Following the international success of Godzilla Minus One, Toho announced in November 2024 that another Yamazaki-helmed Godzilla film had been greenlit. By February 2025, Yamazaki had begun screenwriting and storyboarding the follow-up. In April 2025, Toho International's president, Kōji Ueda, clarified that the new film would be a sequel, planned for a 2026 release. Principal photography commenced in August 2025 and wrapped by December. It became the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX. The film's title was announced in November 2025. Shirogumi handled the visual effects.
Godzilla Minus Zero premiered at the 2026 New York Film Festival on September 26, and was released theatrically in Japan by Toho on November 3. Critics praised its visual effects as superior to those of its predecessor, sparking debate over whether to deem the film itself superior. The film grossed ¥910 million (US$5.8 million) on its opening day in Japan, a record for any live-action film in Japanese history.
Plot
In 1949, two years after Godzilla was defeated and his remains sunk in Sagami Bay, Postwar Japan still struggles to recover from wartime devastation and the monster's prior attacks. Former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima has married Noriko, who survived the monster's Ginza attack with unusual resilience, and the couple raises their adopted daughter Akiko with support from neighbor Sumiko Ōta, who now runs a local orphanage. Kenji Noda, now director of the government's Large-Scale Disaster Response Bureau, works with returning colleagues—including young crew member Shirō Mizushima, ship captain Seiji Akitsu, and former destroyer captain Tatsuo Hotta—and new personnel to prepare for future threats.
A new dragon-like kaiju attacks Matsumoto City, initially appearing in a smaller, single-headed form, and destroys multiple buildings with lightning bolts fired from its mouth. Scientists including Professor Kanji Murakami, a biologist carrying deep psychological scars from the war as a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, and his assistant film the destruction and bring the evidence to Noda, who names the monster "Ghidorah", who is revealed to be of alien origin. Meteorologist Makoto Aoyama joins the bureau's efforts, tracking Ghidorah through electrical storms and weather events. Shikishima volunteers to lead an American-backed attack on the dormant Ghidorah, which involves dropping a new type of bomb, hoping to kill it. However, Ghidorah survives the explosion and retaliates, killing two of the volunteer pilots. The bomber carries lightning rod harpoons which fire into Ghidorah's back and ground it, attracting lightning to strike and seemingly kill it. After briefly collapsing, Ghidorah awakens and evolves into its full, golden skinned, three-headed and double-tailed form, which is referred to as "King Ghidorah", gaining a new ability to lift and smash buildings, trains, and other objects with a 'gravity beam', killing hundreds as it generates hurricane-force winds.
As Ghidorah's rampage continues across Japan and conventional weapons prove largely ineffective, Godzilla regenerates and resurfaces offshore, larger and more aggressive than before. Murakami and others argue that drawing the two monsters into confrontation is the only viable way to stop Ghidorah, viewing Godzilla's return as a form of "divine providence." Murakami had previously sought to use his resonance machine to lure Godzilla to New York City and exact his revenge on the United States for their bombing of Hiroshima, avenging his family. The plan relies on luring them together using storm systems and other methods. Shikishima, driven by a sense of duty and lingering survivor's guilt, seeks to return to the pilot's seat despite Noda's reluctance to endanger him and potentially deprive Akiko of a father. Noriko's condition, linked to her earlier exposure to Godzilla, also draws the family back into the crisis.
Ghidorah follows the storm to Ginza, where generators are set up to lure it with electricity, and liquid nitrogen tanks freeze it before fuel is set alight to cause drastic temperature fluctuations. Godzilla is lured to Ginza by Shikishima in the seaplane using Noriko's G-Cell mutations and Murakami's resonance device. The two kaiju commence battle in the ruins of the city. During the battle, Godzilla uses his tail to cut off one of Ghidorah's heads, which latches onto his arm and rips it off. Godzilla regenerates his arm and continues to attack the two-headed Ghidorah. The battle ends with Ghidorah besting Godzilla, using its gravity beam to drop him from a height and bury him in rubble.
