Apr 15, 2026 4:59pm IST
‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Sets Diwali IMAX Clash With ‘Ramayana’ as Takashi Yamazaki Expands Oscar-Winning Franchise
“Godzilla Minus Zero” has quickly become a major talking point after the makers unveiled the first detailed glimpse of the film. Serving as a follow-up to “Godzilla Minus One,” the new installment promises a bigger scale and expanded storytelling. However, what has truly caught attention—especially in India—is its release window, which sets up a direct clash with Nitesh Tiwari’s “Ramayana: Part One,” starring Ranbir Kapoor.
“Godzilla Minus Zero” is scheduled for an early November release, landing in the same week as Diwali in India—a prime box office corridor. This is also when “Ramayana: Part One” is set to hit theatres. The key factor here is that both films are designed for IMAX exhibition, raising immediate questions about screen allocation and how the premium format will be split between two large-scale titles.
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Until now, “Ramayana: Part One” was expected to dominate IMAX screens during its opening run in India. The arrival of “Godzilla Minus Zero” changes that dynamic, setting up a high-stakes battle for premium screens. There is currently no clarity on how the division will play out, but the overlap is expected to impact both films’ theatrical strategies.
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the film continues the narrative established in “Godzilla Minus One.” Set in 1949, two years after the events of the previous film, the story follows the Shikishima family as they confront a new crisis. Ryunosuke Kamiki reprises his role as Koichi Shikishima, alongside Minami Hamabe as Noriko Oishi, who survived the earlier attack on Tokyo.
The ensemble cast also includes Munetaka Aoki and Hidetaka Yoshioka, among others. The franchise carries significant momentum. At the 2023 Academy Awards, “Godzilla Minus One” made history by becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Visual Effects, beating titles like Guardians of the "Galaxy Vol. 3" , "The Creator" , "Napoleon" and "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning".
“Godzilla Minus Zero” is set to release on November 6 in the U.S. and India, with an earlier release on November 3 in Japan.
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