| GODZILLA | Fictional monster, or kaiju ('strange beast'), of Japanese cinema introduced by director and co-writer Honda Ishiro in the 1954 film Gojira (8) |
| DROLE | Amusing part introduced by director |
| DEPRECIATED | Piece rated poorly by director - and lower in value? (11) |
| ELECTED | Naked celeb acted, discovered by director and chosen (7) |
| DAHLIA | Bloomer by director and Bollywood actress to consume heroin (6) |
| TAKAMINE | Hideko who starred in many of the greatest films of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema |
| KAIJU | Genre of Japanese monster films ('strange beast') that began with 1954's Gojira (Godzilla) (5) |
| RODAN | Winged monster of Japanese cinema |
| MECHAGODZILLA | Robotic monster of Japanese kaiju movies (Note the first 2 letters in this answer) |
| COOPER | Bradley, director and co-star of the 2018 film version of A Star is Born (6) |
| ONO | Co-director and co-star of the 2011 film "Bed Peace" |
| STEVENSPIELBERG | Director and co-writer of the 2023 coming-of-age drama film The Fabelmans (6,9) |
| BENSTILLER | Director and co-star of 2013's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" |
| GAMERA | Flying turtle of Japanese cinema |
| MOTHRA | Giant lepidopteran of Japanese cinema |
| ROYALE | "Battle ___" (bloody cult classic of Japanese cinema) |
| PRODIGY | Word for an omen or portent originally, later a marvel or wonder; a monster; or, one of precocious genius, aka a mastermind, phenomenon, virtuoso, whizz kid or wunderkind (7) |
| CREATURE | Word for an animal; or, a fictional or imaginary being such as a monster or unicorn (8) |
| ISAO | ___ Takahata Japanese director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli |
| GUEST | Christopher, director and co-writer of the 2003 film A Mighty Wind (5) |
