Godzilla Minus Color coming to Netflix next month

Netflix has announced that Godzilla Minus Color, the black-and-white version of Godzilla Minus One, will be available to stream on August 1st. This announcement comes just a week after it was revealed that the film would receive a long-awaited 4K release in the US.

Godzilla Minus One was released on Netflix last month, and with Godzilla Minus Color now set to follow suit, it’s a good time for fans of the big guy. The monochromatic version of the movie wasn’t simply a matter of flipping a switch. Director Takashi Yamazaki has previously explained just how much work went into the new cut.

“Rather than just making it monochrome, it is a cut by cut. I had them make adjustments while making full use of various mattes, as if they were creating a new movie,” Yamazaki said. “What I was aiming for was a style that looked like it was taken by masters of monochrome photography. We were able to unearth the texture of the skin and the details of the scenery that were hidden in the photographed data. Then, a frightening Godzilla, just like the one in the documentary, appeared. By eliminating color, a new sense of reality emerges. Please live and resist further fear at the theater.“

Godzilla Minus One has received widespread acclaim since its release last year, with some even saying it could be the best kaiju movie ever made. The film also won Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards, making it the first Godzilla movie ever to be nominated and then win an Oscar. Steven Spielberg is also a big fan of the movie, which thrilled Yamazaki. “Steven Spielberg said, ‘Oh, you’re the director of Godzilla. I saw it three times.’ I couldn’t believe it, because Spielberg is like a god to me, just for what he’s done for the film industry,” Yamazaki said. “But it sounded very real. [Spielberg went on to say,] ‘I saw it once in my home, and then I had to go see it again in IMAX, then Dolby Atmos.’ You can’t make that up.“

Godzilla Minus Color is included in the upcoming 4K release of Godzilla Minus One, which also spans four discs of content, including making-of documentaries, trailers, and much more. At $65, it’s a little pricey for a single movie, but I’m sure there are plenty of Godzilla fans out there who are more than eager to add the movie to their collections. The 4K release is expected to ship this September.