We’ve just barely finished celebrating one holiday this week with Halloween on Thursday, but it turns out that there’s another one before we move on to Thanksgiving that many people (including me) are just now learning about.
Sunday marks “Global Godzilla Day,” in honor of the 70th anniversary of the day in 1954 when the first movie about the Japanese monster debuted in movie theaters.
It’s remained a cultural phenomenon over the years, with a stand out sign of that coming in December 2023 with the release of not just one but two versions of a new edition: “Godzilla Minus One” and a remastered version known as “Minus Color.” It’s in black and white. With an estimated budget of $15 million, the film hauled in nearly $116 million worldwide ($56 million of that in the U.S. and Canada).
Godzilla Minus One also took home the Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects.
It might not surprise anyone that the films are seeing a re-release this weekend. They even made a new trailer, connected with the 70th anniversary:
And it’s no coincidence that big news on the sequel has dropped, with the studio announcing that the movie’s director, Takashi Yamazaki. will be returning, according to a Deadline report:
Jumping to global phenomenon Godzilla Minus One and the remastered black and white rendition Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color — they’re back at 1,365 North American locations this weekend in celebration of the King of the Monsters 70th Anniversary, and Global Godzilla Day, celebrated annually on November 3, the day the original 1954 movie opened in theaters in Japan. Further marking the date, Toho International also announced earlier today a new Godzilla film by writer, director, and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki.
He recorded a personal message to share the news:
Production of a new Godzilla film by writer, director, and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki @nostoro has been greenlit. pic.twitter.com/uQmNo60e47
— GODZILLA.OFFICIAL (@Godzilla_Toho) November 1, 2024
To kick off celebrating Global Godzilla Day a little early, here’s the trailer for the movie that started it all:
