Godzilla Minus Zero roars into New York with rave first reactions
Godzilla Minus Zero has drawn rave first reactions after its press screening in New York, ahead of its world premiere on Sept. 26.
The film closes out the press buildup to its debut as the Spotlight Gala of the 64th New York Film Festival, according to Variety. The secrecy was tight. Journalists at the press screening had to hand in laptops and mobile phones to festival publicity staff to prevent leaks, according to IndieWire.
The new film is a sequel to 2023's Godzilla Minus One. Director Takashi Yamazaki returns as director and screenwriter, and also handled the visual effects.
It is the 38th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 34th Godzilla film made by Toho, the Japanese studio that owns the character. Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe star, reprising their roles from the previous film. The story is set in 1949, two years after the events of Godzilla Minus One, and continues the story of the Shikishima family.
Expectations are high after the last film's run. Godzilla Minus One earned $116 million worldwide to become the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla film of all time, and won the Oscar for best visual effects.
Yamazaki shot the sequel for Imax, the extra-large screens with taller images and powerful sound. It is the first Japanese feature made specifically for that format.
For anyone new to the series, this is a fresh entry point. No homework is required beyond the last film. The 1949 setting places the human drama in post-war Japan, with Godzilla returning as the threat that forces the family back into survival mode.
The festival launch is tightly scheduled. The 64th New York Film Festival runs from Sept. 25 through Oct. 12, 2026. Godzilla Minus Zero screens on Sept. 26, 27 and 30, according to the festival listing. The Sept. 26 date is the world premiere and the Spotlight Gala, a centrepiece slot announced by the festival on Aug. 4, 2026.
The theatrical rollout follows quickly. The film begins release in Japan in early November and opens in theatres in the United States and Canada — a market the trade calls domestic — on Nov. 6, three days later.
Festivalgoers at the later screening get an extra. The first 50 ticket holders at the Sept. 30 screening will receive a free 6x10 poster for this year's festival by artist Marcel Dzama, according to Film at Lincoln Center.
