Godzilla Minus One facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Godzilla Minus One |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Takashi Yamazaki |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Takashi Yamazaki |
| Visual effects by | Takashi Yamazaki Kiyoko Shibuya |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Naoki Satō |
| Cinematography | Kōzō Shibasaki |
| Editing by | Ryūji Miyajima |
| Studio | Toho Studios Robot Communications |
| Distributed by | Toho |
| Release date(s) | October 18, 2023 (Shinjuku Toho Building) November 3, 2023 (Japan) |
| Running time | 125 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Budget | $10–12 million |
| Money made | $107 million |
Godzilla Minus One (Japanese: ゴジラ
This film was made by Toho Studios and Robot Communications. It was released by Toho. Godzilla Minus One is the 37th movie in the famous Godzilla series. It's also the 33rd Godzilla film made by Toho. The story takes place in postwar Japan, where people are trying to rebuild their lives. Suddenly, a huge monster named Godzilla appears, causing even more trouble.
The movie stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki.
Takashi Yamazaki, the director, spent three years writing the script. He was inspired by earlier Godzilla movies, like the very first one from 1954. He also looked at films by famous directors like Steven Spielberg and Hayao Miyazaki. Yamazaki had worked with Godzilla before, even for an amusement park ride! Filming for Godzilla Minus One happened in Japan from March to June 2022. The incredible visual effects took eight months to create.
Godzilla Minus One first showed in Tokyo on October 18, 2023. It was released in Japan on November 3 to celebrate Godzilla's 70th anniversary. Later, it came out in North America on December 1. The movie was a huge success, earning over $107 million worldwide. It became the most successful Japanese Godzilla film ever! Critics loved the movie for its amazing visual effects, exciting story, and great characters. Many people called it one of the best films of 2023.
The film also won many awards. It received 12 nominations at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize, winning eight of them. It also won Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards. This was a huge deal because it was the first Godzilla movie to ever win an Oscar! It was also the first Japanese film and the first non-English language film to win this award.
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Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they play in the movie:
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōichi Shikishima, a pilot who flew planes during the war.
- Minami Hamabe as Noriko Ōishi, Shikishima's girlfriend.
- Yuki Yamada as Shirō Mizushima, a young crew member on a ship called the Shinsei Maru.
- Munetaka Aoki as Sōsaku Tachibana, a former Navy technician.
- Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda, a former Navy weapons engineer.
- Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ōta, Shikishima's neighbor.
- Kuranosuke Sasaki as Yōji Akitsu, the captain of the Shinsei Maru.
- Sae Nagatani as Akiko, a young girl adopted by Ōishi and Shikishima.
Making the Movie
The Creative Team
The movie was brought to life by a talented team:
- Takashi Yamazaki was the director, writer, and also supervised the visual effects.
- Kiyoko Shibuya was the visual effects director.
- Kōhei Adachi was the assistant director.
- Naoki Satō created the music for the film.
- Kosuke Taguchi was the person who designed the amazing Godzilla model.
Movie Release
First Showings
Godzilla Minus One had its big premiere in Tokyo on October 18, 2023. People who saw it first called it a "masterpiece." The movie was also the closing film at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival.
To celebrate the Godzilla series' 70th birthday, the movie was released all over Japan on November 3. This was the same date the very first Godzilla movie came out in 1954! It played in 500 theaters, including special formats like IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and 4DX, which made the experience even more exciting.
Worldwide Release
The movie then came to the United States on December 1. It was so popular that it stayed in theaters for months, even though it was only planned for a week! This was because of how much people loved it and how good the reviews were.
Godzilla Minus One also opened in other countries like Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
Black-and-White Version
A special black-and-white version of the film was released in Japan on January 12, 2024. It was called Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color. This version also came to the United States on January 26, 2024.
The director, Takashi Yamazaki, wanted to make this version look like an old documentary or a classic horror film, similar to the original 1954 Godzilla movie. He even thought about keeping Godzilla's atomic breath in color, but the team decided against it.
Watching at Home
On March 4, 2024, it was announced that Godzilla Minus One would be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD in Japan on May 1. The special "deluxe edition" includes both the color and black-and-white versions of the movie, plus extra features!
Movie's Impact
Cultural Influence
Godzilla Minus One became a "global phenomenon," meaning it was incredibly popular all around the world. It helped make the Godzilla series even more famous than before. Many people believe it's a big reason why Japanese pop culture, like other movies and TV shows, has become so popular in Western countries recently.
Future Plans
Director Takashi Yamazaki has said he would love to make a sequel to Godzilla Minus One. He wants to continue the story of the characters and see what happens to them after the events of the first movie. He also mentioned that a new film might feature another monster for Godzilla to fight!
The possibility of a sequel was talked about a lot at a special event in Tokyo. The actors also shared their ideas for what could happen next. Minami Hamabe, who plays Noriko, even joked that her character might be the one stepping on people in the next movie!
Yamazaki has started working on a new film, but he said it's not a direct sequel to Godzilla Minus One yet. However, he hopes that if a sequel is made, it will show how much time has passed for the characters, just like it does for us in real life. The producers want to take their time to make sure any future Godzilla film is just as good as this one.
See also
In Spanish: Godzilla Minus One para niños
