Today, Toho has released two new TV spots for the upcoming Godzilla Minus One, which is the studio’s first in-house entry in the franchise in seven years. That makes it a pretty special occasion and, if these new teasers are anything to go on, we’re in for a serious treat when this thing stomps into theaters later this year. The king of the monsters is back with a vengeance. Have a look.
This first teaser is a bit more action-packed and contains more glory shots of Godzilla himself. We get the shot of the ignited spike bursting out of his tail, as well as the battle at sea. That man with the machine gun truly has no idea what he’s up against. We can only assume that the encounter doesn’t end well for him. Pour one out. Now, let’s have a look at the second teaser, shall we?
This one is, admittedly, a bit less action-heavy. At the same time though, one could argue that this one is more terrifying and filled with dread. We get a bit more of a human POV of the destruction that Godzilla causes when he arrives. That’s par for the course for giant monster movies, but the terror of it all is sometimes glossed over in the action. It seems very much like the horrors are going to be highlighted here in a big way. The (admittedly brief) synopsis for the film reads as follows:
“In postwar Japan, a new terror rises; Godzilla. Will the devastated people be able to survive… let alone fight back?”
Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III: The First) is in the director’s chair for the film. It’s the first Toho-produced film since 2016’s Shin Godzilla. While many fans would have liked to see a sequel to that movie, this feels like it could be just as special. In the last handful of years, we’ve had the MonsterVerse to keep us company, delivering films like Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong. But a Japanese Godzilla movie, particularly one set in the ‘40s, just hits different.
Godzilla Minus One is set to hit theaters on December 1, with early access fan events taking place on November 29.
