The Big Picture
- Godzilla Minus One makes history with first Oscar win, kicking off anniversary celebrations and reigniting kaiju fans’ excitement.
- Directors Takashi Yamazaki and Adam Wingard unite to honor Godzilla, discussing the franchise’s impact in an exclusive IMAX interview.
- The highly anticipated Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hits theaters on March 29, building off the success of Minus One’s award-winning legacy.
One of the biggest stories coming out of the Oscar weekend was Godzilla Minus One, winning Best Visual Effects. This marked the monstrous character’s first Oscar win in the franchise’s 70-year history and social media rightfully erupted in excitement over the news. There was no better way to cap off Minus One’s historic theatrical run and kick off Godzilla’s anniversary celebrations. However, that party is set to continue in roaring fashion when Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire crashes into theaters later this month. Now ahead of that epic crossover’s release, Minus One’s director (Takashi Yamazaki) and Godzilla x Kong’s director (Adam Wingard) unite to honor the King of the Monsters.
In a social media post collaboration with Godzilla x Kong and Toho’s Godzilla, it was announced on Monday that the two beloved genre directors sat down for an exclusive interview with IMAX to talk about all things Godzilla. Accompanying the post was an image of Yamazaki and Wingard with their respective versions of Godzilla in toy form. Seeing them together is enough to get any kaiju fan’s blood pumping, but the joy on their faces will make you feel like a kid again, remembering what it was like to watch your first monster bash.
Godzilla Continues to Make History
No matter if you’re a long-time fan or got introduced to this lovable behemoth through the Legendary series, Godzilla has entered its prime. It may have taken 70 years and almost 40 movies to get here, but both the groundbreaking original Japanese Toho series and its larger-than-life U.S. counterpart are working hand-in-hand to remind moviegoers of Godzilla’s pop culture crown. When the critically acclaimed Minus One debuted in the U.S. last December, it took audiences by storm with its emphasis on rich human characters and brutal raw emotions. It took the franchise back to basics and its horror roots, yet the groundbreaking action is what led the franchise to its first Oscar nomination and win.
That amazing accolade will go along with the film’s eight Japanese Academy Awards (including Best Picture). That praise also led this kaiju to make bank at the box office with a record-breaking $106 million worldwide. Then, when we look at the current state of the American series, Wingard has completely turned the trajectory of Godzilla around. After the major box office success of Godzilla vs Kong, Godzilla now has to team up with his former foe to defeat one of Kong’s deadly descendants. Wingard, like Yamazaki, has a great sense of scale and action. The fights in Godzilla vs Kong are now the stuff of legends, with The New Empire looking to raise the massive stacks even higher. With the goodwill of Minus One behind it and the recently well-received Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series, the skies are the limit to what Godzilla x Kong can do at the box office.
When Does ‘Godzilla x Kong’ Release?
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hits theaters on March 29, 2024. In the meantime, IMAX’s conversation with Yamazaki and Wingard will air on their YouTube channel on Friday, March 15. Godzilla’s adorable photo op can be seen below.
Godzilla Minus One
Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
Release Date December 1, 2023
Director Takashi Yamazaki
Cast Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Minami Hamabe , Yûki Yamada , Sakura Andō
Runtime 124 Minutes
Main Genre Sci-Fi
Writers Ishirô Honda , Takeo Murata , Takashi Yamazaki
