The beast rises once more. Toho Film Productions has unveiled the first poster and teaser trailer for the newest Godzilla film, Godzilla Minus One. Set in Japan’s Post War era, this entry into the legendary monster franchise teases horrifying devastation amidst the aftermath of the Second World War.
Destruction Incarnate
Toho made the announcement yesterday, July 11th. This is complimented with a poster image showing a reptilian graphic inked in traditional Japanese art. The trailer is brief at 30 seconds, yet tells audiences everything they need to know. The movie takes place in Post War Japan, a time of cultural and economic struggle for the country. Something has awakened Godzilla, and in the shambles of a devastated country, the king of the monsters takes his throne. The teaser ends with a release date of December 1st, 2023. Presumably, the movie will be released worldwide, like Shin Godzilla in 2016.
Godzilla Minus One marks the first Toho Godzilla movie to be released since 2016’s excellent Shin Godzilla. This movie is unrelated to the universe established by Gareth Edward’s Godzilla in 2014. Comicbookmovie.com reveals Godzilla Minus One takes place in the Reiwa Era, which began with Shin Godzilla and take place before Japan’s modern political era. This era has included Shin Godzilla and the quadrilogy of Netflix anime. This encompasses the Godzilla: Monster Planet trilogy and is followed up by Godzilla: Singularity Point. Godzilla Minus One will be directed by Takashi Yamazaki. He helmed Dragon Quest: Your Story and the highly successful Lupin III: The First.
History In the Making
Godzilla Minus One is ripe with potential as it is set to portray the king of the monsters in the most brutal way imaginable. Historically speaking, Post War Japan is one of the darkest and most depressing eras in the country’s history. World War II took a toll on the country. Thousands of cities burned to ash as American planes firebombed entire swaths of the country. Two nuclear weapons were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands in an instant. The air is poisoned with radiation. While the terms of surrender were signed in August of 1945, Japan would endure several decades of calamity before returning to normalcy and prosperity. How Godzilla is handled in this world will be interesting, to say the least.
Godzilla Minus One debuts in December of 2023.
