Summary
After the massive success ofGodzilla Minus Onein 2023, Japanese production company TOHO has announced that a newGodzillamovie has been greenlit. The upcoming movie will also mark the return of the filmmaker behind the 2023 hit film.
TOHO has been producing and distributingGodzillasince 1954. Since then, the production giant has produced 33 Godzilla films in the Japanese language. Moreover, the company expanded its reach by attaching itself to five English-language films featuring the Kaiju king. Although most of the films have been highly successful at the box office, last year’sGodzilla Minus Onebroke several records and became one of the most acclaimed monster movies ever. As a result, the production company is getting ready to come out with another Godzilla film and bring back the director behind the Oscar-winning film.
The news of the upcoming movie was confirmed via an"EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT" on Twitter. Takashi Yamazaki, the visionary behindGodzilla Minus One, will return to lead the next Godzilla film as its writer, director, and VFX supervisor. The announcement came in the form of a suspenseful video designed to look like an urgent SOS transmission, instantly captivating fans. Adding to the tension, the clip was set to a stirring segment of Akira Ifukube’s classic Godzilla score, one of the franchise’s most recognizable musical themes. This powerful combination of visual and musical cues hints at the high-stakes drama and excitement fans can expect from Yamazaki’s next chapter in the iconic monster series. Meanwhile, the official Twitter account of TOHO’sGodzillaalso shared a video of Yamazaki sharing the news of the upcoming film getting greenlit. “Hello everyone, I have wonderful news. I’ll be directing the new Godzilla film. Please stay tuned.”
The announcement comes afterGodzilla Minus Onereturned to the theaters in the USand raked in more than $500,000 during the weekend. At the time of its original release, the movie received a lot of love from the critics as well as the audiences. Correspondingly, the film received a nomination in the Best Visual Effects category at the 96th Academy Awards and edged past movies likeGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3andMission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Oneto win the Oscar. This was the first time aGodzillamovie won an Oscar in its seven-decade history. What made the win even more impressive is that the entire monster movie was shot on a budget of just $15 million, which was much lower than all the films that were nominated for the Visual Effects accolade at the Academy Awards.
Whether the new film will pick up directly after the events ofGodzilla Minus Onein the Godzilla timeline remains uncertain. Yamazaki’s return suggests the possibility of a direct continuation, potentially exploring the teased return of Godzilla from the end of the 2023 film. However, TOHO has a long history of stand-alone installments in its live-actionGodzillafranchise and has not released a direct sequel since 2003, when director Masaaki Tezuka followed upGodzilla Against Mechagodzillain 2002 withTokyo S.O.S.Thus, while a sequel seems plausible with Yamazaki at the helm, TOHO’s past approach leaves fans speculating about the storyline.
