Godzilla Minus Zero: Release Date, Reviews and Cast

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Godzilla Minus Zero opens in US theaters on Friday, November 6, 2026, from GKIDS, with early IMAX showings on November 3 in select US, UK and Mexico theaters. Japan gets it November 3. It’s Takashi Yamazaki’s direct sequel to Godzilla Minus One, set in 1949, and critics love it: 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from 46 reviews and 78 on Metacritic. It’s rated R and runs 2 hours 15 minutes.

Updated October 28, 2026 · Dates and cast from Toho and GKIDS via Wikipedia · Scores from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, checked October 28, 2026

Table of Contents

When does Godzilla Minus Zero come out?

World premiere	New York Film Festival, September 26, 2026
Tokyo International Film Festival	Centerpiece screening, November 1
Japan	November 3 (Godzilla Day, the 1954 original’s anniversary)
Early IMAX showings	November 3, select US, UK and Mexico theaters
US and Canada	November 6, from GKIDS

It’s the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX, so IMAX is the format to pick if you have one nearby. Boxoffice Pro’s October tracking had it opening to about $25 million to $35 million in the US and Canada.

Is Godzilla Minus Zero good?

Yes, according to critics. It holds 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from 46 reviews and 78 on Metacritic from 23 reviews: 19 positive, 4 mixed and none negative.

Outlet	Score (Metacritic scale)
Collider	100
AwardsWatch	100
Polygon	98
The Film Stage	91
Total Film	90
The Hollywood Reporter	90
Variety	90
New York Post	88
IndieWire	83
The Guardian	80

What critics loved: the scale and the effects, and a human story that keeps up with the monster fights. Total Film says it beats Minus One in every way, The Hollywood Reporter says the human storyline is as gripping as the battles, and IndieWire found it more emotionally affecting than the first film.

What some didn’t: Polygon felt it lacks the first film’s inventive craft, even while scoring it high. Some reviewers found the human story less tightly built than Minus One’s and the ending weaker. Empire gave it 3 out of 5.

A city in ruins, from the first-look teaser. Image: Toho, from the official first-look teaser

What is Godzilla Minus Zero about? (No spoilers)

It’s 1949, two years after the events of Godzilla Minus One. Japan is still rebuilding when a new threat arrives, and the story follows Kōichi Shikishima, his wife Noriko and their adopted daughter Akiko as officials and scientists look for a way to fight back. Toho’s September trailer revealed King Ghidorah, and the first-look teaser shows Godzilla next to the Statue of Liberty.

Who is in the cast?

Actor	Role
Ryunosuke Kamiki	Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot (returning)
Minami Hamabe	Noriko Shikishima (returning)
Hidetaka Yoshioka	Kenji Noda (returning)
Yuki Yamada	Shirō Mizushima (returning)
Kuranosuke Sasaki	Captain Seiji Akitsu (returning)
Sakura Ando	Sumiko Ōta (returning)
Min Tanaka	Kanji Murakami, a biologist (new)
Masami Nagasawa	Makoto Aoyama, a weather forecaster (new)
Jun Kunimura	Dr. Ogata, a medical officer (new)

Takashi Yamazaki wrote and directed it and handled the visual effects again, with Shirogumi doing the VFX work, just as on Minus One.

A pilot in the cockpit, from the first-look teaser. Image: Toho, from the official first-look teaser

Do you need to see Godzilla Minus One first?

We’d say yes. Minus Zero is a direct sequel with the same family and most of the same cast, and it picks up two years after Minus One ends. You’ll follow the monster action without it, but the story hits harder if you know what Shikishima went through.

Godzilla Minus Zero FAQ

Is Godzilla Minus Zero rated R?

Yes. The MPA rated it R for some violent content and bloody images. It’s rated 15 in the UK.

How long is Godzilla Minus Zero?

2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes).

Is Godzilla Minus Zero in IMAX?

Yes. It’s the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX, with early IMAX showings on November 3 before the November 6 opening.

Sources: the film’s Wikipedia page (release dates, cast, crew, rating, runtime, IMAX, box office tracking), Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic critic pages, and Toho’s official first-look teaser, all checked October 28, 2026.

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