During the battle, the fuel lines for the trap are cut, so Noda has to release it manually. As Noda drives away from the trap, his vehicle is hit by one of Ghidorah's beams, causing it to crash and resulting in his death when Shikishima fires a rocket from the plane into Ghidorah and the surrounding fuel, though Aoyama tells him he had died as a result of Ghidorah's attack to ease his guilt. Shikishima uses the resonance machine to revive Godzilla, while Noriko attunes her mutation to wake him. Ghidorah uses its alien restorative power to reattach its decapitated head, now imbued with G-Cells, causing blue spikes to erupt from its back. The two kaiju charge up their energy beams, but Godzilla hits Ghidorah first, causing it to shoot its energy beams into the sky, while Godzilla charges a second consecutive energy beam and blasts Ghidorah, destroying it for good.
After the victory, Godzilla is bombarded with artillery and tank shells from the US army until they receive orders from their commanders to stand down and preserve Godzilla's life for future use, allowing him to peacefully return to the ocean. Murakami abandons his desire for revenge but is apprehended and taken into US custody. Shikishima, realizing the US could weaponize Noriko's G-Cells, goes into hiding with her, eventually deciding to take Akiko with them.
Cast
Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot
Minami Hamabe as Noriko Shikishima (né Ōishi), Kōichi's wife
Min Tanaka as Kanji Murakami, a biologist carrying deep psychological scars from the war
Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda, the director of the Large-Scale Disaster Response Bureau
Masami Nagasawa as Makoto Aoyama, a meteorologist
Yuki Yamada as Shirō Mizushima, a young crewman aboard the Shinsei Maru
Kuranosuke Sasaki as Seiji Akitsu, captain of the Shinsei Maru
Jun Kunimura as Dr. Ogata, a medical officer
Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ōta, Kōichi's neighbor and head of Kiyosumi Garden orphanage
Miou Tanaka as Tatsuo Hotta, former captain of the destroyer Yukikaze
Sae Nagatani as Akiko, Noriko and Kōichi's adopted daughter
Production
Development
According to producer Kazuaki Kishida, planning for a sequel to Godzilla Minus One began in late May 2023 after a strong internal reaction at the film's first completed screening for Toho employees. Director Takashi Yamazaki subsequently delivered an initial five-page plot outline for Godzilla Minus Zero shortly before Minus One's November 2023 release. Kishida remarked: "Of course, there were some differences from the final version, but the main framework was already in place."
Throughout the film's theatrical run, Yamazaki repeatedly told interviewers that no discussions of a sequel had taken place, while sharing ideas he had for one. In 2026, Yamazaki admitted that his earlier claims of "no talks" were untrue and that he had intentionally "planted the seed" for a continuation by hinting at future story directions. Kishida noted that discussions continued in parallel with the film's promotion and Academy Award campaign.
Following the critical and commercial success of Godzilla Minus One—which became one of the highest-grossing Japanese films of all time and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects among its many accolades—Yamazaki was confirmed on November 1, 2024, to helm another Godzilla film. The announcement was first made during the film's Japanese television broadcast on Nippon Television's Friday Road Show. At that time, Toho did not disclose if it would be a direct sequel to Godzilla Minus One or a standalone film. At the 23rd Visual Effects Society Awards on February 11, 2025, Yamazaki revealed scripting and storyboarding of his follow-up was ongoing and expected a budget higher than that of Godzilla Minus One's, which cost less than US$15 million.
Pre-production
In June 2025, the Agency for Cultural Affairs–commissioned "Film Staff Development Project" disclosed that filming for Yamazaki's next movie would take place from early August to December 2025, and they were seeking film students to recruit. On July 17, Bloomberg News reported that Toho International's president, Kōji Ueda, clarified that the new Godzilla film would be a sequel and a 2026 release was currently planned. On July 27, the site yamazakimovie-extra.jp was launched to find volunteer extras for the film from August to September. It recycled the Blockbuster Monster Movie (temp) (Japanese: 超大作怪獣映画(仮)) placeholder used for Minus One during pre-production and confirmed Toho would be financing with Robot Communications, featuring an all-star Japanese cast.
