Godzilla is arriving at Japan House London!

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of cinema’s most iconic monsters, we are screening five films including the original Godzilla and the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One.

A two-metre tall statue of Godzilla is also conquering Japan House London on 6 September, along with posters featuring original artwork. The film season will be rounded off with a talk on 27 November from Yamada Kenji, producer of Godzilla Minus One.

Now a global multi-media franchise including numerous Japanese and American films, Godzilla was born in the 1954 film that bore its name.

Godzilla, known in Japan as Gojira – combining elements of the words gorira (gorilla) and kujira (whale) – was at the forefront of the new genre kaijū eiga (monster films). The original film took inspiration from the 1952 re-release of the 1933 film, King Kong, with Godzilla going on to become perhaps the most recognisable of all kaijū, and himself clashing with Kong in more than one later film. But the original film and its successors owe their success perhaps more than anything to the pioneering special effects of the time, including the technique known as ‘suitmation’ (an actor in a monster suit on sets made using models).

Over the next two decades, 14 more Godzilla films were made and the basis for the franchise was set. Known as the Shōwa era Godzilla films (released before 1984), this series is often playful and entertaining, featuring epic monster battles and imaginative sci-fi and fantasy subplots. This era also introduced some of Godzilla’s most famous enemies and allies, many becoming recurring characters in the series, including Mothra and Hedorah.

The four Shōwa era films selected in this film season are regarded as some of the most iconic examples of what Godzilla represents to fans worldwide. The 37th and most recent film in the franchise, Godzilla Minus One, became the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2024.

 

Film Season Programme

15 and 18 September: Godzilla

20 and 23 October: Mothra vs Godzilla

10 and 20 November: Destroy All Monsters

27 November: Godzilla Minus One and talk by Yamada Kenji

8 and 18 December: Godzilla vs Hedorah