Godzilla Minus Zero opens in Japan on November 6, with the cast returning from a Hollywood-style ovation in LA. Fans chanted director Takashi Yamazaki’s name. Child star Nagatani Sae now has full lines. The film picks up two to three years after the last one. It’s the first Japanese movie certified Filmed for Imax.
Godzilla Minus Zero opens in Japan on November 6, with the cast returning from a Hollywood-style ovation in Los Angeles. The film’s premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre drew a crowd of over 900, where applause reportedly lasted without pause. Kamiki Ryunosuke, who reprises his role as Shikishima Koichi, described the energy as ‘extraordinary’ — a visceral reminder of how deeply Godzilla is loved worldwide.
He recalled fans chanting director Takashi Yamazaki’s name not just politely, but with fervor: ‘TAKASHI! HEY, TAKASHI!’, a roar that echoed through the theatre and followed Yamazaki even during autograph signings. Hamabe Minami, returning as Noriko, said the after-party was filled with fans wearing Godzilla-themed outfits and badges, some holding large hand-painted posters.
The red carpet, open to passersby, became a fan zone where people asked for signatures and shared their reactions. Kamiki said he left LA convinced that ‘Takashi of the world is truly amazing.’ The Tokyo International Film Festival marked the first public stage appearance of child actor Nagatani Sae, who returns as Shikishima Akiko.
Kamiki walked her onstage. Her role in the original Minus One was limited to crying or single words like ‘Where?’ This time, she has full dialogue. Kamiki admitted they’d doubted whether she could handle it. ‘We were like, “Really?
Can she do this?”’ But on set, she delivered every line perfectly. Hamabe said Nagatani had been barely more than a toddler during the first shoot, easily frightened by the number of adults around. Now, she chatted with the cast, taught them things, and carried herself with quiet confidence. Nagatani said she wasn’t nervous during filming.
She remembered Kamiki rubbing her back even after the scene cut, then asking how she could become a fine actor while still in elementary school. Kamiki told her she already had, appearing in both films at her age was an achievement in itself. The new film picks up two years after the events of Minus One, according to Kamiki.
Hamabe estimates the gap at two to three years. The family has settled into everyday life when Godzilla resurfaces. Kamiki reflected on why the franchise endures: each film, he said, mirrors its era. But personally, he couldn’t recall a moment he first heard Godzilla’s theme.
It’s always been there. Hamabe added that Godzilla is overwhelming, impossible to defeat, but when it appears, humans unite. That’s what moves people. Minus One, the 30th live-action entry in the Japanese Godzilla series, grossed over JPY7.65 billion ($50 million) domestically.
It won the visual effects Oscar at the 96th Academy Awards, the first Asian production to do so, and collected more than 50 awards globally. Minus Zero is the first Japanese film certified Filmed for Imax. The world is watching again.
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