Godzilla Minus One directed by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki released In Japan in November 2023, will make its way to the US screens on December 1st. It is already being lauded as one of the best films of the year. Through a combination of awe-inspiring visuals and a powerful narrative at its core, Godzilla Minus One has ensured that it has made an impact around the world.
Helming a film that belongs to a hugely successful 70-year-old franchise is no mean feat. But Yamazaki took up the challenge and came out with flying colors. The skilled filmmaker is now setting his sights on another epic franchise, Star Wars, and confessed that he would always be ready and honored to direct a film if he was offered one.
Directing A Star Wars Film Is A Dream For Godzilla Minus One Filmmaker
Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One came from oblivion to beat out some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. Apart from the masterful use of CGI, the film gave viewers a deeply emotional human story which was as riveting as the destructive visuals that symbolize a Godzilla film.
Following the huge success of the movie, Yamazaki in an interview with Slash Film, spoke about the love and respect he had for another epic franchise, Star Wars, that ultimately inspired him to become a director. The Japanese filmmaker also expressed his desire to direct a Star Wars film in the future.
“I watched Star Wars, and that’s how I ended up being a filmmaker. I’m really hoping I will get a call and they will bring me on Star Wars.”
With Yamazaki’s prowess behind the camera, there is no doubt that he has all the skills and tools to helm a Star Wars film. It now remains to be seen if LucasFilm has heard the director’s wish, and go on to offer him his dream job.
How Godzilla Minus One Conquered the Box Office
Set in post-war Japan, Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One took the original Japanese kaiju film genre and expertly reinvented it for the modern palette. Along with stunning special effects that were also extremely realistic, the film also benefitted from a powerful story that featured a world thrown into further chaos after being ravaged by war.
While previous Godzilla films used formidable artillery to fight the monster and its tribe, Yamazaki’s film relied on people and their intellect to ultimately conquer their nemesis. This is where the human element in the film came to the fore. According to Yamazaki in an interview with Vulture, this aspect made it stand apart from the other films in the franchise.
“Once you have Godzilla fighting any kaiju, the human story ends up taking a backseat. It’s great to have Godzilla fighting whoever, but my personal challenge would be to resolve that balance. The kaiju can battle, but the human story needs to be there.”
As it turned out, Godzilla Minus One became a huge success at the box office and brought in huge collections that put superhero films like The Flash to shame.
