Guess who's back:
Godzilla, Kong, Gamera & Co.: The Kaiju Mega-Thread
- Thread starter Kai "the spy"
- Start date
Hmm, a Netflix Gamera project. And the teaser is on the Kadokawa Anime channel, so they might be following in Godzilla's footsteps and going animated.
The tone of the teaser suggests they're going in a serious/scary direction, but it's hard to say for sure with such a brief glimpse.
The tone of the teaser suggests they're going in a serious/scary direction, but it's hard to say for sure with such a brief glimpse.
Finally! I’ve been championing for a Netflix anime for a long time. Does this mean they will at last have at least one for every major Kaiju franchise? There’s the Godzilla trilogy as well as Singular Point, Pacific Rim, Ultraman has a series and there’s an unrelated movie on the way, the Skull Island series is apparently still happening, and now Gamera.
It’s called Rebirth, I wonder if it will be a continuation of any previous version.
The most likely candidate is the much-admired Heisei trilogy. The dark tone hinted at by the teaser would be consistent with that.
Although I've always wished there had been a sequel to Ryuta Tasaki's Gamera the Brave, which is a lovely, sensitive movie that reminds me of Miyazaki's films, albeit in live action. Tasaki is a superb director, known for his tokusatsu TV work, and I'd love to see him get another shot at Gamera.
On the other hand, the "Rebirth" could be an indication that it's a reboot, a new beginning. More of a metatextual thing, a rebirth of the franchise/character.
Netflix is not producing any of those themselves. The Planet of the Monsters trilogy was produced by Polygon Pictures, Singular Points was produced by Bones Inc. and Orange Co. Ltd., and they produced them for Toho for theatrical release / TV broadcast in Japan. Netflix only does the international distribution.
This new Gamera production, though, appears to be going straight to Netflix in Japan, as well, otherwise they wouldn't have shown the logo in the video of the Japanese YT channel. It is produced, though, by Kadokawa's anime division, so you have totally different animation studios in charge of production of all these projects.
Not to say it's wrong to be cautious and/or sceptical, just saying these are very different productions. Right now, we don't even know if this Gamera anime will be classic 2D animation or 3D CG animation.
This new Gamera production, though, appears to be going straight to Netflix in Japan, as well, otherwise they wouldn't have shown the logo in the video of the Japanese YT channel. It is produced, though, by Kadokawa's anime division, so you have totally different animation studios in charge of production of all these projects.
Not to say it's wrong to be cautious and/or sceptical, just saying these are very different productions. Right now, we don't even know if this Gamera anime will be classic 2D animation or 3D CG animation.
This reminds me, I really should rewatch the first two Heisei movies and watch the third one. I found a three pack of them in the discount blu-ray/dvd bin and Wal-Mart several years ago and got them just because I'd heard good things about them, and really enjoyed them, but after the second I got sidetracked and never watched the third. It was one of the very few times I've bought movies I've never seen, and I'm glad I did.
I didn't know that, Netflix promoted them so much I thought that they were internal productions (atleast the movie trilogy). That does make me feel better about the Gamera project, although obviously its a cautious optimism.
I know there are too many differences for it to work properly, but my head cannon has always been that The Brave is the sequel to the Heisei trilogy.
I see no need for that. Tokusatsu is full of multiverses. Counting the Legendary films, there are at least a dozen distinct Godzilla continuities. Gamera has only three so far -- well, four, counting the 1980 Gamera: Super Monster compilation film.
Besides, the two versions are very different in tone. The Kaneko trilogy is pretty adult, serious, and dark, while The Brave is a gentle, introspective children's film, though in a far smarter and more sophisticated way than the churned-out-on-the-cheap Showa films. So I prefer to approach them as distinct takes on the character.
I kid
Gamera films were some of my favorites growing up in the late sixties/early seventies.
Gamera versus Gaos and the Gamera film with the American International title: Destroy All Planets were ones I would make it a point never to miss when I saw them in the TV Guide.
