JP Nunez
We’ve known for a while now that the next Japanese Godzilla movie would be coming out some time this year, and we even knew it was set to hit Japanese theaters on November 3. But we didn’t know anything about the film, nor was there any news about a stateside release date. Until now, that is. Toho, the Japanese company that owns the big G, has just dropped a brief teaser trailer for this new movie, and they’ve also revealed its title: Godzilla: Minus One.
Plot details are still pretty scarce, but we do know a bit about what to expect. According to Koji Ueda, the president of Toho International, the movie is set during the aftermath of World War II. As Japan is trying to get back on its feet, the struggling nation comes face to face with yet another threat, this time in the form of a giant monster known as Godzilla, thus “bringing the country into the ‘minus.’”
Admittedly, that’s a pretty vague premise, but as a huge Godzilla fanatic, I think that tiny bit of information is really exciting. See, a lot of people today think of Godzilla films as just big, dumb fun, but the original Godzilla movie is very different. It’s a dark, somber allegory for the horrors of nuclear weapons, so even though it’s one of the greatest films ever made, nobody would describe it as fun.
And from the looks of it, this new movie is going to take inspiration from those grim roots. Not only does the premise give that impression, but the Godzilla: Minus One trailer also has that same kind of feel. Granted, it’s only about 30 seconds long, but it’s very reminiscent of the original Godzilla. In particular, the shots of the destruction the big G leaves in his wake almost feel like they could’ve been lifted from that film, so it appears that we just might be in for one of the franchise’s darkest entries yet.
Godzilla: Minus One is set to hit US theaters on December 1.
