Godzilla is set to stomp back onto the big screen once more. A new Godzilla movie, from the director of last year’s Oscar-winning Japanese hit Godzilla Minus One, has been officially greenlit by Toho, the Japanese entertainment giant and creator of the Godzilla franchise. The announcement was made Friday.
Takashi Yamazaki, who wrote and directed Godzilla Minus One, will return to helm the upcoming film. Yamazaki, who earned an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2023, will once again handle the film’s VFX.
Godzilla Minus One marked Toho’s 33rd Godzilla film and the 37th installment to feature the iconic monster.
The Japanese film exists outside the scope of Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Monsterverse, which has brought Hollywood’s Godzilla face-to-face with King Kong.
Set in post-World War II Japan, Godzilla Minus One follows the story of Kōichi Shikishima, played by Ryunosuke Kamiki, a former kamikaze pilot grappling with PTSD after a near-deadly encounter with Godzilla.
When the monster reappears years later, Shikishima, alongside other soldiers and veterans, must rally to prevent the creature from obliterating Japan.
The ensemble cast also includes Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki.
Whether the new film will be a direct sequel to Godzilla Minus One remains uncertain, though the prior film did conclude with a cliffhanger: after Godzilla’s defeat, a piece of the creature’s flesh is shown regenerating on the ocean floor.
Additionally, Shikishima’s girlfriend, Noriko Ōishi, who narrowly escaped an encounter with Godzilla, bears a mysterious black mark on her neck.
Praised for its impressive visual effects, Godzilla Minus One brought the rampaging monster to life on a modest budget of approximately $15 million.
The film went on to gross $116 million worldwide, securing its place as the highest-grossing Japanese *Godzilla* film to date.
