Toho has revealed the first teaser trailer for Godzilla Minus One, a new live-action Godzilla movie set in “post-war Japan” (meaning after World War II) and premiering in theaters in the US on December 1, 2023. Takashi Yamazaki is the writer, director, and VFX head on Godzilla Minus One, having previously directed Japanese films like Always: Sunset on Third Street, the two Parasyte movies, Dragon Quest: Your Story (with two other directors), and Lupin III: The First. This is the first new live-action Toho Godzilla movie since the spectacular and bizarre Shin Godzilla from 2016, which had been directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi.
The Godzilla Minus One teaser trailer reveals very little: It’s basically just the rubble of Japan with a couple pieces of cryptic, dire text inserted: “Postwar, Japan had lost everything,” and “From ‘Zero’ to ‘Minus.'” Oh, also, the earth starts to quake, a train gets flipped, some buildings are demolished, and Godzilla jumps out. So, yeah, in 34 seconds, this trailer makes a heck of an impression.
“Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force, which you already get a sense of from the teaser trailer and poster,” said Koji Ueda, President of Toho International, said in a statement via Bloody Disgusting. He went on to say, “The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the ‘minus.’”
Personally, I think Shin Godzilla is astronomically better than any of the recent American movies, though unlike a lot of people, I actually loved Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Next up on the American front will be a sequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, entitled Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Call me crazy, but I think Minus One will be a better piece of art than The New Empire. But there’s also plenty of room for shlock in each.
Related: Here Are the Best Gifts for Godzilla Fans on We Got This Covered
