# Toho chief says US release of Godzilla Minus One was a coincidence

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/toho-ceo-matsuoka-hiro-on-the-companys-decision-to-self-distribute-godzilla-minus-one-in-the-u-s-tokyo/
- Published: 2026-10-29T09:02:27+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T09:07:35+00:00
- Original publisher: Deadline
- Original article: https://deadline.com/2026/10/matsuoka-hiro-toho-godzilla-minus-one-united-states-1237207973/
- Topics: Americas, Business, Companies, Entertainment, Film, World

## Key points

- Matsuoka says Toho’s US release decision was a coincidence.
- *Godzilla Minus One* opened with more than $11.4 million.
- GKIDS will distribute *Godzilla Minus Zero* in North America.

## Summary

Toho CEO Matsuoka Hiro has said the company’s decision to distribute *Godzilla Minus One* itself in the United States was not part of a deliberate strategy: “It was all a coincidence.” Speaking at the Tokyo Film Festival, he said the film’s success was significant because Toho had previously struggled to release its films successfully outside Japan and the profits went to the company.

Matsuoka said a visit to the US exhibitors’ union prompted him to reconsider the market after he heard studios were not making enough films to meet audience demand and that anime was popular. Toho already had Godzilla, so it decided to try a US release despite internal concerns. *Godzilla Minus One* earned more than $11.4 million on its opening weekend in December 2023, the biggest US debut for a foreign film that year and the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film in North America. The next film, *Godzilla Minus Zero*, is due to open in Japan and the US, with Toho label GKIDS distributing it across North America from 6 November.

## Coverage

- [Deadline: Toho chief says US release of Godzilla Minus One was a coincidence](https://deadline.com/2026/10/matsuoka-hiro-toho-godzilla-minus-one-united-states-1237207973/)
- [Variety: ‘Godzilla Minus One’ U.S. Success ‘Wasn’t a Strategy; We Just Tried,’ Says Toho CEO at Tokyo Festival](https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/godzilla-minus-one-us-success-wasnt-strategy-toho-chief-1236933968/)

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