Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus Zero” will make its world premiere on Sept. 26 as the Spotlight Gala of the 64th New York Film Festival. The sequel to his Oscar-winning 2023 hit “Godzilla Minus One” will screen at Alice Tully Hall, with Yamazaki and members of the cast and crew present.
“It is truly an honor to introduce our film to a global audience for the first time in a place of such history and prestige,” Yamazaki said in a statement. “I am filled with both awe and excitement to see how far the power of Japan’s Godzilla can terrify audiences around the world, and whether they will resonate with what lies beyond that fear.”
The new film takes place in 1949 and focuses again on the Shikishima family as they attempt to rebuild their lives in the wake of WWII and Godzilla who, wouldn’t you know it, reenters their lives.
“More than 70 years after the first Godzilla movie, Takashi Yamazaki continues to prove that there’s life in the old franchise yet, returning to its postwar roots to locate a haunting, primal terror,” said NYFF Artistic Director Dennis Lim. “Like its predecessor, ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ is a throwback blockbuster, a showcase for human drama and innovative craft, and we are excited to have its world premiere as this year’s NYFF Spotlight Gala.”
Yamazaki began his career in film in his native Japan as a visual effects supervisor at Shirogumi Inc. in 1986 before making his feature directorial debut in 2000 with “Juvenile.” In 2024, he became the first director since Stanley Kubrick to win the Oscar for VFX, for “Godzilla Minus One.” (He shared the award with his VFX collaborators Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima.)
“To have my name next to Stanley Kubrick, no matter how niche or specific the list is, it means so much,” Yamazaki told TheWrap after his nomination for “Godzilla Minus One.” “I came into the film industry because of movies like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind.’ But I started on the visual effects side and transitioned into writing and directing. So if there is any category to be nominated in, this is the one it was meant to be. I’m very flattered and honored by it.” As previously announced, James Gray’s “Paper Tiger” will kick off NYFF on Sept. 25 as the Opening Night Film, Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” will screen as the Centerpiece selection on Oct. 2 and Ava DuVernay’s documentary “14th” will close out the festival on Oct. 9. “Paper Tiger” will be making its North American premiere, while “14th” and “Behemoth!” will both be making their world premieres.
The 64th New York Film Festival will take place from Sept. 25 through Oct. 12.
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