Warning: This article contains spoilers for Godzilla Minus Zero.The highly anticipated new film Godzilla Minus Zero is finally here. The Takashi Yamazaki-directed feature arrived in theaters this past weekend, and made quite a splash in doing so. The film, which audiences had high hopes for after the quality (and success) of its predecessor, Godzilla Minus One, beat out The Cat and the Hat and Wild Horse Nine to become the top earner at the box office from Friday to Sunday of its opening weekend.
Reviews are similarly impressive, too. Godzilla Minus Zero currently sits at 90% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes (a certified fresh score) and an even higher 96% score with audiences. Both are in the same range as Minus One, proving that fans appear to be receiving this new film as well as the last.
With success at both the box office and with critics, the conversation has naturally shifted to a potential sequel to the new film, even as Minus Zero has only just been released. No sequel has been officially announced, but it feels as if it’s only a matter of time before that happens. After all, Godzilla heads back into the abyss of the ocean at the end of this movie, and is seemingly still around for the foreseeable future.
Yet, any potential sequel has one glaring issue for the creative team to figure out, and it’s related to the titling of each film. The first was Godzilla Minus One and then came Godzilla Minus Zero, showing the clock ticking down towards imminent danger with the iconic monster. However, zero is seemingly the lowest they can go with the numbering, which may mean a Godzilla 3 may have to switch things up when it comes to titles.
As stated, Godzilla Minus Zero doesn’t end on a cliffhanger. However, that doesn’t mean that everything has been wrapped up; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. King Ghidorah is defeated, but the characters, particularly Kōichi and Noriko, are now on the run and seemingly the subject of a huge manhunt conducted by the U.S. government.
In fact, this particular story with Kōichi and Noriko may just end up being the future of this Godzilla series. Godzilla Minus Zero reveals that Noriko, because of her unique connection to the title monster (the shared DNA), can be used to summon Godzilla. That then creates what is essentially another atomic bomb, such is the threat that Godzilla poses, so it’s no wonder that the U.S. government are after them.
Even with Godzilla himself, the story remains unresolved. As stated, he goes back into the ocean at the end of the movie, and his regenerative qualities are highlighted time and time again in the new story. Not only that, but the scientists even state that Godzilla would be able to survive an atomic blast, thus making him seemingly impossible to defeat for good.
Once again, a third movie in this series feels inevitable. After all, Godzilla Minus Zero earned roughly $32 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. alone; the film naturally looks set to be a big hit in its native Japan as well.
Story wise, there are plenty of places for a third film to go. After all, there are so many other classic Godzilla foes to introduce, so King Ghidorah may just be the first to enter this universe. At the same time, however, the title for a sequel remains a potential concern, zero seemingly the lowest they can go. There are other options though, such as a change of subtitle (calling the third film Godzilla 3, followed by a new line at the end) or even entering into negative territory (Godzilla Negative One).
