Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki has found the cast for his first English-language film, Grandgear. According to Deadline, Sam Nivola and Nico Parker have joined the film, with Paul Giamatti in talks to join them.
Takashi Yamazaki (Credits: Deadline)
Nivola is known for The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, while Parker has appeared in The Last of Us and 2025’s How to Train Your Dragon. Giamatti, beloved for Sideways and The Holdovers, would add serious awards pedigree to the ensemble if his deal closes.
Grandgear Release Date Moved Up to January 14, 2028
Grandgear was originally slated to open on February 18, 2028, but Sony Pictures recently moved the release date up to January 14, 2028. Yamazaki is writing the original screenplay, directing, and producing the film, with Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams and Glen Zipper also producing.
The film marks Yamazaki’s formal entry into the U.S. market, following the global success of Godzilla Minus One. The plot of Grandgear is currently unknown, and Sony announced in April that filming would start soon.
Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One Legacy
Godzilla Minus One opened in Japan on November 3, 2023, Godzilla Day, and became the third highest-grossing foreign-language film in the United States as of 2024. It went on to win Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards in March 2024, the first Japanese film to win in the category and the first Godzilla film ever nominated for an Oscar.
Yamazaki is also returning to the franchise with Godzilla Minus Zero, which opens in Japan on November 3 and in North America on November 6, the first time a Japan-produced Godzilla film opens in both markets in the same week. Grandgear, however, will be his first test as a Hollywood filmmaker in his own right.
Also Read: Bill Kramer Says AMPAS Plans to Expand Festivals That Can Qualify Films for International Oscar
Source: Anime News Network — read the full story there.
