GODZILLA MINUS ONE Sequel Gearing Up for Filming, Koichi and Noriko Might Return

Godzilla Minus One isn't done stomping through theaters as a sequel to the critically acclaimed monster film is reportedly gearing up to shoot, and there’s strong reason to believe that two major characters from the first film will return.

The scoop comes from the website yamakazimovie-extra, which recently launched a casting call for background actors for a new Toho production helmed by director Takashi Yamazaki. He directed Godzilla Minus One, so we know this sequel is going to be just as great as the first film.

The project is listed under the working title Masterpiece Monster Movie (tentative title), and it’s already in the production phase. Filming is scheduled to begin on August 30 and will run into September in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture, just outside of Tokyo.

The casting call is looking for people aged 18 to 70 to portray “townspeople, people fleeing, etc.” Digging even deeper, kaiju sleuth Kaiju No. 14 uncovered something pretty exciting.

By poking around in the source code of the casting site, they found the names Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe, who played Koichi and Noriko in the first film. If that holds true, the sequel might pick up right where the first left off, continuing their emotionally charged storyline.

While the official casting description keeps things vague, it does tease “a cast of some of Japan's most impressive actors” and “an all-star cast representing Japan,” so the studio is definitely aiming high.

Godzilla Minus One was a standout hit, not just for its jaw-dropping kaiju destruction but for its grounded, strong human story. The film centered on Koichi, a kamikaze pilot battling PTSD while trying to rebuild his life in post-war Japan — until Godzilla arrives to ruin everything.

There’s no official title or release date yet for the sequel, but with production underway and potential character returns, this could be another exciting chapter in Toho’s Godzilla legacy.