Grandgear, the first English-language feature from Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki, has found its lead actors. Deadline reported on 26 October that Sam Nivola and Nico Parker are set to star in the film, with Paul Giamatti in talks to join them. Sony Pictures has dated the film for release in theatres on 14 January 2028.
Yamazaki is directing from an original screenplay he wrote. J.J. Abrams is producing through Bad Robot with Glen Zipper. The plot is under wraps, and production is expected to start in 2027. Giamatti was the filmmakers’ top choice for his part, according to Deadline, while Nivola and Parker won the two most prominent parts after a search that ended with chemistry tests.
What Grandgear is about so far
Sony has released no official logline for Grandgear, but footage screened at CinemaCon in April gave the first clue about the film. The footage teased giant robots squaring off against kaiju, and the film has been described as a giant mech movie. The footage drew comparisons to Pacific Rim and Transformers, two series built around giant machines, but Sony has not confirmed how close the comparison runs. Yamazaki is a Japanese filmmaker and visual effects supervisor who broke out with Godzilla Minus One, a film he wrote, directed and supervised the visual effects for. His move to a major studio picture follows that success. Yamazaki will write, direct and produce the original science fiction film, which is his first major studio picture and his first film since Godzilla Minus Zero, the follow-up to Godzilla Minus One that opens in North America on 6 November.
The release date has already moved once. Sony first dated Grandgear for 18 February 2028, then moved it up to 14 January 2028. The earlier date puts the film in the first weeks of the year, a slot studios often use for effects driven releases that can hold the screen through the winter.
Who is starring in Grandgear
Nivola is best known for playing Lochlan Ratliff in season three of The White Lotus. Parker played Astrid Hofferson in the live action How to Train Your Dragon, and she will reprise the role in the sequel set for 11 June 2027. Nivola’s earlier film work includes Eileen, while Parker played Joel’s daughter in The Last of Us before taking the role of Astrid. The two actors were cast after Yamazaki put candidates through a round of chemistry tests, and Deadline reported that the search for the two most prominent parts was a thorough one.
Giamatti is a two-time Oscar nominee, known for American Splendor, Sideways, Straight Outta Compton and The Holdovers. He is already in the conversation for a third nomination for his role in Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, which made its world premiere at this year’s Telluride Film Festival. His recent television work includes Black Mirror and 30 Coins. Giamatti, whom audiences also know as the Rhino from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, was pursued for his part in Grandgear, and sources told Deadline that he was the filmmakers’ coveted pick.
Grandgear and the road to 2028
Grandgear is Yamazaki’s English-language debut, and it follows a run that took him from Godzilla Minus One to an Academy Award for best visual effects and a ticket to Hollywood. Yamazaki wrote, directed and supervised the visual effects on Godzilla Minus One, and he returns to the same franchise with Godzilla Minus Zero before Grandgear reaches theatres.
Production is set to begin in 2027, and more details are expected to emerge as filming approaches, including the roles each actor will play. Sony has not said who any of the three actors will play, and no plot details have been released. The film is one of the few original science fiction projects on Sony’s slate, and its January 2028 date gives Yamazaki a year of production and post-production after cameras start rolling. Casting news arrived first through Deadline, which reported the signings on 26 October.