Monarch: Legacy of Monsters showrunner Chris Black recently shared his thoughts on Godzilla Minus One and compared the film to his Apple+ TV series.
Minami Hamabe as Noriko Oishi in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
Not only did Black share his thoughts, but so did writer Matt Fraction. Fraction told ComicBook.com, “I loved it and having worked with Toho and heard how they viewed their characters, I think it was such a human story told in a way that was unique to the Japanese character. It was a story that could only be told by Toho using their own materials.”
Fraction added, “I’m thrilled that it exists because it gets at all of the things that they would talk about in a very real way. It’s an incredible story of survivor’s guilt, courage, common cause, duty, dignity, and redemption. It’s beautiful, it’s fantastic, and the effects are incredible! It is a compelling, fascinating, involving, heartbreaking, thrilling story to watch, even without Godzilla.”
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
READ: ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Continues Astounding Run At Box Office, Only Sees 41% Decline In Third Weekend
Following up on Fraction’s comments, Black said, “I can only endorse and second what Matt is saying. It’s been a big year for the MonsterVerse and Godzilla Minus One shows how effective this story can be told.”
He explained, “You have this movie, our show, you have the Legendary universe, and they’re all very different. They tell the story in very different ways but I think they do it equally successfully. There’s a Godzilla for everyone!”
“It’s a testament to why the character has endured for over seventy years,” he concluded.
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
Godzilla Minus One was one of a couple surprise hits at the box office last year. The film has raked in $50.9 million domestically and another $38.1 million internationally for a global gross of $89 million.
While those total numbers might not be as big as a film such as The Marvels, the film’s budget, which is reportedly below $15 million, means the film pocketed a ton of profit and showed you can tell a great story, have great visuals, and do it all on a budget.
READ: Godzilla Minus One Review
In fact, the film, which hit American theaters at the end of November is still in theaters and chugging along. While grosses have certainly declined over the last couple of weeks, the film still pocketed $213,442 on Monday, January 15th while at 605 theaters. That was a 28% increase from the previous Monday, where it pocketed $166,481.
Clearly, word of mouth had a lot to do with driving the film’s longevity at the box office.
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
And many viewers came away with similar opinions to Matt Fraction. The film has an 8.3 out of 10 on IMDb with the overwhelming majority of reviews being 8 or above. In fact, 82% of all reviewers on IMDb gave it a score of 8 or higher.
Godzilla Minus One IMDb scores
Similarly, the film has an astounding 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The average rating is 4.8 out of 5.
Godzilla Minus One Rotten Tomatoes scores
What do you make of what Black had to say about comparing Godzilla Minus One to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters?