Filming
Principal photography took place with extras on location in Ibaraki Prefecture from August 30 to September 14, 2025. The Hollywood Reporter claimed additional shooting took place in New Zealand and Norway. However, according to an official press release, the film was shot entirely in Japan. Filming was expected to wrap in late December. It became the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX. Yamazaki's longtime collaborator Kōzō Shibasaki served as cinematographer.
Extra recruitment reports also state that due to the film's historical drama setting, there would be restrictions on the extras' costume sizes, hairstyles, and hair colors (with hair dyeing being prohibited) for those participating as extras. A scene featuring Japanese maintenance soldiers was shot at a temple in Maizuru on November 3, which was Godzilla Day in Japan. Filming occurred around Seijōgakuen-mae Station on November 25, and in Inashiki District, Ibaraki on December 15.
At the opening ceremony of Godzilla Fest 2025, held on November 3, 2025, at the Tokyo Dome City Hall, Toho unveiled the official title of Yamazaki's next Godzilla feature as Godzilla Minus Zero. A teaser logo, personally illustrated by Yamazaki, was shown. Yamazaki said via a pre-recorded message that he was unable to attend the festival since he is currently filming Minus Zero. It was also announced that Shirogumi will handle VFX; and production is shared between Toho Studios and Robot Communications. Industry sources told The Hollywood Reporter the same day that "the new film is being positioned not just as a sequel but as a statement piece". Plot details, cast confirmations, and an exact premiere date remain undisclosed.
On December 10, Yamazaki finished that day's filming at 5:00 p.m. and then made a surprise appearance at a Tokyo event for James Cameron's Avatar: Fire and Ash. During their onstage conversation, Cameron expressed enthusiasm for Godzilla Minus Zero and offered to direct the film's second unit if it fell behind schedule.
Post-production
Three visual effects supervisors are credited on the film's poster: Kiyoko Shibuya, previously the visual effects director on Minus One, Takayuki Ueki, and Eishin Okubo. Takashi Yamazaki again receives the "VFX by" credit. Other returning longtime collaborators include editor Ryūji Miyajima and composer Naoki Satō.
Shirogumi again handled the visual effects, continuing its work from Minus One. Yamazaki said that the larger budget provided by Toho compared to the previous film allowed him to expand the effects team, but that the production had also "moved the goalposts" on what the shots were expected to achieve. He stated that the sequel would contain more effects cuts than Minus One and that each effects shot was more complex than those in that film.
On March 16, 2026, Yamazaki attended a joint government–industry meeting under Japan's Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, which addressed working conditions in the content industry. Discussing his experience on Godzilla Minus Zero, he noted that the film's larger budget than Godzilla Minus One was expected to allow greater creative freedom. He said the new Eiteki certification system reduced crew exhaustion and improved working conditions, allowing more humane lives for production staff who previously endured extremely harsh schedules, but its rigid daily time limits sometimes forced production to stop even when additional shooting would have helped.
While promoting the film in April 2026, Yamazaki reported that the Japanese team was sending him shots daily and that a rough assembly of the film already existed, though production remained "deep in VFX land." After reviewing one in-progress sequence that morning, he described it as "probably one of the best kaiju sequences that I've ever seen" and said even the unfinished version had given him goosebumps, adding that audiences would "see something they've never seen before."
Yamazaki said the visual effect shot of Godzilla appearing near the Statue of Liberty was inspired by the shot in Cloverfield (2008) wherein its monster throws the statue's severed head. He also named Cloverfield when asked for his favorite Statue of Liberty appearance in genre cinema, and framed the image of "smashing or doing something with the Statue of Liberty" as a VFX-industry "bucket list" shot.
Release
Marketing and promotion
On March 9, 2026, it was announced that footage from the film would be shown at CinemaCon at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 14, with Yamazaki presenting. The teaser trailer released later that same day. Behind the scenes footage was also shown at CinemaCon. An unidentified actor provided voiceover as an American military member in the teaser; it was later revealed to be the voice of newcomer Wes Wing, who would subsequently attend the annual fan convention G-Fest as a guest. A second teaser premiered on July 9. A further trailer was released on September 8 in 1.43:1 IMAX format, revealing the presence of King Ghidorah in the film.
