Godzilla and the world of gigantic movie thrills have always been a major part of moviegoing history. But the recent resurgence of Toho’s legendary creation has made 2024 movies like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and even last year’s Godzilla Minus One into bonafide theatrical hits.
That good fortune has kept fans smiling, and it’s also given Toho president Hiro Matsuoka quite a thrill, which was conveyed during a recent speech that saw Godzilla’s boss reacting to the wild global success of Takashi Yamazaki’s intense throwback.
CinemaBlend was on hand to hear these remarks during this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Hiro Matsuoka addressed the boom in the kaiju movie market during his speech, which absolutely tracks considering Godzilla Minus One’s stealthy success. It wasn’t just fans who appreciated this beautiful reaction, as massive raves from NATO theatrical exhibitors helped carry the prequel to Ishiro Honda’s 1954 masterpiece into the consciousness of this year’s event.
Matsuoka tipped his hat to those vital partners, and the fans who helped make it happen, with the following remarks:
It was incredibly moving to see Godzilla become accepted across the world. A moment of validation. But this success could never have been achieved without exhibition partners.
Through both its initial theatrical release, and the equally stunning Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, the cinderella story of Godzilla’s more grounded return to theaters made some serious headlines. That naturally includes what some consider the cherry on top of the whole matter, as Takashi Yamazaki and his VFX team brought home the first Academy Award for the 70 year old franchise, as part of the class of 2024 Oscar winners.
Records were broken, and devastation reigned supreme on Godzilla Minus One’s path to victory. But when it came to audiences, and the theatrical exhibitors that help provide such spectacle, the dread that ensued in post-war Japan’s introduction of the King of the Monsters was something that also brought smiles among the screams.
While there are no immediate plans for a Godzilla Minus One sequel, Takashi Yamazaki has shared enthusiasm about where his potential Godzilla follow-up could go storywise. As Hiro Matsuoka’s reaction to Minus One’s whirlwind theatrical release is about as hyped as that of the audience that flocked to see it, it almost assuredly seems that it’s not a question of if, but when the lizard god will grace our screens again.
If you’re looking for more information coming out of CinemaCon, stick with CinemaBlend as we’ll be covering the biggest and brightest announcements to come out of this dazzling showcase. And if you’d like to partake in some larger than life Titan action in theaters, you can still catch Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, as it continues its own impressive box office run.
