Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One is setting records on the Netflix and VOD charts, where it captured the number one spot on both this week, an unprecedented accomplishment. The film, which was released in December, has already grossed some $56 million in North America alone, picking up an Oscar for best visual effects.
Though the thriller was released six months ago, it was not available for home viewing until the first of this month, owing to legal agreements and a desire to avoid confusion with Adam Wingard‘s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which was released in March.
There are other complications involved in the release of Godzilla Minus One. For example, the color version of the film is not yet available in all territories served by Netflix and VOD. The black-and-white version is now on VOD in some areas and will come to Netflix later this year.
industry observers were taken by surprise when the results were revealed this weekend. It had not been announced in advance that Netflix had acquired Godzilla Minus One in many territories, and an announcement sent to subscribers on Saturday did not list the film on its list of new releases for the month.
Prior to the Godzilla coup, Netflix’s number-one title had been Atlas, starring Jennifer Lopez. In second place was Colors of Evil: Red, a murder mystery from Poland.
Produced by Toho Studios and Robot Communications, Godzilla Minus One is set in the immediate aftermath of Japan’s defeat in World War II. It is the thirty-seventh film in the Godzilla franchise, which originated with the release of the original film in 1953, Drawing inspiration from the earlier Godzilla movies as well as the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Steven Spielberg, the film quickly grossed nearly $116 million worldwide on a budget estimated about $12 million. It became the third-highest-grossing Japanese film from 2023. In addition to its Oscar win, it won eight prizes at the 47th Japan Academy Film awards ceremony and two at the 17th Asian Film ceremony.
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