Godzilla Minus Zero sequel brings Ghidorah to cinemas on 4 or 5 November

A sequel set in postwar Japan

Takashi Yamazaki directs Godzilla Minus Zero, a direct follow-up to Godzilla Minus One, the Toho production whose visual effects won an Oscar. The new film is set in 1949, two years after the events of the first film, while Japan is still rebuilding after the Second World War. Several characters return, among them former kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima, played by Ryunosuke Kamiki, and his wife Noriko, played by Minami Hamabe, who was injured by Godzilla in the earlier film. Their adopted daughter Akiko, played by Sae Nagatani, is also back, as is Kenji Noda, head of the disaster response unit, played by Hidetaka Yoshioka. A French synopsis says Shikishima survives an encounter with Godzilla and suffers post-traumatic stress symptoms, and that a group of soldiers and veterans must unite to defeat the monster when it reappears. The same synopsis gives a running time of 135 minutes.

A new monster and a darker tone

The film adds Ghidorah, a mutating dragon that shoots lightning from its mouth and evolves when it is attacked, according to The Scotsman's review. Le Temps reports that the second creature emerges in the Japanese Alps, and watson.ch says Ghidorah first appeared in 1964. The Scotsman's review says the story keeps the human cost of the attacks in view, including body-horror mutations among survivors. It also describes a late twist that links Godzilla's nuclear origins to a revenge plot against America for the bombing of Japan. Watson.ch argues that the Japanese Godzilla has carried a political dimension since its creation, which it presents as central to the monster.

Early reviews

The Scotsman gives the film four stars and calls it a direct sequel that raises the kaiju action without losing the heart of its predecessor. Süddeutsche Zeitung judges it less focused than the first film, which it praised for returning to the atomic origins of the monster. The paper's verdict is that the sequel offers more monsters but less concentration on the essentials. Le Soir awards four asterisks and argues that the franchise is enjoying a golden age on screen. Le Temps calls the film a grand reworking of the saga, and 20minutes describes it as a pure pleasure for fans, noting that it is the first Japanese film shot for IMAX.

Release dates and screenings

The sources give different release dates. The Scotsman says the film reaches cinemas from 5 November, while watson.ch and a 20minutes synopsis give 4 November 2026. Le Temps says the film opens in French-speaking Switzerland, where the first film was not shown in cinemas in 2024. Watson.ch says Godzilla Minus One received only a very limited run in Switzerland. Le Soir notes that a US film, Godzilla vs Kong: Supernova, is due next year and will introduce SpaceGodzilla, a cosmic clone first seen in 1994.