Gareth James Edwards (born 13 July 1975) is an English filmmaker. He gained recognition for Monsters (2010), an independent film in which he served as writer, director, cinematographer, and visual effects artist. He subsequently directed Godzilla (2014), a reboot of Toho's Godzilla franchise and the first film in Legendary's MonsterVerse, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), the first installment of the Star Wars anthology series and an immediate prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). He returned to making original films with the science fiction thriller The Creator (2023).
Gareth Edwards was born on 13 July 1975 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He is of Welsh parentage. Edwards wanted to direct his own films since childhood, stating that "Star Wars is definitely the reason that I wanted to become a filmmaker". He attended Higham Lane School, followed by college at North Warwickshire College of Technology and Art (now NWSLC), completing a BTEC National Diploma in Audio Visual Studies under lecturers such as Graham Bird. Edwards studied film and video at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College in Farnham, graduating in 1996. In 2012, he received an honorary Master of Arts from UCA. Edwards got his start in visual effects, creating digital effects for shows including Nova, Perfect Disaster and Heroes and Villains, for which he created 250 visual effects. In 2008 he entered the Sci-Fi-London 48-hour film challenge, for which a movie had to be created start-to-finish in two days and within certain criteria. Edwards won the contest with his short film Factory Farmed and went on to write and direct Monsters, his first feature.
The success of Monsters brought sufficient awareness in Hollywood to land first major projects. After the film's release, he had interviews with several studios, including Legendary Pictures. In January 2011, Edwards got his first major feature deal, to direct the 2014 Godzilla reboot from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. He was slated to also direct its sequel, but on May 2016, Edwards exited the project in an amicable split with the studio to work on smaller scale projects.
In February 2020, it was reported that Edwards was set to direct and write a film with the working titled True Love for New Regency, with Rogue One co-producer Kiri Hart serving as producer for the project. The movie has since been renamed and released in 2023 as The Creator. The film stars John David Washington. It marked his second collaboration with Rogue One cinematographer Greig Fraser and his first collaboration with composer Hans Zimmer. It was released on 29 September 2023.
Edwards returned to the Godzilla franchise, after Godzilla: Modern Warfare (2026) released. He restored his vision for the second Godzilla film, with Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla (2029). He continued with Godzilla of Dune, where he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director.
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Monsters | Yes | Yes | No | Also director of photography, visual effects artist and production designer |
| 2014 | Godzilla | Yes | No | No | |
| Monsters: Dark Continent | No | No | Executive | ||
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Yes | No | No | |
| 2023 | The Creator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-wrote screenplay with Chris Weitz |
| 2025 | Jurassic City | Yes | No | No | |
| 2027 | Jurassic Earth | Yes | No | Executive | |
| 2029 | Jurassic Planet | No | No | Executive | |
| Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-wrote screenplay with Chris Weitz and Max Borenstein Co-wrote story with Max Borenstein, Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields Also actor, credited as himself | |
| 2033 | Godzilla of Dune | Yes | No | No | Nominated - Academy Award for Best Director |
| 2035 | Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | No | No | Executive | |
| 2036 | Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final | No | No | Executive | |
| 2037 | Foodlosslla | Yes | Story | Yes | Co-wrote story with Takashi Yamazaki |
Directorial reception[]
| Year | Title | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Cinemascore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Monsters | 73% (159 reviews) | 63 (26 reviews) | |
| 2014 | Godzilla | 76% (330 reviews) | 62 (48 reviews) | B+ |
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 84% (461 reviews) | 65 (51 reviews) | A |
| 2023 | The Creator | 66% (304 reviews) | 63 (54 reviews) | B+ |
| 2025 | Jurassic City | 80% (410 reviews) | 64 (59 reviews) | A- |
| 2027 | Jurassic Planet | 74% (410 reviews) | 60 (59 reviews) | A- |
| 2029 | Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | 78% (428 reviews) | 62 (61 reviews) | A- |
| 2033 | Godzilla of Dune | 83% (404 reviews) | 67 (58 reviews) | A- |
| 2037 | Foodlosslla | 75% (371 reviews) | 61 (55 reviews) | B+ |