Why is Godzilla Minus One still not out on digital and streaming? Explained
The recent release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has fans wondering the reasons behind the delay in the digital debut of Toho's 2023 blockbuster hit, Godzilla Minus One.
While there has been no set date for the digital release of Minus One, the reason behind the delay is due to the contractual agreement between Legendary Entertainment and Toho, which prohibits Toho from releasing any of their Godzilla movies in the same year as Legendary Entertainment.
Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One raked in $114.8 million in its global box office collections, per Box Office Mojo. The official synopsis of the movie reads:
"Japan has barely recovered from the Second World War when a gigantic peril emerges off the coast of Tokyo. Koichi, a deserter traumatised by his first confrontation with Godzilla, sees this as an opportunity to redeem his conduct during the war."
Godzilla Minus One premiered at the Shinjuku Toho Building on October 18, 2023, followed by its theatrical release in Japan on November 3, 2023.
When will Godzilla Minus One be released digitally in the United States?
The fans of MonsterVerse have been left wondering about the reasons behind the holdup of the digital release of Godzilla Minus One in the United States.
The speculation has been fuelled by the announcement of the movie's Blu-ray release in Japan starting May 1, 2024. However, there has been no news of the PVOD release of the same in the United States.
According to The Direct report, the last Toho film, Shin Godzilla, took 132 days for its Blu-ray version to be released in North America. If fans were to anticipate the same time for the digital debut, then September 2024 would be the expected month of release.
Why has there been a delay in the digital release of Godzilla Minus One?
While Toho has owned the rights to Godzilla and other MonsterVerse characters since the 1954 Ishirō Honda original, Legendary Entertainment acquired the English-language rights in 2010. According to a contract between the two production houses, there is a limitation on the release of films from either house in the same year.
Keeping the restriction in mind, Toho released Godzilla Minus One in Japan in November 2023, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the franchise, followed by a domestic release on over 1,000 American screens. The kaiju blockbuster ended up being a sleeper success and garnered over $56 million domestically, per Box Office Mojo.
Despite a No. 8 ranking in its last week of theater run, Toho had notified theaters to end screening by February 1, 2024, to allow a two-month gap before the release of Godzilla x Kong.
Godzilla Minus One went on to become the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2023 in Japan and won the Best Visual Effects award at the 96th Academy Awards, among multiple other accolades. Director Takashi Yamazaki stated in his acceptance speech, per Forbes:
“So far from Hollywood, even the possibility of standing on this stage seemed out of reach. The moment we were nominated, we felt like Rocky Balboa welcomed into the ring as equals by our biggest rivals, which was already a miracle. But, here we stand!”
Moreover, Toho reportedly made profits from the collections of Godzilla x Kong as a partner in the production, per Indie Wire.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is currently running in theaters.