Godzilla Minus One Is Bringing the Series Back to the 1940s to Heap On Destruction

Godzilla fans have long loved the theory that Godzilla is an allegory for nuclear war and a cultural reaction to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and this newest Godzilla movie plays it all on the nose.

The new Japanese Godzilla movie, called Godzilla Minus One, actually turns back time and has its action set during the late 1940s. 

Scroll on to see the new Toho Godzilla Minus one trailer and find out everything there is to know about this movie, including the cast and, of course, release date.

Considering that at that time Japan was struggling to recover from its World War II resounding defeat, having a Godzilla rampaging through the rubble feels a bit like overkill – but is also a great opportunity to showcase a bit of history rarely seen in cinemas.

The new Godzilla Minus One is made by Toho Studios, who also signed more than 30 of the series’ animations. For fans of the series, the Toho Godzilla titles are basically canon, with the few Western movies being licensed from the studio.

The studio explains why the Toho Godzilla movie is called “Minus One” in the press release and, unsurprisingly, it does refer to WW2.

“After the war, Japan’s economic state has been reduced to zero. Godzilla appears and plunges the country into a negative state,” says Toho.

While the poster for Godzilla Minus One is a minimalistic depiction of what’s to come, the new trailer does delve into the destruction.

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Godzilla Minus One poster

“From the teaser, I’m hoping the movie harkens back to the original Gojira which felt like a straight up horror film,” wrote a fan on Reddit a few months back. Based on the Toho Godzilla Minus One trailer that just debuted, he and many others will get their wish fulfilled.

Godzilla Minus One trailer

The new Godzilla Minus One trailer is a very brief look into the movie but the scenes shown do have the air of total desperation. As you can see for the video, no expense was spared when it comes to special effects, so kaiju fans are in for a treat.

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Godzilla Minus One release date

The Godzilla Minus One release date is set for December 1st, 2023, so this holiday season looks like a great one for filmgoers everywhere.

Godzilla Minus One cast

Godzilla Minus One is directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who has also worked on two other Godzilla movies, Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 and 2021’s Godzilla THe Ride.

Godzilla Minus One cast

THe cast of the movie includes Ryunosuke Kamiki, one of the most acclaimed young actors in the country and voted Most Powerful Actor in Japan in 2022.

He is joined by Yuki Yamada, known from the acting group the D-Boys, Hidetaka Yoshioka, who has won the Japan Academy Award Best Actor and appeared in Akira Kurosawa’s Rhapsody in August, and Kuranosuke Sasaki, a well-known TV drama star in Japan.
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