The giant lizard Godzilla (maybe you’ve heard of him) has been around for 69 years. Nice. When the first movie came out in 1954, it was a clear allegory to Japan’s Postwar turmoil following the U.S. dropping atom bombs. Atomic energy created Godzilla, which led to more devastation. Over the years, Godzilla has gone from adversary to savior and back again. The last Japanese-made film was 2016’s Shin Godzilla which recontextualized the threat for a new generation. Now, Toho will take us all the way back to the beginning with Godzilla Minus One.
Setting this new movie in the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki devastation is an interesting and harrowing new wrinkle in the Godzilla mythos. We’re used to seeing him demolish buildings, but what if the buildings are already destroyed? I wonder if any of the politics of the U.S. occupation following Japan’s surrender will be there at all. It’s clear from the trailer and the title, that Godzilla is just another horror for the people of Japan to deal with, one of many.
In addition to the new trailer, there is also a sweet new poster for Godzilla Minus One.
Godzilla Minus One is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who also wrote and directed 2019’s excellent Lupin III: The First. Clearly he has no problem tackling some of Japan’s biggest pop culture icons. The movie will open in Japan on November 3 and in the United States on December 1, 2023.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
Originally published on July 11, 2023.
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