Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One is leading the piracy charts. (Photo Credit – IMDb)
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Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One, which made history by winning the first Academy Award in the venerable 70-year-old Godzilla franchise this year, reportedly also broke the record for the most pirated movie ever.
Set in the aftermath of Japan’s defeat in World War II, Godzilla Minus One, made for a reported $15 million, became a global phenomenon earning $116 Million worldwide.
The movie, which had a limited theatrical release in December 2023 due to low box office expectations, has ended up being the most pirated movie of all time, followed by Dune: Part Two. The data extrapolated by Torrent Freak, the go-to site for all things piracy, said the movie is the most pirated film in the chart, followed by Dune: Part Two and Arcadian.
According to Torrent Freak, the surge comes in the wake of Japan releasing its home video of Godzilla Minus One, making it easy for fans to upload the film online. The website reported that Godzilla minus one was also released on Amazon Prime but restricted viewing in most countries, triggering an uptick in illegal downloads by desperate fans.
Godzilla Minus One, Which won critical acclaim across the world, became the first entry in the Godzilla franchise to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The movie is touted for its stunning visual effects made with a fraction of the budget used by Marvel movies, including $250 Million used by Guardian of Galaxies Vol.3.
Shortly after winning the Oscar, Yamazaki said: “We set out to make a very domestic film that would speak to a certain audience — or at least that was what we thought would happen — and how it has evolved throughout its tenure in the theaters is overwhelming.”
According to Fandomwire, the movie was released ahead of time, so it would not clash with the premiere of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
