Teaser For New Godzilla Movie Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 second ago

I always liked Godzilla growing up, but my opinions about various movies in the franchise changed over time. When I was younger, I enjoyed the goofier movies, including (please don’t judge me too harshly) the 1998 version with Matthew Broderick (I’m from a small town, and I had to take that pretty girl to see something!). As I grew older, though, I longed for the franchise to return to its roots. The very first Godzilla was an outright horror film, and this giant lizard is at his iconic best when he’s scaring the absolute pants off of audiences.

That’s why I loved Godzilla Minus One so much: it was never afraid to emphasize what a primal horror its titular monster was. That film was a runaway success, leaving fans to wonder when they’d see this version of Godzilla terrifying Tokyo yet again. We don’t have that much longer to wait, though: the sequel Godzilla Minus Zero is hitting theaters on November 6. And based on the official teaser that just dropped, it looks like Godzilla is more frightening than we’ve ever seen him before!

Lizards, Camera, Action!

This is just a teaser for Godzilla Minus Zero; as such, it’s far shorter than a regular trailer. Fortunately, it looks like returning director Takashi Yamazaki doesn’t waste any time getting to the good stuff. In this teaser, we see the return of some familiar faces, including Koichi Shikishima (a former kamikaze pilot who earned his redemption by fighting Godzilla). Noriko Shikishima (the woman he supported in the earlier film) is back, as is Disaster Response Bureau director Kenji Noda. Rounding out our returning characters are boat captain Seiji Akitsu, crewman Shiro Mizushima, captain Tatsuo Hotta, and our heroic pilot’s neighbor, Sumiko Ōta.

What actually happens in this Godzilla Minus Zero teaser? While an earlier teaser tantalizingly showed Godzilla near the Statue of Liberty, this teaser stays focused primarily on Japan. Two years have passed since the events of Godzilla Minus One, which absolutely devastated Japan. Characters speculate about whether Godzilla could survive a nuclear bomb and whether that is a “moral boundary” they should be willing to cross. It appears the debate is moot, though, as we see a bomb being dropped on the killer kaiju, who is apparently on the rampage yet again. The very last thing we see is Godzilla rising from the water to attack a plane.

Heads Or Tails?

Between the bomb dropping and Godzilla rising, we get the film’s title card and an intriguing message: “Our crime and punishment. Returning to zero is not an option.” What does this actually mean? According to the official synopsis for Godzilla Minus Zero, “War reduced Japan to zero, and Godzilla plunged it into minus.” While the country “struggles to achieve recovery and finally reclaim its daily life…a new threat strikes…There is no third time. Everything ends here.” It sounds like Japan is willing to do anything, even embracing the weaponry that brutalized their own country, to end this threat for good.

Based on the new teaser, it’s not entirely clear how Godzilla gets from Japan to America. Maybe the big guy attacks an American naval vessel, or (dark thought here) sometimes gets steered away from Japan to attack the country that bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With any luck, future teasers and trailers will give us more answers. And all will be revealed when Godzilla Minus Zero stomps its way into theaters on November 6.