Godzilla: The Dark Reason Toho's New Movie Is Called 'Minus One'

"Godzilla" is getting yet another brand new movie, and its name belies a very dark twist on the classic mythos. While the radioactive kaiju has starred in a few major films over the past few years, including "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and "Godzilla vs. Kong," this new movie will be the next tentpole entry in the original Toho line of films, following up 2016's "Shin Godzilla." The upcoming project is titled "Godzilla: Minus One." That intriguing subtitle may sound like it's making this film out to be some sort of prequel, and while that appears to be semi-accurate, it holds additional significance narrative-wise.

The core concept of "Godzilla: Minus One" is that it brings things back to the original movie's setting of post-war Japan. The film will focus on how a downtrodden Japan deals with the disastrous emergence of Godzilla in the rebuilding period after World War II. As President of Toho International Koji Ueda explained in a statement obtained by Forbes: "The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the 'minus.'"

While Godzilla has often been seen as an analog and commentary on the advent of nuclear destruction, "Godzilla: Minus One" focuses on the idea of Japan being faced both by the classic sci-fi creature and the very real manmade horrors of history. As such, its tone is noticeably more dire and dark than usual, as can be seen in the movie's first brief teaser trailer.

Notably, Koji Ueda has confirmed that "Godzilla: Minus One" will share continuity with the previous franchise entry "Shin Godzilla." While it remains to be seen how these two distinct narratives can possibly be bridged together, considering that they're both ostensibly origin movies, it's clear that "Minus One" is carrying forward some important themes from "Shin Godzilla."

Accurate to its name, which can be translated as "True Godzilla," "Shin Godzilla" pares back the franchise's mythos to its roots and provides a more grounded, realistic retelling of Godzilla's origin. It uses the classic Godzilla tale as a linchpin to deliver a commentary on the dangers of bureaucracy in the midst of dealing with a disaster, and offers a somewhat bleak perspective on the political machine and international diplomacy. The creature stomping across Japan is less of an immediate antagonist than it is a vessel to illuminate societal ills.

"Godzilla: Minus One" appears to similarly focus on how historically-accurate issues, such as the tumultuous period of post-war devastation, would realistically lead Japan to be unprepared for such a disaster. In essence, it's not just about how Japan deals with a giant monster, but how Japan works through real-world hardships in order to deal with a giant monster. The country is just as important of a figure in this story as the titular beast itself.

"Godzilla: Minus One" will see its theatrical release in the United States on December 1.