Kaiju fans were beyond thrilled when Toho announced earlier this year that the new take on the king of the monsters was making a comeback. Godzilla Minus One not only is getting a sequel, but the director of the Academy Award winning, Takashi Yamazaki is confirmed to be helming the return of the lizard king. In a surprising twist, it appears as though Yamazaki has another project that is in the works, leaving many fans to wonder if this upcoming work will throw a monkey wrench into the Godzilla sequel plans. Yamazaki has been in high demand since Godzilla Minus One hit theaters but his next project, Grandgear, might be a big departure for the director.
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Plot details surrounding Grandgear, the next movie that Takashi Yamazaki is working on, are shrouded in mystery. Luckily, the outlet Deadline has revealed some big details as to how the creation of the upcoming film. Yamazaki is teaming up with Sony Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot to create this film, which will be an English film made in North America. Yamazaki will write the original screenplay, direct the film, and also take on a producer role. Grandgear will be the first time that Takashi has created a film in North America and it most likely won’t be the last.
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What This Means For Godzilla Minus One Part 2
When Toho confirmed that a Godzilla Minus One sequel was in the works, it did not state when we can expect said movie to hit the silver screen. This might mean that kaiju fans might be waiting years to see the return of the lizard king, thanks to Grandgear taking up Yamazaki’s time for the immediate future. The article from Deadline doesn’t mention how this new project impacts the sequel, though it almost certainly means that Takashi isn’t immediately diving back into the kaiju universe. Based on the critical acclaim that Godzilla Minus One received, the kaiju sequel is one that fans are more than willing to wait for.
Earlier this year, long before Godzilla Minus One was confirmed to receive a sequel, Takashi Yamazaki hinted at what he hopes to add to the mythos, “If I were to direct the next Godzilla movie, I would like to do a sequel to this one. There have been two standalone Godzilla films in a row now, so perhaps the next one will need to feature a villain monster.” On top of this tease that Godzilla would be fighting another kaiju in the upcoming sequel, Yamazaki had also confirmed that he wants to bring back the original cast of Godzilla Minus One. This makes sense in the fact that there were still some major threads hanging from when we last saw those caught in Godzilla’s wake.
A Kaiju-Filled Future
Luckily, while the sequel to Godzilla Minus One might be years away, there are still plenty of kaiju projects focusing on Godzilla’s world set to arrive in the near future. The third entry of the Godzilla x Kong series is set to arrive in 2027, with Apple TV+ currently working on both a second season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and a spin-off series that still has plenty of mysteries surrounding it. Whether it be in Japan or North America, the king of the monsters has some big projects coming its way.
Want to follow along with the future of the king of the monsters? Want to see what Godzilla Minus One’s sequel film will look like? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the lizard king and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.