An enduring pop culture icon, the King of Monsters has enjoyed countless design iterations and on-screen portrayals over the decades, but the momentum isn’t stopping anytime soon. Toho, the Japanese entertainment company that created Godzilla, has shared plans to ramp up global expansion efforts for the franchise, starting with a sequel to the highly acclaimed Godzilla Minus One (via Bloomberg Japan).
While it was previously announced that director Takashi Yamazaki would be developing a new Godzilla film, there wasn’t any confirmation on whether it’d be a direct continuation or tell a new story. This latest update confirms that his next kaiju feature will be a Godzilla Minus One follow-up, with screenplay and storyboarding work on the project underway.
Additionally, Toho is investing 15 billion yen to expand into video games, merchandise, and attractions based on the iconic IP (short for intellectual property). A new membership service called TOHO-ONE will also debut in 2026, offering access to cinemas, plays, merchandise, and games on a digital platform.
The shift to overseas markets is spurred by a growing ageing population in Japan and the company’s highest-ever profits for the fiscal year ending in February 2025, largely attributed to the massive success of Yamazaki’s flick and the various animated works in the franchise.
Indeed, Godzilla Minus One has left its mark on history in more ways than one. Not only was it the first non-English language film to win an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, it also scored the biggest IMAX opening in Japan and is the first entry in the long-running franchise to get an Oscar nod for the category.
The 2023 film follows Koichi Shikishima as he navigates his guilt and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in post-war Japan after deserting his mission during the Second World War, where he encountered the titular kaiju. It starred Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki, propelling Yamazaki to international fame that saw him nab his first English-language movie, Grandyear.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
