‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Director Has a Wild Idea for a Possible Third Film

Few franchises have a monster roster as crowded as the one Toho has built over the decades. Godzilla history tends to follow a pattern, with a solo outing followed by a film where the King of the Monsters faces another kaiju, as ‘Godzilla Raids Again’ did with Anguirus right after the 1954 original. That tradition has shaped fan expectations for generations.

Against that backdrop, Takashi Yamazaki has become one of the most closely watched names in the genre. He wrote, directed and won an Oscar for the effects of ‘Godzilla Minus One’. ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ has now stomped into theaters, marking the end of a long journey for the filmmaker.

The sequel also gave the franchise a heavyweight rival. Yamazaki explained that Ghidorah is positioned as a very strong rival to Godzilla throughout the franchise’s history, which is why the climax needed to be a fight to the death between the two kaiju. Naturally, the question now is what comes next.

According to a new report from Inverse, Yamazaki has a very specific answer, even if it comes with plenty of caveats. Asked whether a third ‘Minus’ movie would bring back another beloved Toho monster, he said, “Well, that’s a question to which only Toho knows the answer, but if it were up to me, I think it would be very interesting to perhaps even create an original kaiju to explore in another film.” Rather than reviving a familiar monster, he would love to introduce an entirely original kaiju.

That is a notable swerve for a director who has talked up classic matchups before. At New York Comic Con, Yamazaki was asked which Godzilla movie he would remake and answered ‘Godzilla vs. Hedorah’. Fans weighing in on the idea have been asked whether they would prefer an original creature or the return of a classic like Ghidorah, Gigan or Destoroyah.

An original monster would also fit the way Yamazaki approaches these films. He has said he did not want ‘Minus Zero’ to become a giant pro wrestling match between two kaiju, and that a strong relationship between humans and the monsters remains central. A brand-new creature could give him a blank canvas to tie the monster to the human drama from the start.

Of course, a third film is far from guaranteed. Yamazaki told The Hollywood Reporter the odds of returning are about fifty-fifty, adding that he is satisfied with the current ending but would love to revisit Godzilla at some point in his career. He is also not short on other projects.

Yamazaki is currently focused on his next film, ‘Grandgear,’ and while he would like to return to Godzilla eventually, it is not his focus right now. That project is a mecha movie, taking him into similarly giant-sized territory. ‘Grandgear’ is also his first English-language film.

Hollywood is calling in other ways, too. Per Deadline’s reporting, 20th Century Studios has landed an original epic from Yamazaki titled ‘Nue’. His calendar is filling up fast, which makes a quick return to Toho’s monster playground less likely.

Still, the way the director talks about the franchise suggests the door is wide open. He has previously expressed interest in kaiju-versus-kaiju action in a follow-up, provided Toho lets him make it. He has also said he wants to explore a more serious tone of kaiju versus kaiju with human drama.

For now, the idea of a homegrown ‘Minus’ monster remains a daydream, and the final call rests with Toho. If Yamazaki does get the green light someday, though, fans may be meeting a creature unlike anything the franchise has put on screen before. And given how he has handled Godzilla so far, few would bet against him pulling it off.