While James Cameron may have a reputation for creating enormous worlds in his films, the filmmaker is currently publicly voicing his admiration and willingness to help out with one of the most successful monster movies in recent history. While promoting the Avatar: Fire and Ash volumes in Japan, the filmmaker expressed his willingness to work on the next Godzilla Minus One, the successful 2023 series that rebooted the entire line with a different focus.
Speaking at a panel at a public engagement alongside Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki, Cameron lauded the incorporation of visual effects in the movie instead of adopting it for the sake of spectacle. According to Cameron, whose professional life boasts innovation in the technological aspect, his counterpart’s effort was unique because the special effects benefited the character, emotion, and theme.
“And I have just great admiration for you as a filmmaker who uses the visual effects as part of the storytelling, not as an end in and of themselves. And so, of course, I loved Godzilla Minus One.” He went on to say that he and “Yamazaki came here from the set, finished early just to be here, so I’m deeply honored by that. And I offered that if he gets a little bit behind, I can come and do some second unit,” which elicited nods of understanding and gratitude from Yamazaki.
A meeting of two effects-driven filmmakers
Yamazaki arrived late for the ceremony after a day’s shooting for the sequel, affectionately known as Godzilla Minus Zero, highlighting the fact that production for the sequel is very much underway. Cameron said he was “deeply honored” that Yamazaki was able to make the ceremony, joking that he would help out with production should things slow down.
Yamazaki joked that Cameron might “end up taking my job” if that were to happen. Cameron waved the notion away, assuring Yamazaki that he knew he had everything in hand. While the exchange was certainly playful, it does underscore the respect that two such innovative filmmakers have for each other.
Even if a formal collaboration between Cameron and this film is unlikely, having his backing counts for a lot. Godzilla Minus One received great recognition for its ability to combine spectacle and trauma in post-war Japan, as it told of a kamikaze pilot fighting PTSD in a city laid low by Godzilla’s rampage. The film has earned over $113 million against a budget of under $15 million and even won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, a rare occurrence in Japanese cinema. It is telling of the film’s impact, then, that such kind words came from Cameron himself. In a world of franchise-style movies, Godzilla Minus One proved a refreshing reminder of the importance of scale and how little it ultimately matters without a strong foundation of emotions to support it.
