‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ will world premiere at New York Film Festival

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This graphic shows a still from ‘Godzilla Minus Zero.’ (GKIDS)

Godzilla Minus Zero is headed to New York City.

Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Godzilla Minus Zero will make its world premiere as the Spotlight Gala selection for the 64th New York Film Festival on Sept. 26.

Godzilla Minus Zero is the direct sequel to the 2023 Japanese film Godzilla Minus One. It is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The first film was a surprise international hit and eventually won the Oscar for best visual effects. It earned $116 million worldwide at the box office, making it the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla film.

This sequel film takes place in the year 1949, “two years after the tumultuous events of Godzilla Minus One, and continues the story of the Shikishima family as they face an all-new calamity,” according to its official description. “Godzilla Minus Zero cranks up the terror while always keeping its post-WWII Japan narrative at human eye level.”

The location of this world premiere is apt, as the last moments of the film’s trailer find Godzilla stomping toward the Statue of Liberty on his way to New York City.

“It is truly an honor to introduce our film to a global audience for the first time in a place of such history and prestige,” Yamazaki said. “I am filled with both awe and excitement to see how far the power of Japan’s Godzilla can terrify audiences around the world, and whether they will resonate with what lies beyond that fear.”

Dennis Lim, the NYFF artistic director, said Yamazaki “continues to prove that there’s life in the old franchise” even “more than 70 years after the first Godzilla movie.”

“Like its predecessor, Godzilla Minus Zero is a throwback blockbuster, a showcase for human drama and innovative craft, and we are excited to have its world premiere as this year’s NYFF Spotlight Gala,” Lim continued.

Godzilla Minus Zero releases in the U.S. on Nov. 6 and in Japan on Nov. 3.