‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ earns an R rating — a franchise first in its 72-year history; director Yamazaki: ‘I refused to censor the film’

“Godzilla Minus Zero”, the sequel to the Oscar-winning “Godzilla Minus One”, has become the first film in the franchise’s 72-year history — which began in 1954 and counts 38 films — to receive an R rating from the MPA, for “some violent content and bloody images”, as announced in the MPA’s September 23 ratings bulletin.

Director Takashi Yamazaki addressed the historic rating at the film’s premiere at the New York Film Festival (NYFF) on September 26, as Dread Central reports, referencing Variety’s interview with the director: he explained that he was not willing to sacrifice the scenes that were essential to the story — he would not censor them or cut them. He added that, while an R rating can narrow the audience, today it is a sign that nothing in the film has been censored.

The film is set in 1949, two years after the events of “Godzilla Minus One”, continuing the story of the Shikishima family. Joining the new cast are Masami Nagasawa and Jun Kunimura. “Godzilla Minus Zero” will debut in Japan on November 3, while GKIDS brings it to North American cinemas on November 6. The film is also the first Japanese production shot specifically for IMAX. The world premiere at NYFF was met with enthusiastic reviews, at around 93–95% on Rotten Tomatoes — an excellent start for the legendary monster’s new chapter.