By Gabriel Serrano Denis
A night with Godzilla is always a good night. A night at Japan Society with a 35mm screening of the original 1954 Godzilla film preceded by an exclusive first-look of the trailer for Godzilla Minus One? Even better.
Presented by Japan Society and Toho International, it was not only a celebration of the king of the monsters’ first outing in a rare 35mm archival print, but also a special occasion to give audiences a taste of what’s to come. A surprise gift from Toho International, which is distributing Godzilla Minus One in the US, the new and unfinished trailer for the film gave the fans in attendance the first full glimpse at Godzilla’s towering presence and a more detailed look at the film’s post-war setting.
Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki (who is overseeing VFX as well), Minus One looks to be a close, albeit more action packed, retelling of the original. Hence why showing the full trailer before the Japanese classic that started it all made sense.
Three things stand out from the trailer: the period setting is a first for the franchise and it looks both impressive and harrowing in its depiction of wartorn Tokyo; it looks to have a more on-the ground approach, following the people directly affected by the destruction rather than the bureaucratic chaos of 2016’s Shin Godzilla; and of course the monster itself – Godzilla looks terrifying, the force of nature and destroyer of worlds that he’s framed as in his Showa era rendition.
Along with some added elements from the Heisei era, this new vision of Godzilla is both a
throwback and an amalgamation of its most horrifying designs throughout its history. The event, with food and drinks sponsored by BentOn, Brooklyn Kura, Sapporo USA, and Moshi, also featured a brand new Godzilla Minus One art print that was gifted to attendees, as well as a New York Comic Con exclusive figure from Bandai’s Tamashii Nations division on display.
It was a night of kaiju lovers coming together for a one-of-a-kind screening and a special treat for fans hungry for more Godzilla. Godzilla Minus One will premiere in Japan on November 3rd (Godzilla Day) and will stomp to screens in the US on December 1st.
