Godzilla Minus Zero Goes Bigger After Minus One’s Oscar Win

Two years after Godzilla Minus One became the first Japanese film to win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, Takashi Yamazaki is back with Godzilla Minus Zero. Toho opens it in Japan on November 3, and GKIDS brings it to North American theaters, including IMAX screens, on November 6.

Yamazaki once again directed, wrote and led the effects work. The film is the franchise’s 39th entry and the first Japanese production shot for IMAX.

The story

The sequel picks up in 1949. Japan is still rebuilding when a new monster that can whip up hurricane winds strikes Matsumoto, and Godzilla resurfaces bigger and angrier than ever. With conventional defenses useless, scientists propose pitting the two creatures against each other, and former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima returns to the cockpit while Noriko’s strange link to Godzilla comes into focus.

The cast

• Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōichi Shikishima;
• Minami Hamabe as Noriko;
• Yuki Yamada as Shirō Mizushima;
• Kuranosuke Sasaki as Seiji Akitsu;
• Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ōta;
• Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda;
• Masami Nagasawa, Miou Tanaka and Min Tanaka.

The production

Shooting ran from August through December 2025, largely in Ibaraki Prefecture, on a budget above Minus One’s sub-$15 million price tag. Yamazaki promised more effects shots, each more complex than before, with Shirogumi again handling the VFX and Naoki Sato returning as composer. The film runs 135 minutes and is rated R.

The reviews

After its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 26, Minus Zero stands at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic. Critics call it larger, bolder and more visually impressive than its predecessor, with a few noting that the back half loses some shape.

Release

Godzilla Minus Zero opens November 6 in the US and Canada.