New ‘Godzilla’ Movie From ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Director Greenlit by Toho

Godzilla is stomping its way back to the big screen.

A new “Godzilla” movie, from the director of last year’s Oscar-winning Japanese film “Godzilla Minus One,” has been officially greenlit. Toho, the Japanese entertainment company and creator of Godzilla, made the announcement on Friday.

Takashi Yamazaki, who wrote and directed the surprise hit “Godzilla Minus One,” will return for the new film. He’s once again handling the VFX, after winning the Academy Award for best visual effects in 2023.

“Godzilla Minus One” was Toho 33rd “Godzilla” movie and the 37th to include the famous monster. The Japanese film is unrelated to Hollywood’s recent portrayals of Godzilla in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Monsterverse, which includes King Kong. Set in Japan after World War II, “Godzilla Minus One” starred Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot who survives an almost fatal encounter with Godzilla and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. When the massive beast reappears years later, a group of soldiers and veterans must band together to defeat the monster before it can destroy Japan. The cast also includes Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki.

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It’s unclear if the new movie is a direct sequel to “Godzilla Minus One”; however, the film did end on a cliffhanger for the rampaging lizard. After Godzilla is defeated, it’s revealed that a piece of the monster’s flesh is regenerating in the bottom of the ocean. There’s also the issue of Shikishima’s girlfriend, Noriko Ōishi, who survived a run-in with Godzilla but is left with a mysterious black marking on her neck.

“Godzilla Minus One” was lauded for its special effects in portraying the monster and its rampant destruction on a low budget of around $15 million. It went on to make $116 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing Japanese “Godzilla” film.