Godzilla Minus Zero Secures First-Ever IMAX Run for a Japanese Film

Toho and IMAX have released new behind-the-scenes footage confirming that “Godzilla Minus Zero” will become the first Japanese-produced film shot for IMAX cameras, cementing the format as a centerpiece of the studio’s rollout for its most anticipated kaiju sequel in years.

The featurette, titled “Godzilla Minus Zero | Behind the Camera,” shows director Takashi Yamazaki addressing his crew on set, telling them he believes the team can create something greater than the last film. The clip offers glimpses of massive practical sets, model work and the meticulous production design that helped the 2023 predecessor, “Godzilla Minus One,” win the franchise’s first Academy Award, for best visual effects.

The sequel picks up in 1949, two years after the events of “Minus One,” and continues following the Shikishima family as a new crisis unfolds. An earlier teaser shown at CinemaCon in April ended with Godzilla looming beside the Statue of Liberty, suggesting the monster’s rampage will extend beyond Japan for the first time in a Toho-produced entry in decades. Filming took place across Japan, New Zealand and Norway, another rarity for a homegrown “Godzilla” production.

Securing three weeks of exclusive IMAX playtime gives the film a notable advantage heading into a crowded holiday corridor. Warner Bros. Animation’s “The Cat in the Hat,” originally expected to share the format, has since disappeared from IMAX’s release slate, clearing space for Godzilla to dominate large-format screens until “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” opens in the format weeks later.

Yamazaki has said the new film’s budget will exceed the roughly $15 million spent on “Minus One,” which went on to gross more than $113 million worldwide and $56 million in North America, the biggest haul ever for a Japanese-language live-action release. He has also addressed the industry’s shift toward artificial intelligence tools, noting his preference for shooting on film and building miniatures, and predicting he will be slow to adopt AI in his own filmmaking.

Toho is treating the sequel’s release as a franchise landmark: Japan’s premiere on Nov. 3 falls on Godzilla Day, marking the anniversary of the original 1954 film, while the Nov. 6 North American bow through GKIDS arrives just three days later, an unusually tight international turnaround for a Toho-produced Godzilla picture. Producer Kazuaki Kishida and members of the visual effects and sound teams are also scheduled to appear at New York Comic Con on Oct. 10, offering fans another look before the film reaches theaters.