Godzillais making a triumphant return to cinemas. This time around, however, it won’t be under the Legendary Entertainment banner, but Toho’s, meaning the King of the Monsters is returning to his original studio.
Godzillahas had a successful turn under Legendary Entertainment’s stewardship of the franchise. The studio has been releasingGodzillafilms for an American audience since 2014’sGodzilla. That film kicked off a cinematic universe known as the MonsterVerse, which most recently culminated in 2021’sGodzilla vs. Kong, where the two titans shared the screen for the first time in decades. In fact, thekaiju are set to make a return inGodzilla vs Kong 2.
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According toGodzilla’s official Japanese Twitter account, the kaiju will return to Japanese cinemas on June 11, 2025. The new film will be directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The title, plot, and further details have not yet been revealed, only a teaser for the movie was unveiled. The film marks Godzilla’s return to Japanese cinemas. His last live-action entry for Japan wasShin Godzillaback in 2016, co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi.
That film includeda new take on Godzillathat returned him from a hero to his villainous roots and provided a lot of body horror in his depiction. An animated trilogy, beginning withGodzilla: Planet of the Monsters, was released in Japanese theaters from 2017 to 2018, as well. That take on the franchise was set in the far future and featured an Earth with a biosphere adapted to suit Godzilla.
For fans of the character, this could mean a new Japanese franchise for Godzilla.The kaiju has not been seenin a continuous Japanese live-action franchise since2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars. While the character’s profile has never gone away, recent successes at the box office have probably helped bring Godzilla back to the big screen.
The plot could be very intriguing. Plans for aShin Godzillasequel fell through, and Toho was unable to make a domesticGodzillafilm due to their contract with Legendary, which stated that the studio could not make a live-actionGodzillafilm released in the same year as Legendary’s take on the creature. This was effective until 2020. The film could be the start of a new continuity anda newGodzillacinematic universe. Interestingly, the film is supposedly set in post-war Japan, which would be bringing the character right back to his roots.
Toho’s untitledGodzillafilm will be released in theaters on June 20, 2025.
