Godzilla has been rampaging around, destroying cars and buildings and wreaking havoc since the original Japanese film of the same name was released in 1954. , he still gathered countless fans. The crowded “Godzilla Vs.” proves this. Hundreds of enthusiastic fans gathered to watch the “NYCC” panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday night Godzilla minus one Writer, Director and Visual Effects Supervisor Yamazaki Takashi Discussing his Oscar-winning film and protagonist’s seven-decade legacy.
The group began by showing a montage of dozens of Godzilla films playing on a screen near the stage, from the 1954 classic to Godzilla Minus One , an immediate post-World War II reimagining of Godzilla from a Japanese perspective ), and even the American “monster verse” in legendary pictures. Fans cheered as Godzilla clashed with King Ghidorah, King Kong and other monsters, displaying his deadly atomic breath and causing people to run and hide in panic.
Next enter the moderator, only identified as “microphone,” also served as Yamazaki’s English translator, and Yamazaki spoke entirely in Japanese. Despite the language barrier, Yamazaki’s relationship with the audience remains warm and humorous, with Yamazaki smiling throughout as he discusses his critically acclaimed 2023 film.
The discussion begins with Yamazaki’s Oscar win, as he and his visual effects team won the “Best Visual Effects” award at the 96th Academy Awards. He said he thought his chances were “about 50/50,” but he didn’t want to write a speech in vain, so he didn’t start writing anything until the day before the ceremony. He wrote the speech in Japanese and Mike translated it into English.
However, when he panicked Godzilla minus one did win the award, beating bigger budget films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 and Napoleon. “Oh crap, I have to go on stage,” he thought. He suddenly realized he couldn’t understand what he had written, but one of his visual effects team members told him “We have 45 seconds, you have to say something!”
As a writer, director, and visual effects supervisor, Yamazaki was asked which character was his favorite. “For me, whenever I create something, I don’t think of them as different disciplines… it’s all filmmaking.” He laughs, adding that sometimes he directs on set, looks at the script, and Thinking, “Who wrote this?” Likewise, sometimes when he was doing visual effects, he would think, “What director thought I could do this?”
The filmmaker said many people told him that Godzilla Godzilla minus one reminded them of their cats (such as the scene where Godzilla punches the plane), but he said he was inspired by his own cats. In the 2024 film “Us” directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla also resembles a cat when he curls up to sleep in the Roman Colosseum. “I have a theory,” Yamazaki said. “If you want to direct a Godzilla movie, you first need to have a cat.”
Yamazaki also teased the re-release of the theatrical version Godzilla minus one It will hit theaters on November 1 and will include additional visual effects and special behind-the-scenes footage. Yamasaki designed the new poster himself and distributed it to attendees after the panel discussion. He also explained that the new poster deviates a bit from the model, as he drew Godzilla much larger than the 50.1 meters where Godzilla stands in the Toho canon.
Montage of celebrities including video game designers sharing their love for Godzilla Hideo Kojimaactor O’Shea Jackson Jr.. Star Wars The celebrity Q&A session begins. A fan asked Yamasaki which Godzilla movie he would most like to remake, and the producer replied that he wanted to take on King Ghidorah. He was also asked what his favorite part of NYCC has been so far and responded “the group,” praising the fans for their passion and enthusiasm.
In fact, it was a lively and enthusiastic panel discussion. Happy 70th Anniversary, Godzilla!
And check out more NYCC ’24 coverage beat.
