Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer may have stolen the spotlight at the recently concluded Oscars night, but the veteran filmmaker did not forget to praise fellow Academy Award-winner Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One.
The Japanese film production won the Oscars for Best Visual Effects, a terrific victory for the monster franchise that began over seven decades ago. Bagging its first-ever Oscar win is indeed a historical event.
Christopher Nolan Admires Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One With So Much Reverence
Godzilla Minus One was considered a sleeper hit, emerging with a box-office gross of $106 million against a budget of $15 million. For such meager pocket money, the creative team has produced a top-notch quality film that bested four massive Hollywood tent poles.
This is why director Christopher Nolan was so impressed by the movie that he lauded it with so much acclaim via Film Updates:
“I thought it was a tremendous film. I thought it was so exciting. It’s beautifully made and the mechanics of it were so involving. There was wonderful depth to the characters and a wonderful sense of history that I really appreciated.”
When asked about his movie’s similarities with Nolan’s Oppenheimer and their relevance in society, director Takashi Yamazaki responded via THR:
“Of course, the relationship or the juxtaposition was not intentional. As we were making the film, the state of the world and the geopolitical scene has changed quite a bit. It almost feels fated that both of these films were released in the same year.”
Interestingly, Yamazaki expressed interest in helming a movie about the tragic bombing in Japan in response to Nolan’s epic biopic thriller.
“As a person of Japanese ancestry and descent, my response to Oppenheimer [is that] I would like to dedicate a different film to that when that day comes.”
Godzilla Minus One follows the story of a barely-recovered Japan from World War II when a gigantic threat emerges off the coast of Tokyo. Critics from the US unanimously commended the picture for delivering incredible visual mileage despite its small budget.
Why Can’t You Watch Godzilla Minus One Anywhere?
If you are planning to watch the Oscar-winning film to bask in its beauty and dive deep into its lore, here is some disappointing news: as per IndieWire, Toho has an apparent contractual agreement with Legendary Entertainment to never release their films in the same year.
The kaiju movie opened in Japan last November followed by US and several European theaters. It has yet to open in China, South Korea, India, and other Asian markets. Surprisingly, the film abruptly ended its theatrical run and was allegedly ordered for removal due to the upcoming release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire from Legendary Pictures.
Whatever the specifics of the agreement between Toho and Legendary Entertainment are, Godzilla Minus One remains one of the best movie productions to date. It also makes sense that the studio does not want it to overlap with Godzilla x Kong.
