A Giant Welcome

Host Reina Scully introduces Academy Award-winning writer and director Takashi Yamazaki, known for Godzilla Minus One, to the Star Wars Celebration stage, noting that he is a massive fan of the franchise. Yamazaki shares that this is his first-ever Celebration and that he is incredibly excited to look out and see such a massive crowd of Star Wars fans.

Becoming a Star Wars Fan

When asked how he originally became a fan of the series, Yamazaki explains that he first saw Star Wars when he was in junior high school, a very impressionable age. He was completely blown away by the visual effects, specifically recalling the opening shot of the Star Destroyer passing overhead and saying that it felt completely real to him.

Screening Godzilla at Lucasfilm

Scully asks about his visit to Lucasfilm headquarters the previous year. Yamazaki describes the campus as a holy land for him and says it was moving to be there with Star Wars everywhere he looked. During his visit, he screened Godzilla Minus One for the staff at Lucasfilm and ILM and hosted a Q&A.

Meeting Dave Filoni

Yamazaki shares a funny anecdote about meeting Dave Filoni at Lucasfilm. Filoni was wearing his signature cowboy hat and a Mechagodzilla T-shirt. Yamazaki admits that while he wanted to talk to Filoni about Star Wars, Filoni only wanted to talk about Godzilla, leading to a hilarious conversation where they could not quite get on the same page.

Celebration in Japan

Yamazaki expresses what a huge honor it is to have Star Wars Celebration hosted in Japan, especially given that the films of Akira Kurosawa are widely known as one of the fundamental roots of the franchise. He also shares his appreciation for the international fans who traveled to Japan for the event.

The Inspiration of the Galaxy

When asked what elements of Star Wars inspire him as a director, Yamazaki points to the exoticism of the franchise: the feeling of a completely unknown universe where incredible things are happening. He was brought to tears by the Celebration opening montage because it reminded him that Star Wars is a sprawling, multifaceted universe where many different people are living their lives and fighting for their own sense of justice.