EXCLUSIVE: Following a competitive bidding war, Sony Pictures has landed the project Grandgear from Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki and Bad Robot. The studio has greenlit the pic with Yamazaki writing original screenplay, directing and producing. Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams will also produce along with Glen Zipper. The film will mark Yamazaki’s first English language pic with plot details being kept under wraps.
Following the massive success of Godzilla Minus One, the industry has been clamoring to get in business with Yamazaki and once word was out that he had his first English language pic on the market, bids came in fast. Sony would ultimately land the rights, beating out a number of bids and sources say multiple factors came into play, which included the studio commitment to theatrical as well as Sony’s close Japanese ties through its parent company, which had its own relationship with the director helping Sony win the bid.
After years of critical and commercial success in Japan, Grandgear represents Yamazaki’s formal entry to the U.S. market as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today.
Leading Japanese filmmaker known for his large-scale visual effects, Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One turned into one of the big winners of 2023 not only at the box-office but among critics becoming one of the best reviewed Godzilla films in the franchise’s history. The film won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects, and after becoming the most successful Godzilla film in the franchise, Yamazaki is in pre-production on the sequel.
He is represented by CAA and Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
