Godzilla Minus One
2023 Japanese film by Takashi Yamazaki / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Godzilla Minus One (ゴジラ-1.0, Gojira Mainasu Wan) is a 2023 Japanese epic[lower-alpha 1] kaiju film written, directed, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. Produced by Toho Studios and Robot Communications and distributed by Toho,[1] it is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, Toho's 33rd Godzilla film, and the fifth film in the franchise's Reiwa era.[lower-alpha 2] The film stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando and Kuranosuke Sasaki. Set in postwar Japan, it follows a former kamikaze pilot suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after encountering a giant monster known as "Godzilla".
Godzilla Minus One | |||||
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Japanese name | |||||
Katakana | ゴジラ マイナスワン | ||||
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Directed by | Takashi Yamazaki | ||||
Written by | Takashi Yamazaki | ||||
Visual effects by | Takashi Yamazaki Kiyoko Shibuya | ||||
Produced by |
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Starring | |||||
Cinematography | Kōzō Shibasaki | ||||
Edited by | Ryūji Miyajima | ||||
Music by | Naoki Satō | ||||
Production companies | |||||
Distributed by | Toho | ||||
Release dates |
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Running time | 125 minutes[1] | ||||
Country | Japan | ||||
Language | Japanese | ||||
Budget | $10–12 million[2] | ||||
Box office | $115.8 million[3] |
Following Shin Godzilla (2016), Toho was unable to produce another live-action Godzilla film until 2020, owing to a contract with Legendary Entertainment. Yamazaki was appointed to create the film in 2019 by Minami Ichikawa. Principal photography was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving Yamazaki three years to write the script, which draws inspiration from previous Godzilla movies and the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Steven Spielberg. In February 2022, Robot Communications publicized that Yamazaki would soon direct an untitled kaiju movie. Filming occurred primarily in Chūbu and Kantō from March to June 2022, while Shirogumi's Chōfu studio spent eight months creating the visual effects. The film was revealed to be an installment in the Godzilla series in November 2022, and its title was announced in July 2023.
Godzilla Minus One premiered at the Shinjuku Toho Building on October 18, 2023, and was released in Japan on November 3, to celebrate the franchise's 70th anniversary.[lower-alpha 3] Toho International later released it in North America on December 1. The film grossed almost $116 million worldwide on an estimated $10–12 million budget, becoming the third-highest-grossing Japanese film of 2023 and surpassing Shin Godzilla as the most successful Japanese Godzilla film. Critics praised its visual effects, direction, screenplay, characters, musical score, and social commentary, with many hailing it as one of the best films of 2023 and among the greatest in the Godzilla franchise. It also attained numerous accolades, including a leading 12 nominations at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize (winning eight), three nominations at the 17th Asian Film Awards (winning two), and winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards.