GODZILLA MINUS ONE director Takashi Yamazaki is hosting four special theatrical screenings of select Godzilla films in Tokyo. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

As previously reported, GODZILLA MINUS ONE (ゴジラ-1.0/ゴジラマイナスワン, Gojira Mainasu Wan) writer/director/FX director Takashi Yamazaki will host four special theatrical screenings of select Godzilla films in Japan this September and October.

GODZILLA MINUS ONE director Takashi Yamazaki. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd.

The "Takashi Yamazaki Selection Godzilla Screenings in Commemoration of GODZILLA-1.0 Release" (「『ゴジラ-1.0』公開記念 山崎貴セレクション ゴジラ上映会」, "Gojira - 1.0 ” Kōkai Kinen Yamazaki Takashi Serekushon Gojira Jōeikai) series will be held at the Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas in Tokyo. Yamazaki will also attend each screening to take part in a discussion about his love for that particular film and how it inspired the creation of GODZILLA MINUS ONE.

The first screening will be GODZILLA: 60th Anniversary Digitally Remastered Edition (ゴジラ　60周年記念デジタルリマスター版, Gojira 60 Shūnen Kinen Ban), the 2014 restoration of the original 1954 film, to be held on Friday, September 15. 1964's GHIDORAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (三大怪獣 地球最大の決戦, San Daikaijū Chikyū Saidai no Kessen) follows on Friday, September 29. The two films to be screened in October have not yet been announced.

Toho has now revealed additonal details about the events. Takashi Yamazaki's guests will be Shinji Higuchi for the GODZILLA screening and Keizo Murase for GHIDORAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER. In addition, all guests attending a screening will receive an original "Godzilla Screening" sticker featuring the original poster for the film they are viewing.

SHIN GODZILLA and SHIN ULTRAMAN director Shinji Higuchi. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd.

Born on September 22, 1965, Shinji Higuchi made his movie industry debut working on the 1984 film THE RETURN OF GODZILLA (ゴジラ, Gojira). From 1995-199, he was the special effects director on the award-wiing Heirsei Gamera Trilogy. Higuchi has also worked on many hit movies, including the Evangelion series, creating storyboards and image boards. He made his directorial debut in 2005 with LORELEI (ローレライ, Rōrerai) and his major directing works include the blockbuster hit JAPAN SINKS (日本沈没, Nihon Chinbotsu, 2006) and the ATTACK ON TITAN (進撃の巨人, Shingeki no Kyojin, 2012) movies.

He won the Japan Academy Award for Best Director for THE FLOATING CASTLE (のぼうの城, Nobō no Shiro, 2012) -- co-directed with Isshin Inudo -- , the Japan Academy Award for Best Director for SHIN GODZILLA (シン・ゴジラ, Shin Gojira, 2016) -- co-directed with Hideaki Anno --  and the Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award for his anime series DRAGON PILOT: HISONE AND MASOTAN (ひそねとまそたん, Hisone to Masotan, 2018),  In 2022, he directed as SHIN ULTRAMAN (シン・ウルトラマン, Shin Urutoraman, 2022) which was a huge hit.

Toho monster maker Keizo Murase. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd.

Keizo Murase is a living legend from the Golden Age of Toho. Born in Hokkaido on October 5, 1935, he moved to Tokyo at the age of 23 and joined Toho's special art department. He sculpted the monster suit and props for such films as VARAN (大怪獣バラン, Daikaijū Baran, 1958), MOTHRA (モスラ, Mosura, 1961), KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (キングコング対ゴジラ, Kingu Kongu Tai Gojira, 1962), MATANGO (マタンゴ, Matango, 1963), and MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (モスラ対ゴジラ, Mosura tai Gojira, 1964), working on the studio's monster and FX films into the 1990s. For GHIDORAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, Murase worked on the suits for both Godzilla and King Ghidorah.

Keizo Murase will make his directorial debut with BRUSH OF THE GOD (神の筆, Kami no Fude), scheduled for release in 2024.

Tickets for the first two screening are now on sale from the theater's website. 

"Takashi Yamazaki Selection Godzilla Screenings in Commemoration of GODZILLA-1.0 Release"

Screening Venue: Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas
1-22-10 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Humax Pavilion Ikebukuro Sunshine 60 Street 6F & 8F

• Friday, September 15, 7:00 p.m. - GODZILLA: 60th Anniversary Digitally Remastered Editio (Digital, 1954 / 2014)
Speakers: Takashi Yamazaki with Shinji Higuchi

• Friday, September 29, 7:00 p.m. -  GHIDORAH: THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (35mm,1964)
Speakers: Takashi Yamazaki with Keizo Murase

Ticket Price: 1,600円 (Approximately $10.92 US)

GODZILLA MINUS ONE will be released in Japan on November 3 and open in North American cinemas on December 1, 2023. For more on information, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan...