Is A Godzilla Minus One Sequel Happening?
The taxonomy of Godzilla movies has been carefully considered and deliberately arranged for many years, cordoning off various "eras" of Godzilla movies — eras named after Japanese emperors — into their own, neatly distinguishable chronologies. 1954's "Gojira" through 1975's "Terror of Mechagodzilla" constitute the Showa era, encompassing 15 films. The series was rebooted in 1984 with "Return of Godzilla," and the second era, the Heisei era, ran through "Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" in 1995. Roland Emmerich's 1998 English-language "Godzilla" is an oddity in that it exists outside of an era or a continuity. 1999 through 2004 — that is: "Godzilla 2000" through "Godzilla: Final Wars" — constitutes the Millennium era, although the continuity of one of the films in that era is questionable.
2016's "Shin Godzilla," like Emmerich's film, also exists in its own continuity. A trilogy of animated Godzilla films, also in its own universe, was released in 2017 and 2018. And, of course, the American Monsterverse series has been humming along since 2014.
Which brings us to 2023's "Godzilla Minus One," another reboot in the series. "Minus One" tracked the monster action back into the mid-1940s, beginning when World War II was still raging. While the Godzilla in "Minus One" was mutated through radiation, the monster already existed in the world before the Bomb.
Now that "Minus One" has become a worldwide hit — and was even nominated for an Academy Award — the question now arises: does Takashi Yamazaki's new film signal the beginning of a new era? Will there be sequels in the Godzilla tradition, or is this another one-and-done-zilla? According to an interview with Movie Walker, a Japanese outlet, Yamazaki has no plans for a sequel yet, but he is certainly interested in another Godzilla flick.
Everything Yamazaki has said about 'Godzilla Minus One, Part Two'
What would "Godzilla Minus One, Part Two" be about? Given that "Godzilla Minus One" was more character-driven than many of the preceding "Godzilla" movies, Yamazaki said he would want to continue on that tack. He said in his interview, quoted by the Gorumaru Twitter account, that:
"My honest feelings, I would like to see a continuation of those people's story. If I could make it, I would like to make a movie that involves what happens to them after that."
"Godzilla Minus One" focuses on a kamikaze pilot (Ryunosuke Kamiki) as his life is upended by his perceived self-cowardice (he failed to sacrifice himself for the war effort) and how Godzilla stands as a symbol of his failure. It seems Yamazaki would want to continue his story, and not necessarily Godzilla's. Yamazaki also implied throughout the film's release schedule that he constructed "Minus One" to leave the door open for sequels. For the Japanese newspaper Aera, Yamazaki said:
"I think it's more cinematic if it doesn't end neatly and properly. It's not just so a sequel can be made, it's also so the characters are kept alive in the hearts of the audience."
Yamazaki was also quoted at the "Godzilla Minus One" premiere (as reported by Sankei Sports) as having said "I wonder if you'll let me shoot one more picture?" implying that he wanted to make another Godzilla. That, however, seems like an idle request and not an announcement of intent.
In the December 2023 issue of Mono Magazine, Yamazaki theorized what kinds of stories he might be willing to explore with "Minus One, Part Two."
What could happen in 'Godzilla Minus One, Part Two?'
Yamazaki noted that a sequel might tip into the supernatural, comparing his theoretical Godzilla story to Hayao Miyazaki's celebrated anime film "Princess Mononoke." Miyazaki's film leaned heavily into themes about the balance of nature and how destroying animals — a grievous sin — is upsetting local forest deities and causing natural cataclysms. Corruption, death, and renewal are important ideas in "Mononoke." Yamazaki implied that his next "Godzilla" film would borrow similar themes, depicting a world that had been tainted by Godzilla, cursed by the monster's presence.
During a Q&A, recorded by Cinema Today, Yamazaki noted that he does indeed want the same characters to return and that he wants to film more scenes in the ocean. One of the more memorable scenes in "Minus One" involved a small tugboat fleeing an angry Godzilla in the water behind them. It was reminiscent of "Jaws." One of the "Minus One" stars, Yuki Yamada, floated the idea of the sequel's human heroes luring Godzilla out to sea using a human woman as bait. This seemed to be a matter of mere spitballing, and not an actual plan or script idea.
If "Godzilla Minus One, Part Two" involves the same human characters, then it couldn't take place too long after the first film's 1947 timeframe. It would likely take place in the early 1950s, a time of massive reformation for Japan. A destructive force like Godzilla appearing in Japan in 1952 would certainly make for some interesting thematic drama.
There have been no official announcements, however, and conversations remain in the speculation phase. Should a new era of Godzilla begin, /Film will be happy to report on it.