Monster lovers can’t seem to get enough of Godzilla. Though some of his more recent outings on the big screen have left a bit to be desired, Toho’s King of the Monsters will likely always dominate the public imagination. The past year alone has only reaffirmed ‘Zilla’s enduring legacy, with two dueling portrayals of the character each reigning supreme. Warner Bros. and Legendary have steadily been carving out their MonsterVerse, positioning Godzilla as a ruthless anti-hero in a world full of kaiju. But the billion-dollar franchise now has some competition as Toho, the original stewards of Godzilla, reboots its own saga.
Toho came back in a big way with Godzilla Minus One, a reimagining of the classic Godzilla origin story. The Oscar-winning 2023 film was a much-needed return to form, especially in its portrayal of the title monster. Minus One brought the saga back in line with director Ishirō Honda’s original idea of Godzilla, positioning him as both a relentless force of destruction and the personification of Japan’s nuclear anxieties. Its strong story, paired with stellar special effects, made Minus One an instant classic — and it’s also paved the way for another film set in the Toho continuity.
Toho announced that a new Godzilla film is in the works last week. Not much is known about the project just yet (a post on X teased “further updates” on the horizon), but Minus One filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki is set to return as director, writer, and VFX supervisor. By that logic, it’s safe to assume that the new film will be a sequel to Minus One. The 2023 film left a few threads dangling, leaving the door open for Godzilla to return and wreak more havoc. But Godzilla’s inevitable resurrection isn’t quite so exciting as the opportunity to see Minus One’s human cast continue their adventures.
Apart from its back-to-basics portrayal of Godzilla, Minus One also revived an underrated strength of the Toho franchise: its human element. The film follows Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a disgraced kamikaze pilot, in his efforts to rebuild after the devastation of World War II. He strikes up alliances with military veterans and mild-mannered citizens, forging an unlikely new family. That this disparate group of characters is later tasked with defeating Godzilla only raises the stakes of Minus One. Its story may be the most relatable in years, and it certainly sets a new standard compared to the lackluster character development in WB’s MonsterVerse.
Those who’ve had trouble connecting with Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequels understandably found a lot to love in Godzilla Minus One. The film was a refreshing answer to the larger-than-life blockbusters that dominated the 2010s; hopefully its sequel can usher in a return to form for big-budget tentpoles.
