“Godzilla Minus Zero,” the upcoming sequel to the successful “Godzilla Minus One,” will open in North America on Nov. 6 from Toho and GKids. The release comes just three days after the Japanese release, which Toho says is a rare near-simultaneous bow for a Japan-produced Godzilla movie.
The Nov. 3 Japanese release marks the same day the original “Godzilla” opened in theaters in 1954, now observed as Godzilla Day. “Godzilla Minus One” also opened Nov. 3 in Japan in 2023, going on to become the highest-grossing Japan-produced Godzilla film and winning the Oscar for visual effects.
Takashi Yamazaki returns as director, screenwriter and VFX supervisor for “Godzilla Minus Zero.” Though plot details have not been released, production is already underway at Toho Studios, with Robot producing and visual effects handled by Shirogumi.
The sequel’s title was revealed during Godzilla fest in November after the sequel was first announced in 2024.
In North America, “Godzilla Minus One” earned $56 million, the highest-grossing Japanese-language live-action film of all time. It became the first Godzilla film ever nominated for an Oscar and the first Japanese feature to win in the visual effects category.
Yamazaki told Variety last year that “Godzilla Minus One” was made for $15 million and that the budget for the sequel would likely be larger. He also reflected on the use of AI in filmmaking, saying, “Until recently, I’ve been still shooting on film and I like to use miniatures. So I know that someday we’re going to have to embrace and kind of work with AI, but I’m probably going to be one of the later ones because I do like working with older technology and techniques.”