It’s genuinely surprising that Toho hasn’t made the film available to watch for users outside of Japan. “Godzilla Minus One” arrived stateside on December 1, 2023 (a month after it debuted in Japan), and only got screened in 2,308 theatres, a rather muted number. Still, the film made nearly $57 million in the United States and Canada, proving that Western audiences were hungry for grounded Godzilla fare. The film ultimately left theaters in North America on February 1, 2024, and fans who missed Godzilla’s roar during its theatrical run are pretty much out of luck.
Seeing as the stretch between theatrical debuts and streaming release dates continues to shrink, it’s fascinating that “Godzilla Minus One” is taking such an old-school approach. One would think that after the film won its Oscar, the studio would be eager to show off its crown jewel. Alas, fans are riding to the high seas to get their “Godzilla” fix. With the film back in the conversation, fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, are voicing how annoyed they are that they can’t just simply watch “Minus One” by supporting its cast and crew. “They’re missing out on big money by not making this masterpiece available to stream everywhere,” shared @TheJonalis. “I don’t understand why the studios simply can’t [allow] the movie to be properly released in the West, especially on physical media,” said @avidfilm.
Should “Godzilla Minus One” ever receive a sequel, let’s hope that its digital and home release is more carefully planned out.
