Toho chief says US release of Godzilla Minus One was a coincidence
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
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.
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In short
- 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.
How this story developed
- 45 minutes ago Matsuoka added that a visit to US exhibitors convinced Toho to test the market amid demand for more films and anime, while GKIDS is set to distribute the next instalment, Godzilla Minus Zero, in North America from 6 November.
- 50 minutes ago Toho chief executive Matsuoka Hiro said the company’s self-distribution of Godzilla Minus One in the US was an improvised decision that brought profits directly to Toho after the film became a major success.
Explained simply
Toho is a Japanese film company that owns the Godzilla franchise. For many years, it had difficulty getting its films shown widely outside Japan, often relying on other companies to handle overseas distribution.
Distributing a film means arranging its release in cinemas and managing its promotion and sales. When a company distributes its own film, it can keep more of the income, but it also takes on the work and financial risk of reaching audiences abroad.
Godzilla is a long-running Japanese film series, and its appeal in the United States has grown alongside interest in anime and other Japanese entertainment. Toho’s experience with the 2023 film is relevant to how it approaches future releases in North America.
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Originally published by Deadline as “Toho CEO Matsuoka Hiro On The Company’s Decision To Self-Distribute ‘Godzilla Minus One’ In The U.S. — Tokyo”.