Godzilla Minus One director’s giant-mech movie Grandgear casts Sam Nivola and Nico Parker

Suppose you thought Godzilla Minus One was about as good as modern monster movies could get. Well, get ready: Takashi Yamazaki is back with Godzilla Minus Zero, and by all accounts, it's already drawing more hype than a kaiju tearing through Tokyo. Yamazaki isn't just directing round two — he's pitting his Godzilla against King Ghidorah and, based on early buzz, pulling off something massive. The film opened at the New York Film Festival on 26 September 2026 and, not to rub it in, is currently sitting at a sterling 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Godzilla Minus Zero premiered at NYFF on 26 September 2026 and already has a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score.

If your main question is 'what's next for Yamazaki?', the man clearly isn't slowing down. He's about to jump the Pacific for his first American film, Grandgear, writing, directing, and producing the whole lot. Sony's got the release pegged for 14 January 2028, with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Glen Zipper helping out behind the scenes. Production kicks off in 2027.

The Cast: Next-Gen Lineup, Plus a Veteran

So, who's actually starring in Grandgear? According to Deadline, the leads are Sam Nivola and Nico Parker. If you watched White Lotus Season 3, you'll recognise Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff. He's also lined up projects with Eileen, Maestro, and most recently Hulu’s Phony. Yes, as trivia fans know, he's the son of Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola.

Nico Parker has just finished leading as Astrid Hofferson in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, and is already confirmed for the 2027 sequel. She’s also popped up in Dumbo, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, and played Sarah Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation. Parker’s parents: Thandiwe Newton and director Ol Parker, so a bit of a family business vibe going around.

There's also talk (though not quite a done deal yet) of Paul Giamatti joining the cast. If you need a reminder, Giamatti is the sort of actor who pops up everywhere, from American Splendor and Sideways to Straight Outta Compton and The Holdovers. His latest? He played the big baddie in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, and next he's turning up opposite Julianne Moore in The Debut (which drops 11 December 2026 and is reportedly attracting serious awards rumours for the pair).

• Sam Nivola (White Lotus S3, Eileen, Maestro, Phony). Parents: Emily Mortimer & Alessandro Nivola.
• Nico Parker (How to Train Your Dragon, Dumbo, The Last of Us, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy). Parents: Thandiwe Newton & Ol Parker.
• Paul Giamatti (potentially joining; credits too many to count, most recently Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and The Debut opposite Julianne Moore).

What is Grandgear About?

Here’s the honest answer: no one’s been told, or if they have, they're keeping schtum. Not a single plot detail has slipped out officially. That said, there was a teaser shown at CinemaCon 2026 — and if you like your sci-fi with absolutely massive robots, you might have reason to get excited. Apparently, Grandgear features 'giant mechs' that immediately brought to mind both Pacific Rim and Transformers. Bit on the nose, perhaps, except they've described the whole thing as 'a full-blown sci-fi spectacle', but done from a 'grounded' perspective. Could be spectacle-meets-grit or could just mean less cartoonish nonsense; time will tell.

If you're counting release dates: before Grandgear lands, Godzilla Minus Zero hits cinemas on 6 November 2026. Production on the new American film starts properly in 2027, so it's a bit of a wait; at least you’ll have giant monsters (and that 96% score) to fill the void till then.