It has been a week since the teaser and title reveal for Godzilla x Kong: The New Kingdom was released and news spread for the teaser had spread like wildfire. Content creators have already dissected this teaser to bits and pieces trying to find anything hidden can be found. Some people claim Rodan will be in the movie because Rodan's theme could be heard or just a sound in the first millisecond of the teaser sounded like a growl from another monster could be heard causing people to speculate a second monster is pulling the strings. Just slowing down the video has resulted in the new monster's growl sounding like it was saying, "HUNGER." Legendary really has fans of the Monsterverse really excited because...well, we are fans and we starve for any new information on this upcoming movie or anything related to Godzilla, King Kong, the Monsterverse, Gamera, and so on. Legendary has really kept their projects under tight wraps just to make sure nothing gets leaked and the same can be said for Godzilla's parent studio Toho Co., Ltd.
Toho has a new, live-action Godzilla movie coming out this November. This new Godzilla movie currently dubbed "Godzilla Zero" by fans is the first live-action Godzilla movie since Shin-Godzilla and we have had zero information about this new film outside of what we already know. However, all of that may change pretty soon as an image seemed to have leaked online.
An image appeared online and it is a label for a 6 inch Godzilla figure in Bandai's Movie Monster series line. The kind of Godzilla this figure is based on is tied in with "Godzilla Zero" based on the movie's "G" logo on the top left corner. The image and information was provided by Königreich der Monster, so thanks to KdM for sharing this photo.
All across the label in Japanese is a disclaimer saying this graphic was done by Happinet Marketing Co., Ltd. over and over, which their largest shareholder is Bandai Namco according to the marketing company's website. The label even looks to resemble the tags that are attached to Bandia's soft-vinyl figures. Those tags usually give information about the movie or show the character is based on and details about the character's height, weight, and powers/abilities. You can even see the UPC barcode on the bottom right corner of the image and the Godzilla logo on the bottom left corner.
Usually when a leak happens, it means that marketing for the movie is about to start pretty soon. In certain circumstances like with Godzilla vs Kong, we saw leaked photos of the toys for the movie appear before any marketing was supposed to happen. Then COVID happened, the movie was delayed to 2021, the toys started appearing in Walmart really early, and we didn't see the marketing start until the end of 2020. All of the other times when leaked images of the toys start to pop up the marketing for the movie ramps up shortly after.
Plus, KdM is really efficient in letting people know when something is coming while also keeping information vague. Before the teaser for Godzilla x Kong dropped, KdM hinted that something Monsterverse related was going to drop soon. KdM also likes to drop vague riddles on new information for the Monsterverse. Yet for "Godzilla Zero," he didn't really confirm a trailer is coming soon. He has mentioned on Instagram director Takashi Yamazaki is finishing up the new movie and active marketing is not far away anymore.
One person did ask him when will the movie release in the U.S. and his reply was "Not before summer/autumn 2024." If he is correct, this might mean the movie's release in the United States may not be until 2025. I still think it will be in 2024 around the 6-8 month period after the movie's release in Japan. On the other hand, Godzilla x Kong does release next year and there is no doubt that movie will tower over "Godzilla Zero." We have seen that happen with Godzilla 2000 when it released a whole year after Tristar's GODZILLA and with Shin-Godzilla just two years after Godzilla (2014) was released. Marketing for both of them was very small and constrained and Shin-Godzilla only released on a limited number of screens rather than a wider release.
Considering that Toho Co. now has an e-commerce set up in America there is another possibility. What if we see "Godzilla Zero" released in America on the same day as the movie's Japanese release? That would be a first for a Godzilla movie in history to release internationally the same day as the movie's domestic release. We are seeing Fathom Events releasing Godzilla movies on the big screen a little more frequently. Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. was released two months ago and played Godzilla vs Gigan Rex right next to it. Then, there was Godzilla X MechaGodzilla that was released by Fathom Events on November 3rd, 2022. And then in 2021, the Alamo Drafthouse theater did a whole anniversary event scheduling two weeks worth of Godzilla movies. Having these movies release around the time of Godzilla's anniversary in the United States must have shown these movies have made a lot more profit now compared to when they were first released. So maybe there is a chance "Godzilla Zero" could release the same day as the Japanese release.
That is all I have for now. I want to know your thoughts are on this in the comments section. Do you think the marketing for "Godzilla Zero" will begin soon or do you think it will be in the later half of 2023? Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.