How A VFX Oscar For ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Has Made Japanese Stalwart Toho Group A Monster In The North American Market
Established in 1932, Japan’s Toho Group has grown into a film-industry powerhouse, not only at home but globally. Working across production, distribution and exhibition, it has recently been on an expansion spree, reeling in box office around the world and with recognition from major awards bodies.
Long synonymous with Godzilla, which it launched in 1954, Toho this year broke out in another way, as its phenom Godzilla Minus One went on to win the VFX Oscar, a first for the Kaiju, or “strange beast,” monster genre.
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Indicative of the company’s status, Toho president and CEO Hiro Matsuoka, gave an opening-day address at CinemaCon in April. Deadline spoke with Matsuoka about the company’s outlook and strategy for the years ahead.
DEADLINE: Toho has increased its international activity — has this been part of an overall strategy?
HIRO MATSUOKA: Yes, overseas opportunities have been part of our long-term growth strategy. We recognize that the fan base for our content — both Godzilla and anime — has been growing internationally in recent years, and in many cases has developed into passionate and deep-rooted communities. Our goal is to make access to the content they enjoy easier, while also gaining awareness with new audiences.
DEADLINE: How have you worked to innovate?
MATSUOKA: For Godzilla, part of the rapid expansion in the last few years was triggered by the 2014 Legendary version of Godzilla. [The Japanese icon] became a big hit in Hollywood, with subsequent films allowing audiences to have consistent exposure to Godzilla content.
In support of this international interest, we deepened our fan outreach… We’ve also established regional subsidiaries in the past few years, building teams who have the best knowledge of each country’s market and allowing them the flexibility to service their regions based on that expertise.
DEADLINE: What is the goal of the U.S. subsidiary?
MATSUOKA: North America is a top priority market for our global strategy, and we believe that working out of Hollywood is the best way to deliver our content globally. Although the rise of streaming and the popularity of anime have changed the environment since our original strategy was formed, we have not changed the direction of our business, which has been, and will continue to be, focusing on the fans.
In addition, we’re not only bringing Japanese productions to North America, but also thinking about delivering content developed in North America to markets around the world, including Japan, by utilizing our investment and partnership with Fifth Season and other producers in Hollywood.
DEADLINE: Where do you see Toho in the next 10 years?
MATSUOKA: In 2023, we released a long-term strategy that extends to 2032, the 100th anniversary of Toho’s founding. As part of that strategy, we established animation as the fourth pillar of our business.
Key to Toho’s future is the ability to create and develop projects and IP, the expansion of the anime business, the use of digital technology, and expanding into the overseas markets. To this end, we will invest in growth and build new and exciting teams. We hope that you will have high expectations for Toho in the future, because we do.
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