The King of the Monsters returns to the big screen later this year. No, this won’t be another edition of the MonsterVerse where movies like Godzilla vs. Kong exist. Rather, Toho has produced another live-action movie that will be arriving in theaters, bringing the beloved kaiju back to his Japanese roots. It looks very much like this is going to be one heck of a return at that, and we’ve got the initial details for you, dear reader, including a brief but brutal teaser trailer. Let’s dive into Godzilla Minus One.
This will mark the first Japanese-produced Godzilla film since Shin Godzilla in 2016. That movie, it’s worth noting, was an arguable all-time great entry in the franchise, not to mention a massive financial hit. Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) wrote and directed Godzilla Minus One, which looks to be pretty dark, with a hulkingly massive version of the famed monster. Check out the teaser.
While we don’t see much of this newly-designed Godzilla in the trailer, save for that money shot at the very end, we can see that he is very, very big. Luckily, some more complete images have also made their way online, including the movie’s official poster, which you can check out below. But there’s also an image from Toho making the rounds that shows our boy off from head to toe, and it’s pretty impressive. Have a look.
The full design of #Godzilla from "Godzilla Minus One" has been revealed. pic.twitter.com/WXCoCu1bXQ
— Kaiju News Outlet (@KaijuNewsOutlet) July 12, 2023
Now that the creature design is out of the way, what is the movie actually about? This one will be going back in the timeline a bit, taking us back to post-war Japan. It also sounds like this is going to be a pretty horrific take on the franchise, harkoning back to its roots. Koji Ueda, President of Toho International, had this to say about the film in a statement:
“Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser trailer and poster. The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the ‘minus.’”
That quote not only gives us a little more context for the plot and tone but also gives us a bit of an explanation when it comes to the title. For now, that’s about all we know, but with the movie set to premiere in Japan in November, we should be learning more in the near future. Expect to see a longer trailer sooner rather than later, and we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Stay tuned.
Godzilla Minus One hits theaters on December 1.
