The mighty G-Man is back in Japan, thanks to Toho!
Toho has a new Godzilla design ready to wreak havoc, and the footage and artwork were recently released for Godzilla Minus One. The Japanese Entertainment Company hasn’t made a single film featuring the iconic monster since 2016’s Shin Godzilla, with Legendary’s Monsterverse being the only source of kaiju content over the last few years.
Toho’s hiatus will finally end with Godzilla: Minus One later this year. The film will take us back to the aftermath of World War II, and the newly formed Godzilla will be ready to wreak havoc in Japan.
Although the plot is under wraps, we have the G-Man’s final design in our hands. So, let’s start with the comparisons!
1. Toho’s New Godzilla vs. MonsterVerse’s Godzilla
Although we see only one shot of the new Godzilla in Godzilla: Minus One teaser, the impressive CGI in that single shot is enough for fans to draw comparisons with the King of the Monsters.
This version of Godzilla will be the only modern iteration of the kaiju in the Tohoverse. As we know, Shin Godzilla was only a reboot of the character with almost identical features, and movies before that used Toho’s traditional suitmation approach to kaiju films.
Godzilla: Minus One’s poster ensures that it distances itself from MonsterVerse’s version by employing a look similar to Toho’s earlier iterations of the kaiju king.
The MonsterVerse’s Godzilla has a unique look that sets him apart from most of his predecessors. He has a bulky body and a tiny head. However, the poster for Godzilla: Minus One suggests a different design.
His head looks bigger and more balanced, making him resemble Toho’s original versions of Gojira.
2. Toho’s New Godzilla vs. Shin Godzilla
When Toho announced the making of Godzilla: Minus One, there was speculation about whether it would be a sequel to Shin Godzilla, especially because Shin Godzilla received critical acclaim upon its release.
However, the Godzilla Minus One trailer and artwork have put all those questions to bed. Shin Godzilla focused more on the monstrosity of the kaiju and punched that with a grotesque film aesthetic. Visually speaking, Godzilla: Minus One shares nothing in common with Shin Godzilla.
Minus One brings back the classic look of the G-Man. His face, body shape and dorsal fins align with the fans’ expectations, and the franchise didn’t try to play around too much in the name of creative liberty.
The movie does not copy any specific version of Godzilla, but it does have some nods to his previous incarnations. For example, his dorsal fins are enormous and stick out from his body, just like in Godzilla 2000. Godzilla Minus One is a tribute to the iconic monster’s legacy, and we can’t wait for the film to hit the theaters.
With Godzilla X Kong on the horizon and Godzilla: Minus One knocking at the door, it seems like a good time to be a Kaiju fan!
3. About Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One is a Japanese kaiju film directed and written by Takashi Yamazaki. Co-produced by Robot Communications and Toho Studios, it is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, the 33rd Godzilla film produced by Toho, the fifth film in the franchise’s Reiwa era and the second live-action film thereof.
The film released theatrically in Japan on November 3, 2023, in celebration of the franchise’s 70th anniversary in 2024, and December 1 in the United States.
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