Godzilla Minus One's Oscar Win Already Had Me Hyped, And Then I Saw John Carpenter And Guillermo del Toro's Reactions

When Godzilla Minus One was released in 2023, it broke box office records and quickly won over critics and audiences alike, becoming a critically adored action drama. The movie joining the 2024 Academy Awards nominees ranks was a pleasant surprise, but its victory in the Best Visual Effects category was nothing short of historic for the franchise. The Academy Award win alone had me hyped, but John Carpenter and Guillermo del Toro’s reactions have only amplified my excitement even more.

After Godzilla Minus One won an Oscar, legendary filmmakers John Carpenter and Guillermo del Toro celebrated the movie's victory on social media. These two icons of horror movies know a thing or two about making classic monster movies that thrill and visually impress. They were ecstatic about the film's well-deserved win and took to social media to express their joy. Leading the charge, Carpenter was the first to post on X (formerly Twitter), which you can see below, where he practically threw a digital confetti bomb over the film's historic achievement.

The Halloween director is 76 years old, which means he was only 6 when the original Godzilla thundered into theaters. Over its seventy-year, 38-film franchise run, the Kiju movie Godfather has never been awarded an Academy Award. 

It makes sense why the filmmakers were so movies. Del Toro wrote in his first of two posts: 

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Minus One combined massive Kaiju battles with human stories, captivating audiences globally. Its Oscar win thrilled Guillermo del Toro, who has been very vocal about his love for the film. He celebrated this Japanese film's success in two posts. His second post praises the combination of the kaiju genre and Yamazaki's talent.

The fact that the King of the Monsters was acknowledged at the Oscars is an achievement in itself. However, recognizing Godzilla Minus One, a Toho production, adds to its importance. Despite having a modest budget of approximately $10-$12 million, much less than many major Hollywood productions, including those from the Legendary series, Takashi Yamazaki's film managed to deliver visual effects that are on par with its high-budget counterparts.

Is Godzilla Minus One 2 on the horizon? Well, that's still up in the air, but the first flick's Oscar grab has just cranked up its legendary status a notch higher. Takashi Yamazaki, the man behind the magic, seems more than ready to dive back into the world of everyone’s favorite lizard monster. And when cinema titans like John Carpenter and Guillermo del Toro tip their hats to you, you know you've done something right. 

The colossal cinematic creature is returning to the big screen and the 2024 movie schedule with the American-made, Adam Wingard-directed Godzilla X Kong, set to premiere on March 29, 2024.