Director of new Godzilla film pursuing ‘Japanese spirituality’ of 1954 original

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Godzilla, the nightmarish radiation spewing monster born out of nuclear weapons, has stomped through many movies, including several Hollywood remakes. Takashi Yamazaki, the director behind the latest Godzilla movie, says he is determined to bring out the essentially Japanese spirituality that characterized the 1954 original. The new Godzilla is all computer graphics. “Godzilla Minus One,” set for U.S. theatrical release later this year, opens in Japan Friday. Yamazaki also wrote the screenplay and oversaw the computerized special effects. It’s honored as the closing film of this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. Set right after Japan’s surrender in World War II, Yamazaki’s rendition predates the original.