On August 16, 2026, Godzilla Minus Zero collaborated with the Ban'ei Kinen at Obihiro Racecourse. The event featured a Godzilla panel exhibition, a Godzilla statue, an appearance by the film's producer Kazuaki Kishida, and collaboration merchandise, including a limited-edition T-shirt, offered as a prize. In July, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toho announced "Godzilla Minus Zero Night" at Dodger Stadium. It took place on September 24, during a game against the San Diego Padres. The first 40,000 fans in attendance received an exclusive Godzilla bobblehead, and the evening featured a large-scale drone show with Godzilla-themed visuals.
The final trailer for the film premiered during the Minus One re-release in selected Japanese theaters on October 8, 2026.
Theatrical
Godzilla Minus Zero premiered at the 2026 New York Film Festival on September 26, 2026, and is also set to be the Centerpiece screening at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival in November 1, 2026. Thereafter, it is scheduled to be released in Japan on November 3, 2026, and North America on November 6, 2026, also in IMAX. This timing adheres to the longstanding Toho–Legendary Pictures agreement that prohibits competing Godzilla films from releasing in the same calendar year, as previously seen with Godzilla Minus One (2023) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). Legendary's next Monsterverse entry, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, is set for 2027.
On January 9, 2026, the film was announced to be distributed by Toho's subsidiary GKIDS in North American theatres on November 6, 2026, three days after its Japanese release date on November 3, 2026. Select IMAX theaters in the United States, United Kingdom, and Mexico will also give it early access showings on November 3 to celebrate Godzilla Day. Notably, Minus Zero is the first Godzilla film to receive an R rating from the Motion Picture Association for its United States release, namely for "some violent content/bloody images".
Reception
Box office
Godzilla Minus Zero opened in Japan on 3 November 2026 across 448 theatres (including 65 IMAX). It earned ¥910 million (approximately US$5.8 million) and drew over 590,000 attendees on its opening day. This set a record as the highest opening-day gross for any live-action film in Japanese history (Japanese or foreign). It represented 201% of the opening-day gross of its predecessor Godzilla Minus One (¥452.34 million). Reports noted that the single-day figure approached the first three-day total of Minus One and positioned the film to potentially become the first Godzilla entry to surpass ¥10 billion at the Japanese box office (Minus One finished at roughly ¥7.65 billion).
Pre-release tracking from Boxoffice Pro in October 2026 projected an opening weekend in the United States and Canada of around $25–35 million, potentially exceeding Godzilla vs. Kong (2021; $31.6 million) and approaching Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019; $47.7 million).
Critical response
After its New York Film Festival premiere, reviewers described the film as larger in scope, bolder, and more visually impressive than Minus One, with debate over whether it was superior. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 66 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Owen Gleiberman and Molly Edwards of Total Film were among the most enthusiastic critics, describing the sequel as grander and more affecting, and Edwards called it among the strongest films of the year. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter called it "a crackling kaiju epic every bit as exciting as its predecessor", highlighting "some of the most impressively seamless integration of major-scale CGI in recent memory" and Yamazaki's ability to keep the human drama "no less compelling than the monster faceoffs" as well as its set pieces. The Guardian commended the film for combining disaster-movie scope with horror-movie intensity while still favoring quality of effects over quantity.
Reservations focused on structure and tone. Inverse called the film a worthy follow-up and a major spectacle, but said the human story is less tightly organized than in Minus One.TheWrap judged it one of the stronger Godzilla sequels without ranking it among the franchise's best films, arguing that the later passages become sillier and that the drama relies more on contrivance. The South China Morning Post praised the imagery and surprises while finding the ending weaker.
External links
Official website (in Japanese)
American website
United Kingdom website
Australia and New Zealand website
Godzilla Minus Zero at IMDb
