Godzilla Minus Zero Director's Upcoming Giant Robot Movie First Cast Members Revealed

Published Oct 27, 2026, 5:59 AM EDT Francesco is an editor with a background in academic research, journalism, and content strategy, specializing in entertainment news and curation. He works across all of Polygon's verticals, specializing in tabletop games, with a focus on D&D and Magic. Takashi Yamazaki's Grandgear gets its first cast announcement Image: Toho Ltd. Sign in to your Polygon.com account Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus Zero is not out in cinemas yet, but fans of the Japanese director already have another movie to look forward to. Grandgear, a mech action movie and the director's first English-language production, was announced in 2024, and the first cast members have just been revealed. According to Deadline, Sam Nivola and Nico Parker are set to appear in Grandgear, while Paul Giamatti is in talks to join the movie. Nivola is known for his role in The White Lotus, while Parker starred in Suncoast with Woody Harrelson, for which she earned a Breakthrough Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Giamatti, whose thirty-year career has earned him a Golden Globe Award and several Academy Award nominations, will star in the upcoming film The Debut along with Julianne Moore. Godzilla Minus Zero director is making a giant mech movie Image: Toho Takashi Yamazaki gained worldwide fame with 2023's Godzilla Minus One. The return of Japan's legendary Kaiju to the big screen in a fully Japanese production was an astounding success, earning the movie an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Yamazaki wrote the script, directed, and also led the visual effects team. A sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero, will hit theaters on Nov. 3, 2026 in Japan and Nov. 6 2026 in North America. In 2024, it was announced that Yamazaki would make his English-language debut with Grandgear. The movie is being produced by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot, with Sony Pictures landing the distribution rights after a competitive bid. Plot details are still under wraps, but a brief clip revealed at CinemaCon 2026 showed two giant mechs fighting. Yes, the director who revitalized the Godzilla franchise is making a Pacific Rim-style movie. Yamazaki will write and direct Grandgear. The movie is scheduled for release in February 2028.