Summary

Despite
Godzilla Minus One
winning an Oscar and achieving massive success at the box office, the film still isn’t available to stream or rent.
Toho and Legendary Pictures’ complicated rights deal may be the reason behind the delay in releasing
Godzilla Minus One
for home viewing.
Fans may have to wait until after the release of
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
to stream or purchase
Godzilla Minus One
.

Godzilla Minus One is now an Oscar-winning film. It became the first film in the long-running franchise to be nominated and win an Academy Award. It certainly is a significant achievement for a franchise mocked for its cheap visual effects for years to win the prestigious award for the category. It was the Cinderella story of the year.

That extended to the film’s box office, as Godzilla Minus One was both a hit in Japan and the North American box office. Despite a smaller release in the United States in the often barren post-Thanksgiving weekend, Godzilla Minus One became a sleeper hit and grossed $107 million at the worldwide box office. The movie broke records, making more in the United States than Japan.

Despite an impressive box office track record, glowing reviews across the board, and now an Academy Award, many people cannot actually watch Godzilla Minus One after it left theaters. The film is unavailable for streaming, and no home video release date has been set. Why can’t you watch Godzilla Minus One? It might have to do with an upcoming Godzilla film.

Godzilla Minus One Has a Home Video Release for Japan (But Nowhere Else)
Godzilla Minus One Release Date December 1, 2023 Director Takashi Yamazaki Cast Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Takayuki Yamada , Sakura Andou Writers Takashi Yamazaki Studio Robot Communications, Toho Company, Toho Studios Franchise Godzilla

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On Mar. 4, 2024, just six days before Godzilla Minus One won its Oscar, it was confirmed that the movie would be getting a home video release in Japan on May 1, 2024. The movie will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray and DVD. The Ultra HD Blu-ray will feature both the original film and the black-and-white version that had a limited release in theaters. Godzilla Minus One is set for a home video release in the United States, but notably, no date was given.

In addition, no streaming release date has been confirmed. Most, if not all, of the major Academy Award-nominated films were available to stream before the telecast. Even Anatomy of a Fall, which won Best Original Screenplay, will be available to stream on Hulu on Mar. 22, 2024, and it was announced before the ceremony. There has been no official streaming or PVOD release date for Godzilla Minus One, and now, days after its Oscar win, there is no news.

Related Godzilla Minus One Ending, Explained Let’s break down the ending and ultimate meaning of the giant lizard’s newest film, Godzilla Minus One.

Fans of the movie certainly would want to watch it again, and moviegoers stunned by the Academy Awards are likely more curious to check out the Godzilla movie that finally won an Oscar. Why is it not available? It might be due to original Godzilla rights holders Toho and American production company Legendary Pictures, the company behind the shared cinematic universe The MonsterVerse.

It Might Have to Do With Legendary Pictures MonsterVerse

Many film fans know the complicated web that is the film rights of Spider-Man shared between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, but Godzilla also has an equally interesting and confusing one. In 2010, Legendary Pictures announced they were making a new Godzilla movie and struck a deal with Toho, the rights holders to Godzilla.

At the time, Toho had no interest in making another Godzilla film following the disappointing box office of Godzilla Final Wars in 2004, which was released to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Legendary, meanwhile, had big plans, as they wanted to make an entire shared universe. In 2015, they gained the film rights to King Kong and began developing plans to have the two legendary titans face off once more as they did in King Kong vs. Godzilla.

Legendary licenses out Godzilla characters and characters from that franchise. Full details have never been made clear, but Legendary does not have the rights to all the characters in the Godzilla franchise and has to get permission from Toho. Godzilla was released in 2014 for the 60th anniversary, but he had to fight an original monster for his first film as Legendary did not have the rights to any other kaiju from the Godzilla franchise. For the sequel, Toho allowed Legendary to use Motha, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.

The original contract expired in 2021 following the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, and many thought it would be the final film in the MonsterVerse as the box office disappointment of Godzilla: King of the Monsters may have had Legendary Pictures lose interest in the brand while Toho found tremendous critical and commercial success with the 2016 film Shin Godzilla.

Following Godzilla vs. Kong’s impressive COVID-19 box office, Legendary and Toho renewed their deal, leading to Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Notably, the series and possibly the upcoming film use original titans created by Legendary as opposed to classic Godzilla villains.

Related Godzilla Minus One Is the Perfect Oppenheimer Double Feature Viewing these two films side by side will certainly highlight the unspoken dialogue between Nolan’s historical biopic and Yamazaki’s Godzilla renewal.

Toho retains the ability to make its own Godzilla movies but with the reported limitation of not releasing them in the same year as a Legendary production. This might explain why Godzilla Minus One was given a November 2023 release date in Japan with a December 2023 release in the United States, as it allowed Toho to release their own Godzilla film ahead of the franchise’s 70th anniversary and not step on the toes of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.

Despite Godzilla Minus One being a sleeper hit and likely could have benefited from a post-Oscar nomination bump, the movie was quickly pulled from theaters on Feb. 1, 2024. The movie was still in the top 10 when it was pulled from theaters and was likely done so as not to interfere with the upcoming release of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. While no explanation was given, it is rare for a movie that is still making money to leave theaters while in the top 10. Limited-release movies get pulled from theaters, but Godzilla Minus One had already extended its theatrical release because of high demand, so why did it leave that week specifically? Two weeks later, a new trailer for Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire was set for release, and the marketing for that film would be in full swing.

To keep attention on Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, there might be a hold on when Godzilla Minus One can arrive on home video so as not to draw audiences away from seeing the new film in theaters. Both Legendary and Toho don’t want the two different versions of Godzilla competing with one another.

When Godzilla Minus One Could Be Available for Streaming (And Where)

Currently, there is no release date in the United States for Godzilla Minus One for PVOD, streaming, or home video release. It is safe to know that it will be after Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which will open in theaters on Mar. 29, 2024. Fans certainly would like a day and date release date with its Japanese release on May 1, which is entirely possible if not a bit unprofitable. Godzilla Minus One might not arrive on home video until after Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire does, which will likely be in early May in the summer season. It seems almost certain that the film will arrive on streaming and home video sometime in 2024 to capitalize on Godzilla’s 70th anniversary.

As for where it will be streaming, with its recent Oscar win, there is a chance many different streaming services will bid to have the movie play on their platform. Max currently has the Shōwa era (1954 through 1975) Godzilla films as part of their Criterion Collection deal in addition to the MonsterVerse films. Crunchy Roll currently has 2016 Shin Godzilla, while AppleTV+ has Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Netflix, Peacock, and Paramount+ could be streamers that could gain the rights to Godzilla Minus One, and only time will tell.

That does mean that Godzilla Minus One fans will have to wait a little longer until they can rewatch the film. It is a long wait, one similar to the six months fans used to wait for a film’s home video release. When it finally does arrive on streaming and hits video shelves, don’t be surprised to see another Godzilla Minus One boom, as more people will be given the chance to see it and likely be captivated by it the same way film audiences did at the end of 2023.

Between the release of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and the Godzilla Minus One Oscar win, Godzilla’s 70th anniversary looks to be a good year for the King of the Monsters and shows that his best days are far from behind him. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will head to theaters on Mar. 29, 2024.