Godzilla is coming home, as Toho is set to release its first movie featuring the King of the Monsters since 2016's Shin Godzilla. A trailer for the new film, entitled Godzilla Minus One, was recently released, and now fans are able to get a fresh look at the legendary character's new design from the film, in a newly announced figure. As part of Tamashii's S.H. MonsterArts line, the new toy is available to pre-order from Tuesday, July 18, ahead of the film's Japanese release on November 3. The monstrous new film hits US theaters less than a month later, on December 1.
The latest figure based upon the monster, "Godzilla [2023]" will retail at approximately $100, while shipping is slated to begin in November. The company revealed its design was based up the 3D data used in the film's production, and was sculpted, colored and produced by Yuki Sakai. Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki directly oversaw the figure's design, to ensure it accurately reproduced the iconic beast's appearance as featured in the upcoming film. The site reads, "A wide range of motion allows poses appropriate for Godzilla [2023]. In addition, for the first time in the S.H.MonsterArts series, the toes are independently movable. This allows you to recreate an image closer to the impression of Godzilla in the movie.”
The new film is set in a post-war Japan, with Toho promising it "will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force." First announced back in November 2022, Yamazaki also served as the film's writer, which is set to be Toho's 30th live-action film in their trademark kaiju series. While it may be Toho's first Godzilla movie in seven years, the beast has been far from dormant oversees, having appeared in Legendary Pictures' Godzilla (2014), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and their 2021 sequel Godzilla vs. Kong. That film is set to receive a follow-up in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, slated to release on March 15 of next year.
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Godzilla Is a Cultural Icon
The legendary monster made his debut all the way back in 1954, in Ishirō Honda's Godzilla, becoming a pop culture phenomenon not only in his home country, but worldwide, through the release of countless films, comic books, and TV shows. The beast made his US cinematic debut in 1998's Godzilla, directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. While that film did manage to turn a profit, grossing $379 million globally against a total budget of between $210 - 230 million, it was considered a box office disappointment and was met by largely negative reviews.
While specific plot details regarding the upcoming film remain under wraps, US fans can reunite with the iconic monster when Godzilla Minus One releases into theaters stateside on December 1, 2023. Check out the teaser trailer for the film below and the new figure above:
