Toho CEO says self-distributing Godzilla Minus One in the US "wasn't a strategy"
At the Tokyo International Film Festival, Toho CEO Matsuoka Hiro said the company's 2023 decision to distribute Godzilla Minus One in the US itself came from a chance remark by US exhibitors, not a plan. The film was a hit, and Toho's follow-up opens on 6 November.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Toho CEO Matsuoka Hiro said at a Q&A at the Tokyo International Film Festival on Thursday 29 October that the company's decision to distribute Godzilla Minus One in the US itself was "all a coincidence" and "wasn't a strategy; we just tried". DeadlineN ““It was all a coincidence,” Toho CEO Matsuoka Hiro said this afternoon during a Q&A at the Tokyo Film Festival” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC ““It wasn’t a strategy; we just tried.”” Read at Variety ↗ Left · 1He spoke in an "Academy in Tokyo" session alongside Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. VarietyLC “Matsuoka was speaking at an “Academy in Tokyo” session with Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2Matsuoka said that on a US trip after becoming Toho's president, people from the exhibitors' union told him Hollywood studios were not making enough films, and suggested he consider anime. That, he said, made him realise anime was popular in the US, and because Toho already had Godzilla, it decided to distribute the franchise there. DeadlineN ““When I became president of Toho, I went to the U.S. and the people from the box office union said the studios weren’t making enough films,” Matsuoka said.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “Since Toho already had “Godzilla,” the company decided to take the franchise to the market itself.” Read at Variety ↗
Mixed · 2He said colleagues at Toho were concerned when he proposed the release, since the company had repeatedly failed to distribute its films successfully outside Japan, particularly in the US. The film then succeeded and, he said, brought profit to Toho. DeadlineN “Matsuoka said there was concern across Toho when he first suggested they distribute Godzilla Minus One across the U.S. themselves.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “The move was not an obvious one inside Toho.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2Godzilla Minus One, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, opened in the US in December 2023 with more than $11.4 million in its opening weekend, the biggest US debut of a foreign film that year according to Deadline. Variety reports it went on to gross $57.1 million in North America. DeadlineN “earned more than $11.4 million on opening weekend, becoming the biggest Stateside debut of a foreign film that year” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC “The film went on to gross $57.1 million in North America.” Read at Variety ↗ Mixed · 2Toho's follow-up, Godzilla Minus Zero, opens in Japan on 3 November and in North America on 6 November, distributed there by Gkids. Variety says Toho acquired the US distributor in 2024. VarietyLC “will open in Japan on Nov. 3 and in North America on Nov. 6 through Gkids, the U.S. distributor Toho acquired in 2024.” Read at Variety ↗ DeadlineN “Toho’s label GKIDS will distribute the film across North America beginning November 6.” Read at Deadline ↗
Left · 1Variety also reports the wider conversation, in which Matsuoka said theatrical and streaming were "more like coexisting than enemies" and called AI a tool that could maximise workflow but needs close watching. Kramer said Asia is "an extremely important market", that 25% of the Academy's voting members are outside the US, and that the Academy continues to reward human authorship. VarietyLC “Matsuoka said the two are “more like coexisting than enemies.””“He said 25% of the Academy’s voting members are based outside the U.S.”“Kramer said that, as the industry evolves, the Academy continues to reward human authorship and creation.” Read at Variety ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Variety presents the remarks as a turning point in Toho's global approach, then widens to the whole Academy in Tokyo session, including streaming, Asia's market share and AI.
- Emphasis
- Total North American gross ($57.1m), Toho's 2024 acquisition of Gkids, and Kramer's comments on the Academy and AI.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the opening-weekend figure or the record as the biggest US foreign-film debut of 2023.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Deadline leads with Matsuoka's "coincidence" quote and keeps tightly to the question of why Toho re-entered the US market.
- Emphasis
- Box-office record context (opening weekend, highest-grossing live-action Japanese film in North America) and Toho's earlier failures abroad.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the discussion of streaming, AI and the Academy's international membership, and does not say Toho acquired Gkids.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Matsuoka Hiro said at the Tokyo festival that the US release was a coincidence, not a strategy.
- US exhibitors told him studios weren't making enough films and suggested anime, which led Toho to take Godzilla to the US itself.
- Colleagues at Toho were concerned, but the film succeeded and returned profit to Toho.
- Godzilla Minus Zero opens in North America on 6 November via Gkids.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether Gkids is a Toho label or a recently acquired distributor
- Left
- Variety says Gkids is the US distributor Toho acquired in 2024.
- Centre
- Deadline calls GKIDS "Toho's label".
Toho organisation
Through CEO Matsuoka Hiro, Toho presents its US self-distribution as an unplanned experiment that worked and has become a turning point for its international business.
““It wasn’t a strategy; we just tried,” Matsuoka added.” — Deadline
“was a turning point in the company’s approach to the global market” — Variety
Left1 article
-
Neutral Fuller session report that frames the release as a turning point for Toho and covers the wider Academy discussion.
Centre1 article
-
Neutral Short, quote-led report on why Toho entered the US market, with box-office context.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 29 Oct 07:10 First DeadlineN Toho CEO Matsuoka Hiro On The Company’s Decision To Self-Distribute ‘Godzilla Minus One’ In The U.S. — Tokyo
- 29 Oct 08:58 +1h 49m VarietyLC ‘Godzilla Minus One’ U.S. Success ‘Wasn’t a Strategy; We Just Tried,’ Says Toho CEO at Tokyo Festival
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…