Fresh from its acquisition by Japanese entertainment giant Toho, Glasgow-based Anime Limited is positioning “Godzilla Minus Zero” as a defining theatrical release for Japanese cinema in the U.K. and Ireland, building on the record-breaking success of its predecessor.
The highly anticipated follow-up from director Yamazaki Takashi arrives in November with expectations that dwarf the modest projections that accompanied “Godzilla Minus One” in 2024. That film became the highest-grossing Japanese live-action release in U.K. history and won the Academy Award for visual effects.
“We’re starting from a completely different baseline now,” Kerry Kasim, general manager for the U.K. and Ireland at Anime Limited, tells Variety. “The previous film, when we initially started planning for it, it was difficult to compare what it would likely do. As the buildup grew, we were able to adjust our strategy. Now we understand exactly where we’re starting from, and we’re looking to go as wide, as early as possible.”
Anime Limited will establish broader theatrical footprints earlier in the release cycle and sustain longer runs compared to the first film’s more cautious rollout. The distributor also plans to leverage premium large formats more aggressively – a strategy validated by Anime Limited’s own research showing 82% of over 1,000 surveyed fans would choose to see films on the biggest screen possible.
“Because of the success of the first film, we can say, ‘This is the Oscar-winning film you’ve probably heard about, hopefully you’ve seen,’” says Anna Francis, theatrical product manager at Anime Limited. “Having that there as part of the campaign will really help.”
The “Minus One” breakout demonstrated commercial viability beyond anime for Japanese cinema in the U.K. market, creating what Francis describes as “an exciting middle ground” between arthouse releases and mainstream box office performance.
“It widened the audience to Japanese live action,” Kasim says. “The film itself was such a strong emotional drama. It happened to have a Godzilla in it at key points, but really the focus was on the film itself. A lot of people came initially for Godzilla and stayed for the human drama.”
Toho took full ownership of Anime Limited from Germany’s Plaion Pictures in December 2025. The deal established Anime Limited as a subsidiary of Toho Global’s new European regional headquarters in London, alongside a strategic alliance with Plaion Pictures for distribution across Germany, Italy and other European territories. Anime Limited founder Andrew Partridge joined the leadership team of Toho’s European operations while retaining his role at the Glasgow-based company.
Being part of Toho Global has strengthened Anime Limited’s positioning, according to Kasim. “It allows us to strengthen our offering by partnering up with people like Gkids and our wider international scope,” she says. “We will hopefully have a lot more access to the Toho catalog. But we are still committed to working with our existing partners and sticking to our core values, which is bringing interesting film and TV series to as wide an audience as possible.”
The Toho acquisition comes as Anime Limited prepares a robust 2026 theatrical slate including Otomo Katsuhiro’s influential cyberpunk classic “Akira,” Studio Ghibli’s “Grave of the Fireflies,” Oshii Mamoru’s “Angel’s Egg” in a new 4K restoration, and original releases including Studio 4°C’s “All You Need Is Kill” and “ChaO,” plus “The Last Blossom” from the “Oddtaxi” creative team.
The company’s broader strategy extends beyond Japanese content. Anime Limited has released titles from U.S.-based Laika Studios and stop-motion works alongside its core anime slate, operating on a case-by-case basis for strong storytelling regardless of origin.
Physical media remains central to the company’s business model despite – or perhaps because of – the streaming era. Kasim notes that disappearing content on digital platforms has driven renewed interest in physical ownership.
“People are starting to realize that having things available purely digitally is not a guarantee you’ll always be able to access that film or series,” Kasim says. “When we started the company, the focus was on developing collector’s editions – premium, very nice releases with high-quality content booklets. That’s the market we developed, and we’ve been really happy to see the jump in audience for 4K releases. Half the time, people don’t even have a 4K setup in their homes – they’re future-proofing their copies.”
Anime Limited also releases anime soundtracks on vinyl, extending the collector’s edition philosophy across formats.
“At the end of the day, we’re a physical media company,” Kasim says. “We just want to be able to grow what we’re doing, reach as wide an audience as possible. The streaming platforms are wonderful because they’ve opened the door for a lot of people, making content easily accessible. Now it’s like, how do we elevate people’s experiences with titles? That’s what we aim to do.”
The European anime market is projected to grow from $4.77 billion in 2024 to $9.05 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research, positioning Anime Limited’s Toho-backed expansion at the intersection of rising demand and established theatrical expertise.
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