"Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" was the first "Godzilla" film since 1975's "Terror of Mechagodzilla" to feature a newly orchestrated score by Akira Ifukube. The film was released theatrically in Japan on December 14, 1991, and was followed by "Godzilla vs. Mothra" the following year. It was released direct-to-video in North America in 1998 by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. Though "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" was more financially successful than "Godzilla vs. Biollante", the film attracted controversy outside Japan due to its perceived Japanese nationalist themes.