The mystery of when Takashi Yamazaki’s Grandgear will hit theaters has been solved, along with a hint as to what the mystery movie is about.
Sony Pictures revealed the news Monday night in Las Vegas when kicking off CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater operators and Hollywood studios that’s designed to drum up excitement and support for summer tentpoles and other 2026 event pics.
Grandgear, marking the Oscar-winning Japanese director’s first English-language film, will hit theaters Feb. 18, 2028. Producer J.J. Abrams‘ Bad Robot teamed with Yamazaki on the project, which sparked a major bidding war in late 2024.
The previous year, Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One transformed into a surprise box office sensation, grossing $113 million globally against a mere $15 million budget. Among other milestones, Minus One became the first film in the sprawling Godzilla franchise to win an Academy Award when picking up the Oscar for best special effects. It also became the highest-grossing Japanese film in North America, not adjusted for inflation.
Yamazaki has another movie waiting in the wings to open — Godzilla Minus Zero. Toho, home of the franchise, will open the pic in Japan Nov. 3, followed quickly by a U.S. release handled by GKids.
“So far from Hollywood, even the possibility of standing on this stage seemed out of reach,” Yamazaki said during his Oscars speech for the visual effects win. “The moment we were nominated, we felt like Rocky Balboa welcomed into the ring as equals by our biggest rivals, which was already a miracle. But, here we stand!”
Yamazaki is both writing and directing Grandgear for Columbia Pictures. Abrams and Bad Robot’s Glen Zipper are serving as producers.