That was Gamera vs. Viras, the one that codified the plot formula used repetitively in the final four Showa-era films, as well as introducing "Gamera March," the famous theme song parodied by MST3K.
Apparently, the small toy company Titanic Creations, who have made action figures of original kaiju aimed at adult collectors, have secured the rights to Gorgo, and they plan to release a figure (mother Gorgo with Baby Gorgo as accessory) and a graphic novel not based on the movie, but the Charlton comic series. And they are, apparently, looking into the possibility of an animated feature.
I also found this footage of the Godzilla vs the Wolfman project:
For those not familiar, here's the Wikipedia article. I'd add that due to G-Fan and especially the internet, it's gotten quite a lot of interest among fan circles as the "Godzilla movie we never got to see".
I also found this footage of the Godzilla vs the Wolfman project:
For those not familiar, here's the Wikipedia article. I'd add that due to G-Fan and especially the internet, it's gotten quite a lot of interest among fan circles as the "Godzilla movie we never got to see".
New teaser for the Gamera Rebirth anime:
This one gives a little impression of the animation style, which looks similar to the Godzilla: Monster Planet trilogy, but with Gamera actually visibly moving. Also, the announcement that Gamera would fight five kaijus makes it a bit more likely a series rather than a movie.
This one gives a little impression of the animation style, which looks similar to the Godzilla: Monster Planet trilogy, but with Gamera actually visibly moving. Also, the announcement that Gamera would fight five kaijus makes it a bit more likely a series rather than a movie.
We've got a new short teaser for Gamera Rebirth:
https://twitter.com/KaijuNewsOutlet/status/1619864366886817793
And a new poster showing that one of the featured kaiju is Gyaos:
Edit: Ninja'd
https://twitter.com/KaijuNewsOutlet/status/1619864366886817793
And a new poster showing that one of the featured kaiju is Gyaos:
Edit: Ninja'd
Well, you delivered that poster, which confirms that it's a series. 6 episodes. Shorter and sounds like it's more kaiju-action oriented than Singular Point.
Yeah, I'm guessing it's going to be less of a serialized story and more episodic fights. Which could be a fun change from things like Singular Point. It would be nice then if the episodes are closer to 45 minutes to give more breathing room to the character stories, whatever those will be.
Thailand is having a go at a giant monster movie:
From the synopsis:
Japan gave us Godzilla. Korea gave us The Host. Now, Thailand is throwing their hat into the kaiju ring with the epic monster movie The Lake. When a mysterious monster rises from the Mekong River and attacks Bueng Kan, it cuts people off from the outside world. Officials and people in the area, including Chinese scientists who accidentally came to conduct research in Thailand, must be mobilized to catch this monster before it’s too late.
From the synopsis:
Japan gave us Godzilla. Korea gave us The Host. Now, Thailand is throwing their hat into the kaiju ring with the epic monster movie The Lake. When a mysterious monster rises from the Mekong River and attacks Bueng Kan, it cuts people off from the outside world. Officials and people in the area, including Chinese scientists who accidentally came to conduct research in Thailand, must be mobilized to catch this monster before it’s too late.
I completed a rewatch of Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. last night. I bumped up my rating from 3.5 to 4 stars. I think it helps to have seen Mothra and Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla before watching Tokyo S.O.S. Even though the plot is explained well enough in the film itself, knowing the background makes some of the more outlandish elements (like the fairies and their powers) more understandable and justified.
My current Godzilla/Mothra series favorites (six available later films and four unavailable Heisei films unwatched):
Godzilla
Mothra
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
My current Godzilla/Mothra series favorites (six available later films and four unavailable Heisei films unwatched):
Godzilla
Mothra
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Fathom Events has announced a one-day theatrical release of Tokyo SOS on 22 March in the United States. It will be in Japanese with English subtitles, and has the 2022 animated short Godzilla vs Gigan Rex as a pre-feature.