Godzilla Minus One director on why he chose a "difficult" time period for his Godzilla story

Director, writer, and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki explains why he set Godzilla Minus One in the post-WWII period

Image credit: Toho

News by Tiffany Babb Deputy Editor

Published on Nov. 16, 2023

New movie Godzilla Minus One returns the iconic kaiju to his roots, going back in time to tell a story about Godzilla wreaking havoc during, and then after, World War II. The film itself seems to grabble with the history of the war itself as its main theme, as well as how the war impacted our central cast of characters. This choice seems like a natural turn, for those who are familiar with Godzilla's history, but that didn't keep people from asking Godzilla Minus One's director Takashi Yamazaki (who also served as writer and VFX supervisor on the movie) why he would choose such a dour time period in which to set his Godzilla movie.

At the American Godzilla Minus One premiere, Yamazaki shared with the audience through an interpreter that he'd been questioned about that very decision. "I've been told by people, 'Why did you set it in such a diffcult time? It's awful!' But there is a reason for this," he explained, adding that it's because "I wanted to tell a story where all civilians get together and persevere through to defeat Godzilla, so I was hoping that you all can get some courage from the story."

Hopefully, audiences will.