'Godzilla Minus Zero': Toho Confirms Sequel to Oscar-Winning ‘Minus One’

The wait is over. At Godzilla Fest 2025 in Tokyo, Toho Studios dropped the title for the follow-up to its surprise 2023 hit: Godzilla Minus Zero.

Director and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki returns in both roles for this one, and Shirogumi, his company responsible for the first film's Oscar-winning visual effects, is back to handle the big boy's VFX work again. Toho Co., Ltd. will produce and distribute.

Godzilla Minus One was a surprising reset in the franchise, a return to form that centered on post-war trauma and devastation in Japan while delivering stunning visuals on a shoestring budget.

Made for around $15 million, the film earned over $116 million worldwide and became the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film to debut domestically in 2023. It also made history as the third-highest-grossing non-English-language film in the U.S. market.

Then it went on to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (the first Asian production to do so), beating out Hollywood tentpoles with budgets 10 times its own.

The title announcement came with a hand-drawn logo by Yamazaki himself.

Check out the teaser below:

The Meaning of Godzilla Minus Zero

Godzilla Minus One indicated Japan's state of being at "zero" (the worst possible point) after World War II, with Godzilla then plunging the nation to "minus one."

The meaning of "Minus Zero" is still unclear. It could be a prequel to the story of Godzilla Minus One (before things were that dire), or a continuation of that timeline in which conditions have improved, or a thematic reset. It could be a ground-zero moment for the characters and the world they inhabit. We could, of course, also see other kaiju from the roster of the Godzilla universe.

Yamazaki has been tight-lipped about plot details, but he's confirmed in past interviews that he's already working on storyboards and a screenplay for the project. Insiders suggest production is ramping up in locations like New Zealand and Norway, with a target release window in late 2026, though nothing is set in stone yet.

What Can Fans Expect?

If the first film is any indication, Godzilla Minus Zero will blend emotional storytelling with economical VFX work, although the success of the first film might give this one a larger budget. With Minus One, Yamazaki proved he could make Godzilla terrifying again while grounding the destruction in human stakes.

Whether this sequel continues the story of Shikishima and Noriko (whose arcs left room for more) or pivots to a new narrative remains to be seen. But the foundation is solid, and the creative team has shown they know how to deliver.

In other realms of the kaiju universe, Warner Bros.' MonsterVerse has its own upcoming film, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, set to release on March 26, 2027. Grant Sputore is directing with Kaitlyn Dever and Jack O'Connell starring.

What are your expectations for the sequel? Share your theories in the comments!