to a protector of humanity, battling various other giant monsters, including iconic foes like King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla. The series explores themes of environmental destruction, nuclear anxiety, and human resilience. With numerous films, TV series, and an expanding universe, Godzilla remains a cultural icon, captivating audiences worldwide with its epic battles and compelling narratives.
English (US) ·