The world’s favorite kaiju is back on the big screen with Godzilla Minus One and this time it’s not one of those Monsterverse movies from Warner Bros. The latest film comes from Godzilla’s home turf – the Japan-based Toho Studios which owns the iconic character. While the new movie may not enjoy its American counterparts’ global marketing privileges, Godzilla Minus One seems to have clicked with audiences around the world and it’s now running successfully in theaters. Let’s find out more about the latest kaiju film and its shockingly low budget.
Exploring Godzilla Minus One’s success
With an impressive 8.5 score on IMDb and 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to assume that Godzilla Minus One sits well among critics. Even at the box office, the film seems to have tasted global success just under a week since its release in the United States and other countries.
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Despite releasing in limited theaters compared to other high-profile international blockbusters, Godzilla Minus One has earned more than $38 million worldwide – $12 million in Japan and $26 million in other countries. Thanks to these numbers, Takashi Yamazaki’s directorial venture has already doubled its reported $15 million budget.
Budget comparison with other Godzilla movies
Minus One’s reported $15 million price tag pales in comparison to the most recent Godzilla outings from Hollywood. Case in point: Godzilla vs Kong cost around $155-200 million and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is rumored to cross the $200 million mark for its lavish production.
Godzilla Minus One cost around 1/15th the production budget of The Marvels and is one of the best-looking disaster movies I’ve ever seen. We are absolutely rinsed when it comes to making these kinds of movies. pic.twitter.com/1IBu1g4y1G
— Jeff Zhang 张佶润 (@strangeharbors) November 30, 2023
While the American Godzilla films do earn hundreds of millions of dollars to justify their making costs, they almost always end up nothing more than loud and empty VFX-heavy blockbusters. On the other hand, judging from Godzilla Minus One’s critical and commercial reception, it’s evident that people prefer stories rooted in the culture they are set in.
How the movie works even at a low budget
The authenticity clearly reflects even on the most basic level with the new movie. Godzilla Minus One is set in the last days of the second World War in Japan as the country tries to rise from the ashes of the two atomic bombs. In fact, Godzilla was created in the first place as a symbol of the Japanese people’s resilience and trauma.
Furthermore, writer-director Yamazaki has also worked on the film’s visual effects which do not feel inferior to the largest studio blockbusters in any way. The kaiju’s design is terrifying and impeccable and it’s the best anyone has seen in a long, long time. The overall drama of the film also seems to be effective enough even without the monster.
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The bottomline here is that Toho Studios sets a great example for Hollywood to follow given how audiences seem to be having a case of superhero fatigue. It’s about time blockbusters started prioritizing story and substance over empty and mindless CGI.
