James Cameron Offers a Hand for Godzilla Minus One Sequel
James Cameron has thrown his hat in the ring to support Takashi Yamazaki with the next Godzilla Minus One film. Find out what Cameron had to say and why this collaboration could be a game-changer.
When Godzilla Minus One hit cinemas in 2023, it quickly became the talk of the town. With a follow-up now on the cards, James Cameron has put his hand up to lend a hand to director Takashi Yamazaki, who not only helmed the original but also penned the script and oversaw the visual effects.
During a chat with Yamazaki, Cameron made it clear he’s a big fan and is more than happy to step in if the production starts lagging behind. He even joked about jumping in to shoot the second unit if needed, showing he’s not above mucking in when things get busy.
Chasing the Jurassic Park Dream
Before Steven Spielberg was locked in to direct what would become one of his most iconic films, Cameron was also in the running for Jurassic Park. The adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel had plenty of directors keen to take the reins, and Cameron was right there in the mix. In the end, Spielberg nabbed the gig by just a few hours.
Looking back, Cameron admitted in an interview that Spielberg was the right bloke for the job.
He was the right guy to make it. Not me, because I would have made it too terrifying and R-rated. It would have been Aliens with dinosaurs.
Now, with the next Godzilla film on the horizon, Cameron might finally get a crack at something in the same ballpark as his old Jurassic Park ambitions.
Parallels Between Cameron’s Next Project and Godzilla
The story in Godzilla Minus One picks up just after World War II, with the fallout from nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll mutating a massive dinosaur-like creature into the legendary monster. Cameron’s upcoming film, Ghosts of Hiroshima, is set to explore similar territory, focusing on the atomic bombings and their aftermath in Hiroshima. While there won’t be any giant monsters in Cameron’s project, the themes of nuclear devastation and its impact on people are front and centre.
If Cameron does end up directing part of the new Godzilla film, it would create a curious link between three very different stories—Godzilla, Ghosts of Hiroshima, and even Oppenheimer, all circling around the consequences of atomic power.
Godzilla Minus One: The Essentials
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One stars Minami Hamabe, Ryuunosuke Kamiki, and Yuki Yamada. The film landed in Japanese cinemas on 3 November 2023 and has since racked up a 7.7/10 rating on IMDb and a whopping 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s pulled in $113 million at the global box office, with Toho Co. Ltd. behind the production. For those keen to catch up, it’s available on Netflix.
The sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero, is tipped to arrive in the US sometime in late 2026. Whether Cameron’s involvement will make a difference is anyone’s guess, but it’s sure to get fans talking.