It’s happening. Following the smash success of Godzilla Minus One at the box office, amongst fans and critics, and becoming the only king of the monsters to win an Academy Award, many were left wondering if a sequel would ever come to fruition. Luckily, we have some good news for you. Toho has announced that a new sequel is in the works that not only will bring back this iteration of the lizard king but it will also bring back the now legendary director Takashi Yamazaki to help weave this new tale.
If you witnessed Godzilla Minus One, you might see how a sequel was already laid out thanks to the film’s final moments. On one side of the equation, Godzilla might have been blown to pieces by those who teamed-up to fight against his path of destruction but the pieces that remained floating in the sea were still pulsing with energy. This means that the lizard king’s Minus One iteration might have a healing factor that far exceeds other iterations of Godzilla that we’ve seen over the years. On top of this scene, viewers also witnessed the character Noriko surviving a previous Godzilla attack on Japan. While the female protagonist might have lived, markings on her person have left many kaiju fans wondering of Noriko might have a mysterious new link to the king of the monsters.
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The Minus One Sequel
Since winning an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at this year’s Academy Awards, Godzilla Minus One receiving a sequel seemed like it would only be a matter of time, even without taking into consideration its box office reign. Toho International confirmed that production will be underway for the upcoming follow-up though details on the story of Godzilla’s return remain a mystery. Following the movie’s initial release, Yamazaki himself has stated that he’d love to return for a sequel.
In past interviews, the director has hinted at the idea that he would add some kaiju enemies for his Godzilla to face. Chatting with Empire Magazine earlier this year, Yamazaki stated that main character Koichi Shikishima might be making a comeback and that while he might have found peace in the first outing, it might be the ‘calm before the storm,’ “I know that Shikishima’s war seems over, and we’ve reached this state of peace and calm – but perhaps [it’s the] calm before the storm.”
Does The Past Hint At The Future?
We’ve written quite a bit about Godzilla Minus One in the past and one major aspect of those write-ups is how the film reflects the original Godzilla movie that was released in the 1950s. Should the sequel follow this trend of paying homage to the past, could it be possible that it follows the story of Godzilla Raids Again? For those who don’t know, Godzilla Raids Again was the second film starring the king of the monsters and pit him against another giant beast.
Anguirus might not be as popular as King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mothra, or King Kong but the giant beast was more than a match for Godzilla in their initial confrontation. If Yamazaki is wanting to stay true to the kaiju universe’s roots, perhaps this beast will be the opponent to continue the “Minus One” franchise. Of course, there are plenty of other kaiju to choose from should the director decide to take a different route.
Want to see what the future holds for Godzilla all over the world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the king of the monsters and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
Via Press Release