Kaiju means “giant monster” in Japanese, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is hoping the term will translate to monster box office at its new Godzilla-themed movie house, the Alamo Drafthouse Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California. “This is just the beginning,” says Alamo, announcing a partnership with Toho International, the Los Angeles-based subsidiary of the fabled Tokyo production company that is home to the reptilian heavyweight and his pals Mothra, Rodan and Megalon (as well as Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”). Alamo promises “exclusive merch, screenings and other surprises” tied to Toho’s “universe of city-stomping beasts.”

Visitors to what the companies say is the world’s first kaiju-themed movie theater are greeted by “a two-story window projection of Godzilla at the front of the theater,” Gizmodo reports, noting the homage doesn’t stop there: “the Drafthouse Valley Fair will feature Bar Odo on its second floor, a tribute to Godzilla’s classic home in Odo Island, featuring a series of Godzilla-themed specialty cocktails alongside a regular rotating service of craft beers.”

The display will expand “two massive statues of the heads of Godzilla and Mechagodzilla decorating the premises, and the Valley Fair location also plans to run kaiju screenings throughout July, including “Destroy All Monsters” the week of July 5, “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” the week of July 12, and “Mothra” the week of July 26, Gizmodo writes.

The boutique theater chain will also mark this new chapter with special programming at its cinemas nationwide, with limited-edition merch offered on site and at AlamoMart.com.

On November 3, Alamo will mark the birthday of what it has crowned “King of the Monsters.” “Fun fact, we premiered the 4K restoration of the original [1954 film] ‘Gojira’ back in 2021,” Alamo says in a news announcement, referring to the behemoth by his formal Japanese name, and promising “this year we’re going even bigger.”

The Alamo Drafthouse Valley Fair is one of two Silicon Valley expansions for Alamo, with the Westfield Valley Fair coming to Santa Clara later this summer, Variety reports.

“From the moment Godzilla rumbled onto screens in 1954, Toho’s kaiju have inspired generations of movie lovers, including our team,” Alamo Drafthouse Cinema CMO Chaya Rosenthal said in the announcement. “Launching this partnership at our newest and biggest theater ever lets us celebrate that legacy with epic screenings, jaw-dropping lobby displays, and one-of-a-kind collectibles that only Alamo Drafthouse can deliver.”

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