"Godzilla vs. Destoroyah" received global publicity following an announcement by Toho that the film would feature the death of Godzilla. It was the final film to be scored by composer Akira Ifukube before his death in 2006, though his themes would continue to be used in subsequent films. The film was released theatrically in Japan on December 9, 1995, and received a direct-to-video release in the United States in 1999 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. It was the last "Godzilla" film to be produced by any studio until the 1998 film "Godzilla", and was the last "Godzilla" film to be produced by Toho until the 1999 film "Godzilla 2000".