‘Godzilla Minus One’ Black and White Version Heading to US Theaters!!

Godzilla Minus One is returning to US theatres in black and white format this January for one week only. The black and white iteration hit Japanese theaters earlier this month and has been a success. Takashi Yamazaki’s monster movie has been roaring at the box office creating and smashing several records and has both fans’ and critic’s hearts.

Produced by Toho Studios, the movie has the secret sauce of great storytelling and amazing visual effects and sits on “certified fresh” 98 percent score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It has rave reviews from both fans and critics and has overtaken Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth to become the sixth-biggest live-action foreign-language film of all time, domestically. It also made history by bagging the best ever debut for a Japanese live-action film at the domestic box office by grossing $11.4 million and finishing at the number three spot.

Godzilla Minus One Balances Kaiju Spectacle with Human Emotions

The feature, set in post-war Japan, follows Kōichi Shikishima, a kamikaze pilot who, near the end of World War II, lands on an Island and abandons his duty to his country. Things take a turn when he encounters Godzilla, who attacks the island. The feature focuses on how the country devastated by war deals with the emergence of Godzilla.

Yamazaki, who took three years to perfect the script and also worked on the visual effects of the feature seamlessly marries the awe-inspiring visuals with a roller coaster ride of human emotions. The underlying themes of the film address the survivor’s guilt, redemption, and the power of human connection while providing a chance for redemption to Kōichi and his country and regain their dignity. For fans who have loved and enjoyed the tale the black-and-white version provides a grittier look and for the ones who haven’t seen it yet have another chance to witness the monster in all his glory.

The movie has an ensemble cast led by Ryunosuke Kamiki as Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot, along with Minami Hamabe as Noriko Ōishi, Shikishima’s partner, Yuki Yamada as Shirō Mizushima, a young crewman aboard the Shinsei Maru, and Munetaka Aoki as Sōsaku Tachibana. Further rounding off the cast are Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda, Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ōta, Kuranosuke Sasaki as Yōji Akitsu, along with Mio Tanaka as Tatsuo Hotta, and Sae Nagatani as Akiko.

Godzilla Minus One’s black and white version will hit theatres on January 26 and play for a one week engagement, so catch it soon, because all versions of the film will leave theaters at the end of the month. You can get more details about the film with our guide here and check out the trailer below: