Godzilla Minus Zero opens in Canada Nov. 6: where to watch, IMAX and subtitles

Godzilla Minus Zero, Takashi Yamazaki's follow-up to his Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, opens in Canada next week. This guide covers the Canadian release: the date, the chains listed so far, IMAX, and whether you'll hear the original Japanese. We've separated confirmed details from our own comments, and flagged anything that's still unclear.

The date: Friday, November 6

According to the official Godzilla site, Toho opens the film in Japan on Tuesday, November 3. GKIDS then begins a wide theatrical release across North America on Friday, November 6, 2026. Toho's global release schedule lists Canada among the countries opening on November 6.

In Canada, the film has an extra partner. Toho's announcement, reproduced by Toho Kingdom, says Cineplex Pictures will support GKIDS with the Canadian rollout. The same announcement says no Japan-produced Godzilla film had ever opened in Japan and North America almost at the same time.

Tickets in North America went on sale on October 6, Yahoo Entertainment reported, after Yamazaki announced the date on Instagram.

Which Canadian cinemas are listed

The Canadian anime news blog I Miss Bionix collected Canadian ticket links in a post from mid-October. It lists these exhibitors:

Showtimes vary by location, and smaller cinemas may add or drop screenings. Check your local cinema's website before you head out.

Subtitled or dubbed?

This is the question we've been asked most. I Miss Bionix says the film will be shown in Canada in Japanese with English subtitles. The Canadian links it lists are labelled "Japanese" or "Subtitled."

An English-dubbed version does exist for at least some markets. A U.S. cinema in Idaho, Hayden Cinema, has a separate "(Dubbed)" listing. We could not confirm that a dub will play in Canadian cinemas on opening weekend. If you're bringing someone who prefers English audio, check the title of the listing at your cinema.

We also couldn't independently confirm the French-language situation in Quebec.

Our view: For Japanese speakers in Canada, a release built around the original audio is good news. You hear the actors' own performances, and the English subtitles make it easy to bring friends who don't speak Japanese.

IMAX and early showings

IMAX is a big part of this release. According to IMAX's film page, Yamazaki worked closely with the company, and Minus Zero is the first Japanese-language film in its Filmed For IMAX program.

If you're in a hurry, I Miss Bionix says preview screenings begin November 3, and both Cineplex and Landmark have "IMAX Early Access" listings. That date is Japan's opening day. The Wikipedia entry for the film notes it is also celebrated as Godzilla Day.

One practical detail: the published running times don't agree. IMAX's page gives 135 minutes, IMDb lists 1 hour 59 minutes, and some cinema listings show other figures. Your ticket confirmation is the safest guide for planning around transit or babysitters.

The story so far, without spoilers

Toho's announcement says the film is set in 1949. It picks up the Shikishima family's story two years after Godzilla Minus One, with Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe returning to their roles. Yamazaki is again director, screenwriter and VFX supervisor, and I Miss Bionix notes that composer Naoki Satō also returns.

The first film set a high bar. Toho says Minus One earned more than US$116 million worldwide, the most for any Japan-produced Godzilla film. It also won Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards, the first Asian film to win that award.

Expectations for the sequel are high. Wikipedia cites Boxoffice Pro tracking from October, which projected a U.S. and Canada opening weekend of around US$25–35 million. That's a projection, not a result.

We covered the film's Tokyo International Film Festival screening separately, so we won't repeat it here. For Canadian viewers, the main point is that it opens here only three days after Japan.

Planning a group outing?

Our view: A Japanese-language blockbuster on IMAX screens across Canada is a good excuse to get friends, coworkers or a Japanese class together for a screening.

If you're organizing a group or looking for others going to an opening-weekend show, post it on the DOJI community board. You can also check DOJI events for Japanese-community meetups near you.

New to DOJI? Sign up to join the conversation with Japanese speakers across Canada.