Godzilla Minus One has won the trophy for Best Visual Effects at the 2024 Oscars, pushing aside big-budget movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Napoleon and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

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The film, which was made for only about $15 million, made history as the first film in the Godzilla franchise’s 70-year-history to win an Oscar. It is the 37th film in the film series, which uses Godzilla as a symbol of nuclear weapons.

Godzilla Minus One, from writer-director Takashi Yamazaki, sees an already devastated post-World War II Japan rocked further by the emergence of Godzilla, and stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando and Kuranosuke Sasaki.

After accepting his Oscar at the ceremony, Yamazaki said he was inspired to become a filmmaker by the “shock” of seeing Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind as a child in Japan.

“So far from Hollywood, even the possibility of standing on this stage seemed out of reach,” Yamazaki said. “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!”

Backstage at the Oscars ceremony, Yamazaki said: “I think Godzilla has opened up so many doors for us through this project. I don’t know where those doors are going to lead, but I don’t want to turn down any opportunity.

"I do believe that perhaps the success of Godzilla Minus One will open up new opportunity for a lot of Japanese filmmakers. I think that’s important because Japan is such a small country that we need international box office and revenue to sustain the industry. This should be the start of something bigger, I hope, for the industry as a whole."

Wondering how to watch Godzilla Minus One? Read on for everything you need to know.

Can I watch Godzilla Minus One in the UK?

Godzilla Minus One film
Godzilla Minus One. Toho/ YouTube.

Godzilla Minus One was released in cinemas on 15th December 2023 in the UK.

It was originally released in Japan on 3rd November, before it later opened in the US on 1st December.

However, those hoping to watch the film will be gutted to learn that you can't actually watch it anywhere in the world right now.

This is because the film was pulled from cinemas early in the wake of its Academy Award nomination due, in part, to a deal between Toho and Legendary Pictures, which is responsible for producing the Monsterverse films in the United States.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is due for release on 29th March 2024, and to give the film a bit of breathing space, Minus One was pulled from cinemas back on 1st February.

The Toho Company announced it will be releasing a bumper Blu-ray edition of Godzilla Minus One in Japan on 1st May, 2024.

But fans will have to wait a bit longer for a physical release in the US and UK, given that a DVD release date is yet to be announced.

Check out more of our Film coverage, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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Authors

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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