At the recent annual luncheon for the 96th Oscars, director Takashi Yamazaki had an unexpected encounter that left him awe-struck. He found himself face-to-face with Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg, who happens to be a fan of Yamazaki's film, Godzilla Minus One. In fact, Spielberg claimed to have watched the film not just once, but three times!
Sharing his disbelief and excitement on X, formerly Twitter, Yamazaki wrote, 'I have met God. What should I do now? He watched Godzilla three times, said he liked the character, and happily gave me a Godzilla figure…' The post was accompanied by a photo of the memorable moment between the two esteemed filmmakers.
Spielberg, who is nominated for Best Picture for Maestro, produced by Bradley Cooper, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, took some time to appreciate Yamazaki's work. Meanwhile, Yamazaki himself received a nomination for Best Visual Effects for his contributions to Godzilla Minus One, alongside Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima.
The Godzilla film franchise has a rich history that dates back to 1954, with the iconic black-and-white movie Gojira. Over the span of 70 years, nearly 40 big-screen installments have taken audiences by storm. However, the King of the Monsters had never been recognized with an Academy Award nomination until Godzilla Minus One came along.
Speaking about the Oscar nomination, Yamazaki expressed his gratitude, saying, 'For nearly 40 years, I have been making films while admiring the artistry of Hollywood Visual Effects, and I feel that I have finally come this far. I had not set my sights on being nominated, but I am very happy to have been brought to this place. I think it is a wonderful day for Godzilla!' It's a significant accomplishment for Yamazaki and a proud moment for the franchise.
Despite the praise Yamazaki's film has received, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a history of overlooking the achievements in visual effects from giant monster films, also known as Kaiju films. Even the groundbreaking effects work in the original King Kong from 1933 was ignored by the Academy. This pattern of oversight continued when Rick Baker, one of Hollywood's most renowned special effects artists, was not recognized for his work on the 1976 remake of King Kong. Although the film won an Oscar for Special Achievement in Visual Effects, the award went to others involved, leaving Baker disappointed.
With the Oscars just around the corner, fans of Godzilla Minus One are eagerly awaiting the results of the Best Visual Effects category. It remains to be seen if the Academy will finally recognize the visual brilliance that Yamazaki and his team brought to the screen. The 96th annual Academy Awards will be broadcasted on ABC at 7 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 10. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a well-deserved victory for Godzilla Minus One.
