Takashi Yamazaki, the director of Godzilla Minus One, screened his box office hit at Lucasfilm less than a month after expressing his desire to direct a Star Wars film.
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
X user August Ragone reported that he attended a screening of Godzilla Minus One at Lucasfilm where the film’s director Takashi Yamazaki was in attendance.
Ragone posted, “Great Godzilla Minus One screening tonite at Lucasfilm. Was introduced to director Yamazaki after the Q&A. He was also gracious enough to sign my copy of the [Japanese] theater program. A Godzillian thanks to Ken Ibrahim & Dave Filoni!”
Great #GodzillaMinusOne screening tonite @ #Lucasfilm. Was introduced to director Yamazaki after the Q&A. He was also gracious enough to sign my copy of the Jpn theater program. A Godzillian thanks to Ken Ibrahim & #DaveFiloni! More tomorrow! #Godzilla #Kaiju #ILMVFX pic.twitter.com/WkK9gGx1OQ
— August Ragone (@RagoneAugust) January 10, 2024
READ: ‘Godzilla Minus One’ Continues Astounding Run At Box Office, Only Sees 41% Decline In Third Weekend
The screening took place a little over a month after Yamazaki told Slashfilm that he wants to make a Star Wars film.
“I watched Star Wars and that’s how I ended up being a filmmaker,” he said. “I’m really hoping I will get a call and they will bring me on Star Wars.”
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
Now, a screening at Lucasfilm doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it’s likely that discussions about Yamazaki’s love for Star Wars and his desire to make a new Star Wars film were likely discussed.
It’s also hard not to see this as a positive sign coming out of Lucasfilm, given just how well crafted Godzilla Minus One’s story and characters were especially on a budget less than $15 million.
If Lucasfilm does indeed bring on Yamazaki to direct a film, it definitely could ignite optimism about the franchise that has shot itself in the foot at nearly every opportunity whether that be the atrocious Disney sequel trilogy that completely destroyed the characters of Luke Skywalker and Yoda or the various Disney+ series that maligned characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker contemplates murdering his nephew Ben Solo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Lucasfilm
Clearly, Yamazaki knows how to respect beloved franchises as he showcased in Godzilla Minus One. He does not make a mockery of Godzilla, but adds to the King of the Monsters legendary library.
Not only does he respect Godzilla, but he introduces new characters that have strong convictions, their own internal struggles, and ultimately the willingness to choose what is true and right. This is most clearly seen when Ryunosuke Kamiki’s Koichi Shikishima rejects suicide and finds another way to defeat Godzilla.
The film also has strong moral messages promoting the value of a family as well as the value of a unified and united culture.
Minami Hamabe as Noriko Oishi in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
Not only did Yamazaki showcase his strong character and story work in Godzilla Minus One, but he’s no stranger to war movies either. Obviously, Godzilla Minus One features battles against Godzilla, but Yamazaki also directed The Great War of Archimedes that was released back in 2019.
The Dark Herald at Fandom Pulse recommends the film and notes a good portion of the film’s budget was lent to the film’s opening scenes depicting U.S. naval forces destroying the Japanese battleship Yamamoto.
I would be remiss to also mention that Yamazaki previously created a live action adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato that was released back in 2010.
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One (2023), Toho
If Lucasfilm taps Yamazaki to make a Star Wars film, the movie surely could not be any worse than what the company has created over the past decade plus since George Lucas sold it to The Walt Disney Company.
What do you make of Yamazaki screening Godzilla Minus One at Lucasfilm?
