islandclaws

From Anime News Network:

TOHO is producing a new work of its iconic film monster Godzilla for release throughout Japan in 2016. It will be the first Godzilla film by TOHO since 2004's Godzilla Final Wars (pictured right). According to the Cinema Today website, the "legendary" Japanese franchise is undergoing a revival, in response to the heightened fan support after Gareth Edwards and Legendary Pictures' Hollywood Godzilla film became a worldwide hit.

Edwards' film has opened in 63 countries and territories, and has earned over 57 billion yen (about US$470 million) worldwide, including 3.2 billion yen (US$26 million) in Japan alone.

Production of the new film will run from summer to fall of next year, and TOHO is assembling the staff. It will have no direct ties with Edwards' film, but will instead be an entirely new Godzilla film. Edwards and Legendary Pictures are separately planning a sequel to their own film.

TOHO proclaimed, "The time has come to make a film that will not bow down to the Hollywood film," thanks to a combination of rapidly improving filmmaking techniques (as exemplified by the ongoing Parasyte films) and know-how developed over the years in Japan.

TOHO is also inaugurating the Godzilla Conference or "Godzi-con," a organization to discuss and determine the strategy of Godzilla projects — including but not limited to the new film — in response to the growing Godzilla fandom bolstered by Edwards' film. It is now mainly composed of TOHO staff members, but TOHO is considering adding other creators and businesses to explore new project possibilities.

****************************************

Well, this is certainly unexpected news. Not sure how I feel about it, since Final Wars was a piece of shit, but as a massive G fan I'm going with the "more is better" approach. Plus, we've still got Legendary's sequel in 2018 if this one fails.

Sonic

Final Wars was a massive piece of shit. My goodness.

Hope Toho produces a Godzilla gem in 2016. Please bring back the flying techniques he had in the old movies. Godzilla used to dance, hopped up and down, even played soccer and ripped balls out of bodies. The Godzillas of today are too damn serious.

Solid Snake

The more the merrier. I hope they lay off the shit CGI and try to do good for the big G.

islandclaws

That's the big question: man-in-suit or CGI? I'm betting they go CG.

Solid Snake

oh fuck no. Japan SUCKS at getting good CGI in their films. The problem w/ the suit filmmaking is that they never really tried to move beyond the skills there.

Sonic

I'm going to have to disagree with that:

<iframe width="660" height="415" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/X_uCcaaIavc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Bring back THAT Godzilla!

RocShemp

^ The tone of that video is great but the CGI is definitely weak.

Solid Snake

It is. Even in the year it was made. I do love it though. Was great to see him like that.

Giantrobo

Here we go again with that god damn Always Godzilla clip.

Sonic

I need to stop reposting it so much.

Giantrobo

Frankly, Toho sucks at G'films. There were only a few really good ones before they threw in the the towel on the franchise. Outside of the nostalgia of it being a Toho G'film im not sure it will be all that good.

Solid Snake

Eh. They're a mixed bag. About half of them are good and other half are crap. Heisei was mostly solid, 4 or 5 from Showa, and Millennium had like 3 good ones. Ok so maybe not half of all G films.

hasslein

They don't even try to hide their anti-American/western sentiments anymore...

Hazel Motes

I'm pretty sure it was claymation.

RocShemp

Even the silly bouncing car?

UAIOE

I didn't mind "Final Wars", except for those stupid emo alien dorks. Who thought those guys were a good idea?

TOHO always strikes me as grumpy and unhappy that there are American fans of Godzilla.

resinrats

So $26M in Japan is considered a huge hit? I know they have a huge population. That just doesn't seem that impressive, especially for a total run. Even weaker films in the US can do that the 1st weekend. Its like Japan is still living in the 70. "The box office was afire this weekend when ____ brought in $10M. Lines were around the block! We haven't seen business like this in Tokyo since (whatever the top Japanese film ever was) was released!!!!"

Josh-da-man

I have to agree.

Godzilla is much better in theory than in practice.

Outside of the original movie, which is brilliant, everything else has been formulaic and sub-par. I want to love these movies, but most of them are a chore to get through.

hanshotfirst1138

You sir are a disgrace to your username .

Apparently they're very, very, very hard to acquire licenses from. My guess would be that they want way more for niche properties than can cover licensing costs.

Ash Ketchum

Notice the date this was posted: the 73rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor. (And today is the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. declaring war on Japan.)

I never heard of the "ongoing Parasyte films." Are they based on the Parasyte manga about an alien who takes partial possession of a young man?

That "Godzi-con" sounds like it'll go nowhere fast if they limit it to Toho staffers and merchandisers. How about some younger filmmakers, some animators and manga artists, and some, y'know, actual Godzilla fans? And maybe an American or two with Godzilla expertise. (August Ragone and Keith Aiken, are you listening?)

mndtrp

I'm all for more Godzilla. It'll either be good and a nice addition to the franchise or it won't be good and it will be one that I watch with the kid.

milo bloom

I love the super serious ones and I love the goofy ones with Godzilla flying through the air and sucker-punching giant cock-roaches.

Either way this movie goes, I win.

islandclaws

^ This guy gets it.

Neil M.

Final Wars still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully this will be nothing like it.

Solid Snake

i wish I could understand better how the Japanese studios worked. They literally make no sense as a business.