Kojima and Sakurai Urge Fans To See ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ in IMAX

Few monster movies have arrived with quite as much anticipation as ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’, the follow-up to Takashi Yamazaki’s acclaimed ‘Godzilla Minus One’. That 2023 film became an international sensation and even won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, setting a towering bar for whatever came next.

Yamazaki returns as writer, director, and visual effects supervisor for the sequel. It is the 39th film in the Godzilla franchise and makes history as the first Japanese production filmed for IMAX.

The sequel has now earned glowing early reactions from 2 of gaming’s biggest names. Hideo Kojima and ‘Super Smash Bros.’ creator Masahiro Sakurai both caught the film ahead of its Japanese release and are urging audiences to experience it in IMAX.

Kojima attended the Japan premiere at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya and shared that he had been eagerly awaiting the movie for 3 years. He was fortunate enough to see it in IMAX and described it as packed with surprises, moments for longtime fans and scenes he had always dreamed of seeing on screen.

Sakurai kept his recommendation short but clear. He told fans that kaiju films deserve to be experienced on the big screen and strongly encouraged them to watch it in a cinema. Kojima carefully avoided spoilers, explaining that he couldn’t say more without giving away key moments. He did, however, praise the film’s explosive climax and singled out actress Minami Hamabe for special praise.

His enthusiasm doesn’t end there. Kojima revealed that he plans to return to theaters for several more IMAX screenings after the film’s release, while a photo of him and Sakurai posing beside a giant Godzilla figure quickly made the rounds online.

Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai and Hideo Kojima urge people to watch Godzilla in IMAX “Kaiju films should be experienced on the big screen,” Sakurai said https://t.co/FuyKfx72c7
— ScreenTime (@screentime) October 19, 2026

The story picks up in 1949, 2 years after the events of ‘Godzilla Minus One’. Japan has struggled to recover and finally reclaim a sense of everyday life, only for a new threat to shatter that hard-won peace.

I went to the Japan premiere of “Godzilla Minus Zero” at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya. As a huge Godzilla fan and a fan of Minami Hamabe, this is a film I’ve been eagerly waiting three years to see. And I got to see it in IMAX!!! There were moments that played out just as I imagined, moments that surprised me in the best possible way, moments beyond anything I could have imagined, and moments clearly made for hardcore fans (scenes that brought tears to my eyes as a longtime fan, and scenes I’d always dreamed of seeing brought to life)….. I can’t say anything more without giving away spoilers. By the final climax, I was so excited that I practically felt dorsal fins sprouting from my back and an atomic heat ray blasting out of my mouth! There’s also a little of that “Always: Sunset on Third Street” feeling, perhaps because it’s directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The film opens in Japan on November 3. Once it’s released, I’ll definitely be seeing it a few more times in IMAX.
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 19, 2026

The official synopsis teases a dramatic, final-feeling confrontation, warning that there will be no third time. The Shikishima family once again finds itself at the center of the catastrophe.

Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe return to lead the cast. They are joined by returning stars including Sakura Ando, Yuki Yamada, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kuranosuke Sasaki.

ご招待いただき､#ゴジラマイナスゼロを拝見しました｡舞台挨拶も! すごくいいお席と環境で､感謝しております｡内容については触れませんが… 怪獣映画は､大スクリーンで体験すべき｡これほどの怪獣映画を､今後どれだけ観られるのかわかりません｡繰り返しますが､大スクリーンで体験すべき! https://t.co/5UyF9bqL2W
— 桜井政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) October 19, 2026

The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on September 26 and has been met with strong reviews. It currently sits at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics describing it as heartbreaking and epic. That early praise, combined with endorsements from creators like Kojima and Sakurai, has only fueled excitement among fans eager to see Godzilla return.

Toho will release the film in Japan on November 3, a date with special meaning for the franchise since it marks the original theatrical release of ‘Godzilla’ in 1954. GKIDS will then launch a wide North American release on November 6.

The new trailer for ‘GODZILLA MINUS ZERO’ has been released. In theaters on November 6. https://t.co/sgaEXweerd
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 8, 2026

North American fans can catch it even sooner. An IMAX Early Access event will take place on November 3, giving audiences the chance to see the R-rated, 135-minute sequel on the biggest screens available 3 days early.

With a story built for spectacle and a format designed to maximize every roar, ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ appears to be the rare blockbuster that demands a theatrical viewing. If 2 of gaming’s most respected creators are any indication, fans won’t want to wait for it to hit home screens.