GODZILLA MINUS ZERO will be released in Japan and North America this November! Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
North American teaser art for the movie. Photo courtesy of GKIDS. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.
TOHO and GKIDS, the Academy Award-winning curator, producer, and distributor that was acquired by TOHO in 2024, announced today that GKIDS will distribute TOHO’s GODZILLA MINUS ZERO (ゴジラ-0.0/ゴジラマイナスゼロ, Gojira Mainasu Zero), the highly anticipated new film from director/screenwriter Takashi Yamazaki, following his critically-acclaimed GODZILLA MINUS ONE. That landmark film is the highest recorded grossing Japan-produced Godzilla film, earning more than $116 million worldwide and winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards, becoming the first Asian film to take home the award. TOHO will release GODZILLA MINUS ZERO theatrically in Japan on Tuesday, November 3 (the Japanese Culture Day national holiday), with GKIDS set to launch a wide theatrical release across North America beginning Friday, November 6, 2026.
The release date of November 3rd holds a special significance in Godzilla’s storied legacy, marking the date of the original theatrical release of GODZILLA in 1954. Now, 72 years after the birth of the iconic creature, and three years after the global success of GODZILLA MINUS ONE (released in Japan November 3, 2023), GODZILLA MINUS ZERO is set to continue the monster’s undeniable legacy, making its debut on Japan’s Godzilla Day 2026. Additionally, the near-simultaneous release in Japan and North America marks the first time in the history of the Japan-produced Godzilla series that such a rollout will take place. Release dates for additional territories will be announced at a later date.
A new visual to celebrate the announcement of the Japanese and North American release dates was additionally revealed.
On November 1, 2024 following the global success of GODZILLA MINUS ONE, the production of a new Godzilla feature was officially announced, and a year later on the celebrated November 3rd “Godzilla Day”, during “Godzilla Fest 2025”, the title of the new Godzilla film was revealed as GODZILLA MINUS ZERO. While plot details for GODZILLA MINUS ZERO remain tightly under wraps, Oscar-winning filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki returns as Director, Screenwriter and VFX Supervisor for his new film starring the King of the Monsters, following the success of GODZILLA MINUS ONE. Produced by Toho Studios and ROBOT, with VFX from SHIROGUMI Inc., the film is currently in production.
“GKIDS is proud to bring GODZILLA MINUS ZERO to North American audiences, following the incredible global reception of GODZILLA MINUS ONE,” said David Jesteadt, President at GKIDS. “This next chapter is sure to become another defining moment for the most colossal monster ever to dominate the screen. It is only fitting that this bold, new Godzilla event be experienced in its fullest theatrical glory, and we’re honored that Toho has entrusted us to carry this legacy forward.”
GODZILLA MINUS ZERO marks GKIDS’ second stewardship of a Godzilla franchise film from TOHO for North American release, following TOHO’s acquisition of GKIDS in 2024. Last year, GKIDS spearheaded a new 4K remaster and theatrical re-release of TOHO’s globally acclaimed SHIN GODZILLA, directed by Hideaki Anno and co-directed by Shinji Higuchi – creators of the cult-classic anime NEON GENESIS EVANGELION – introducing the landmark 2016 film to a new generation of audiences outside of Japan. Notably, SHIN GODZILLA held the record as the highest-grossing Japan-produced entry in the franchise for seven years, earning $78 million worldwide until it was surpassed by GODZILLA MINUS ONE in 2023.
Additional international release dates are expected to be announced at a later time. For now, GODZILLA MINUS ZERO is firmly positioned as the centerpiece of Godzilla Day 2026.
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the Academy Award-winning producer and distributor of artist-driven and award-winning animation from around the world. After an astounding 13 Best Animated Feature nominations, the company took home the Oscar in 2024 for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed feature, THE BOY AND THE HERON. The company’s previous nominations include THE SECRET OF KELLS in 2010, A CAT IN PARIS and CHICO & RITA in 2012, ERNEST & CELESTINE in 2014, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA and SONG OF THE SEA in 2015, BOY AND THE WORLD and WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE in 2016, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI in 2017, THE BREADWINNER in 2018, MIRAI in 2019, WOLFWALKERS in 2021, and THE BOY AND THE HERON in 2024.
For more than a decade, GKIDS’ influence on cinema has redefined the perception of animation as an artistic medium on par with live-action film through its stewardship of the Studio Ghibli catalog and by introducing American audiences to the critically-acclaimed films of other master filmmakers from around the world such as Makoto Shinkai (WEATHERING WITH YOU), Mamoru Hosoda (BELLE), Masaaki Yuasa (INU-OH), Tomm Moore (WOLFWALKERS), Hideaki Anno (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION), Nora Twomey (THE BREADWINNER), Satoshi Kon (PERFECT BLUE) and Hiroyuki Imaishi (Promare), among countless others. GKIDS is also the founder and host of ANIMATION IS FILM, the annual LA-based film festival which embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions.
About TOHO
TOHO Co., Ltd. is a leading Japanese entertainment company founded in 1932. Its four main business pillars are the cinema business, which includes production, distribution and exhibition; the theatrical business, which includes production and exhibition; the anime business, which has been expanding globally in recent years; and the real estate business, which focuses on development in urban areas. TOHO’s worldwide acclaimed works include theatrical films such as the “Godzilla” series and “Seven Samurai” directed by Akira Kurosawa, and TV anime series such as “My Hero Academia” and “Jujutsu Kaisen”. These anime series are produced and distributed through the TOHO animation label, and are delivered to a wide range of audiences around the world.