‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ makes franchise history, aims to ‘shock’ fans

NEW YORK – Look out, Manhattan. Godzilla has arrived in the Big Apple.

"Godzilla Minus Zero," the latest Japanese installment in Toho's long-running monster franchise, held its highly anticipated premiere on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the New York Film Festival. From director Takashi Yamazaki, the movie is a direct follow-up to 2023's "Godzilla Minus One," which earned rapturous reviews, won an Academy Award for best visual effects and became the series' highest-grossing Japanese entry to date.

In a morning press conference at the festival, Yamazaki said a sequel to "Godzilla Minus One" was already moving forward as soon as the 2023 movie's opening day.

"[As] 'Godzilla Minus One' [was] picking up a lot of traction, I could see the glimmer in all of the Toho executives' eyes," he quipped, speaking through an interpreter.

"Godzilla Minus Zero" picks up two years after the giant monster was seemingly defeated thanks to the efforts of Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a former kamikaze pilot. But surprise, surprise: Godzilla is still alive in "Minus Zero."

When approaching a sequel, Yamazaki took note of internet chatter about what fans were expecting next – so he could do the exact opposite.

"There were several ideas, great ideas…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/