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Godzilla Minus One is the highly anticipated kaiju film from the original creators of the monster, Toho Studios, Japan. The original Godzilla film was released in 1954 and started a wave of kaiju (Japanese monsters of gigantic dimensions) films to follow it, including Mothra, Rodan, and eventually King Kong.
The upcoming film is the 33rd Godzilla movie from Toho Studios and the first live-action one since Shin Godzilla was released in 2016. Godzilla Minus One was written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The Japanese studio is prohibited from releasing a live-action movie in the same year as Legendary Pictures, which released entries in 2019 and 2021. Legendary Pictures is the studio behind the American "Monsterverse" Godzilla flicks.
With the upcoming release, many questions have been raised about which timeline the new Godzilla belongs to. It is explicitly stated that the new film is not a sequel to the 2016 Shin Godzilla. So, what timeline does it exactly belong to?
Godzilla Minus One: Going back to the roots of the Kaiju Monster in a post-World War 2 Japan
Godzilla Minus One is set in the late 1940s, in the aftermath of Japan's loss in World War 2. The time period followed is right after the infamous atomic bombing of Japan and the destruction it had caused.
As per the trailer, the creature is seen attacking a nation that has already been brought to its knees by World War 2 loss. In a press release, Toho Studios bluntly explained the movie's title:
"After the war, Japan's economic situation has been reduced to zero. Godzilla makes an appearance and devastates the nation."
The time period takes the monster back to its original roots, as shown in the 1954 version. The monster was a commentary on the horrors faced by the nation after World War 2 and was an expression of destruction and loss.
Godzilla Minus One is set to create its standalone timeline and be separate from any events involving the monster in later years. Although the specific plot details of the upcoming film are still unknown, it can be understood that the film creates an origin story for the monster when it emerges from the aftermath of the damaging nuclear radiation of the atomic bombs. This was a theme explored in the 1954 Godzilla film too.
The 1954 film Godzilla was much more than just another generic monster movie. It's a wise, well-worn statement on a nuclear war that still looks great and makes philosophical sense - Godzilla battles a wide variety of enemies in the numerous sequels, including aliens, dragons, and aliens that are also dragons. The quality of these continuations also varies greatly, with some providing epic amusement and others being hilariously bad.
More about Godzilla Minus One
The upcoming Godzilla film is written and directed by Japanese director Takashi Yamazaki. He is known for directing other films like Stand by Me, Doraemon 2, and all parts of Always: Sunset on Third Street, among other films.
Godzilla Minus One is slated to have its world premiere at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival on November 1, 2023. Toho Studios plans to mark the franchise's 70th anniversary, which will occur the following year, by releasing it in theaters in Japan on November 3, 2023.
On December 1, 2023, Toho International, a Toho subsidiary in the United States, will distribute it nationwide.
