Six years after Toho Studios produced Shin Godzilla, they are bringing us the next part, Godzilla Minus One. Announced last year in February, Minus One is reportedly not exactly a sequel to the 2016 release of Shin Godzilla, but will maintain continuity.
To officially launch the upcoming Japanese kaiju film, makers dropped a teaser online recently. While the promotional clip left most Godzilla fans elated, many were also wondering about the sequence of Minus One.
When Discussing Film shared the same on Twitter, they flooded the comments section, expressing perplexity about the order of Godzilla Minus One. One user, probably confusing it with the forthcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, even went ahead and asked about Kong’s absence in the film.
Helmed by Takashi Yamazaki as his first directorial of 2023, Minus One is the 37th movie in the titular series and the 33rd Toho-produced Godzilla flick. Before it hits theaters anywhere, the film will be released in Japan.
After its Japan premiere on November 3, 2023, Godzilla Minus One is slated to have a theatrical outing in the United States on December 1, 2023.
"Is this in the MonsterVerse?" perplexed fans ask as Godzilla Minus One drops its first teaser
The teaser for Godzilla Minus One, lasting a mere 34 seconds, is set “post-war” when “Japan had lost everything.” As the East Asian country grapples to stitch the fabric of the nation together, the “terrifying and overwhelming force” of Godzilla arrives, creating more havoc and worsening the situation.
According to Koji Ueda, President of Toho International:
“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.’”
The premise indeed seems promising, so viewers are naturally enthusiastic about the venture. However, when the pop culture portal Discussing Film dropped the teaser on social media, many ardent Godzilla fans expressed bewilderment more than excitement.
The main reason behind this unexpected reaction was probably the order of Minus One. Many were asking if it’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the upcoming feature and the 13th part in the King Kong franchise, or the next installment to Shin Godzilla.
When the film was announced on February 18, 2022, it carried the working title of Blockbuster Monster Movie. On November 3, 2022, on the franchise’s 68th anniversary (which is also called Godzilla Day), Toho shared that it will be a Godzilla venture.
Apart from being the director, Yamazaki has also handled the script and visual effects. After Godzilla Minus One, the next film in the series is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire as mentioned earlier. Scheduled to premiere on March 15, 2024, it’s the fifth movie of Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse.
Godzilla Minus One will release on December 1, 2023.