Godzilla Minus One proved that even with a limited budget, one can produce an award-winning and top-quality film. Unfortunately, the movie also had a limited theatrical run in selected countries which was quite disappointing to many fans.
As there was no way to get access to the film, desperate fans resorted to the illegal way: pirating. Godzilla Minus One has now set the record for being the most pirated movie of all time.
Fans Resorted To Piracy To Watch Godzilla Minus One
As reported by Torrent Freak, Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One ranked as the most pirated film in the chart, with blockbusters like Dune: Part Two and Kung Fu Panda 4 just behind it.
The film was released in selected countries and only ran for a limited time until it was added to Amazon’s streaming service. Fans would still need to get a VPN to access this, and many tried to bypass the restrictions but to no avail.
In the end, it was inevitable that fans would choose desperate measures. The release of Blu-ray in Japan also made it possible for people to easily upload the movie online, and that’s how the massive surge of torrent downloads came to be as of May 6th.
This is very disappointing, especially for the team who worked hard on the project. In an interview with A.Frame Oscars, Yamazaki said of the movie’s Oscars nomination:
“I think Godzilla, as a franchise, is amazing, and the nomination speaks to a lot of what Godzilla Minus One is doing for Japanese films and Japanese cinema in general. This was a very small domestic production. We even did the VFX with a minimal team, and everyone did their best.”
It ended up taking home the Best Visual Effects award, a testament to their dedication and love for the franchise.
“We set out to make a very domestic film that would speak to a certain audience — or at least that was what we thought would happen — and how it has evolved throughout its tenure in the theaters is overwhelming.”
It’s quite unfortunate that its theatrical run was cut short due to Toho’s deal with Legendary Pictures. Godzilla Minus One was released ahead of time so it won’t interfere with the premiere of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Will There Be A Sequel To Godzilla Minus One?
Since everyone has been fascinated by Godzilla Minus One, the question of a possible sequel is already expected to come up. During an interview with HJ Web, Yamazaki said there’s currently no project brewing at the studio.
“No, there is no such [movie in the works] at all. But I might be a little sad if someone is chosen for the next movie. When someone says, ‘This is the person who will direct the next Godzilla,’ I think, ‘Ah!’ And when someone says, ‘Please do it,’ I think, ‘Ah!’ [laughs].”
Still, he doesn’t give up on the chance that one day, he will be given another opportunity to helm a sequel. In fact, Yamazaki already has a few ideas just in case Toho rings him up again.
Godzilla Minus One is available to stream via Prime Video only in Japan.
