Screentime
Godzilla Conquered Japan. Now Its Owner Plots a Global Takeover
Tokyo’s biggest filmmaker, Toho, is looking to expand its prehistoric “atomic-breathing” creature into games and attractions around the world.
Godzilla, arguably the most famous symbol of Tokyo’s storied film industry, has appeared in more than three dozen movies since its 1954 debut. The films have grossed billions of dollars at the box office, spawning legions of merchandise, from thermoses to plushies, and turning the fictional creature into a global household name.
But outside Japan, few can name Toho Co., the media company that put the havoc-wreaking monster on the big screen more than 70 years ago. Chief Executive Officer Hiroyasu Matsuoka, great-grandson of the company’s founder, is trying to change that.