HAS “GODZILLA 2016” BEGUN PRODUCTION? And Did These Men Design Toho's New Big G?

Rumors are trickling out of Japan: Which of them will ring true?

Rumors are hinting details on Toho's next Godzilla and his design.

UPDATE: On December 7, 2014, I posted a breaking story concerning Toho's announcement on an all-new Japanese Godzilla film (title to be announced) to begin production the following summer, helmed by celebrated genre filmmakers Hideaki Anno (Evangelion) and Shinji Higuchi (Attack On Titan), with Anno turning in the final draft of his screenplay this past March. With pre-production starting sometime last year, and with a call for extras this September, the film should start rolling within the month. 

New Godzilla design rumored to be more classic than Legendary's.

Meanwhile, a connected source contacted “The Good, the Bad, and Godzilla” to share some information — which has yet to be officially released or verified — about the design of the Toho’s new Godzilla. Or rather, the men who may be responsible for the new design, which has yet to be unveiled; and the rumor is not only good — if it's true — it’s gigantic. In fact, it would be explosive:

Is this Godzilla's new designer? Famed illustrator Mahiro Maeda.

Word has it that celebrated animator and designer, Mahiro Maeda, has visualized the new Godzilla. Maeda’s long and distinguished career started by working with Anno in 1982 on SUPER DIMENSION FORTRESS MACROSS, followed in 1983 by the famous Daicon IV opening anime film, a mecha designer on ROBOT CARNIVAL (1987), then in 1988 with both Anno and Higuchi on HONEAMISE: THE ROYAL SPACE FORCE and GUNBUSTER: AIM FOR THE TOP, which forged the creation of Gainax.

Maeada's concept for Immortan Joe for a proposed anime series.

In 1992, Meada and Higuchi went on to form the design house, Gonzo, and has also worked with Quentin Tarantino, creating the animated sequence for KILL BILL (2004), and more recently as a designer for George Miller on MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015). He also has animator credits on several films directed by Hayao Miyazaki, NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (1984), LAPUTA, CASTLE IN THE SKY (1986), and PORCO ROSSO (1992).

Bandai's original promotional poster art for ULTRAMAN POWERED.

But, why is Maeda exciting for kaiju fans? In 1993, he re-imagined over a dozen of the classic Ultra Monsters, and executed the mecha design, for ULTRAMAN: THE ULTIMATE HERO (aka “Ultraman Great”), then went on to design the monsters for Shusuke Kaneko’s GAMERA trilogy (1995-1999). I don’t believe that there is anyone who will argue that Maeda’s re-imaging of Gamera, as he evolves through each film, was not brilliant and set the bar for future Japanese monster movies.

Visual Effects Museum event poster featuring the Giant God Warrior.

Among Maeda’s voluminous and impressive design credits are Angels 6 & 7 for Anno’s EVANGELION (1995), as well as ESCAFLOWNE (1996), TURN-A GUNDAM (1999), and SAMURAI CHAMPLOO (2004). But, if that’s not impressive enough, he also designed the titular creature for Anno and Higuchi’s short film, GIANT GOD WARRIOR APPEARS IN TOKYO (2013), which was brought to three-dimensional life by the incredible sculpting talents of Takayuki Takeya.

Has prolific sculpture Takayuki Takeya created the new maquette?

If you don’t know who Takayuki Takeya is, you’ve been sleeping under a rock since the 1980s — a powerhouse designer and sculpture, who’s work has influenced a generation, and can be seen in everything from toys and garage kits (Bandai’s Super Imaginative Chogokin line), the films and television (Kamen Rider Drive), anime series (Gilgamesh), and video games (Final Fantasy VII). He’s also visualized characters for the films of Keita Amemiya from FUTURE NINJA (1988), ZEIRAM (1991), and MIKAZUKI (2000).

Takeya's "Predator Riding A Horse" for Sideshow Collectables.

Well, if that doesn’t jog your memory, perhaps you might remember that statue of a Predator riding a mounted Xenomorph? Yeah, that’s Takayuki Takeya. If you’ve collected Devilman toys over the last two years, yeah, that’s Takayuki Takeya, again. Even if you’re not that deep into Japanese fantasy films, but you’re into STAR WARS, and his work looks familiar, that’s because he was also responsible for the Tamashii Nation’s “Samurai Star Wars” line. Impressed yet?

Takeya's "Samurai Star Wars" Darth Vader for Tamashii Nations.

Takeya’s fans number an impressive roster including writer Michael Moorcock (Elric of Melniboné), Simon Lee (Pacific Rim), Shiflett Brothers, and (reportedly), Nike’s CEO, Mark Parker. More recently, Takeya served as character designer for the nightmarish colossi in Shinji Higuchi’s two-feature film epic, ATTACK ON TITAN and ATTACK ON TITAN: END OF THE WORLD (2015). It’s no surprise to believe that Higuchi would hire Takeya to bring a new Godzilla design by Mahiro Maeda to life as a production maquette. But, is any of this true?

One of Takeya's colossal nightmares from ATTACK ON TITAN (2015)!

At least, this is the information coming out of our sources connected to the production. If all of this news pans out to be true, we could be in for something not only fresh and original, but also truly scary; which as imposing and impressive the recent Godzilla designs have been, they all lacked the fear that the original invoked. According to one of the people close to the production, who wanted to remain anonymous, “(This new) Godzilla is based on the original (1954 version), but is going to be… frightening.”

Shinobu Matsumura's fantastic Godzilla '54 Garage Kit for Kaiyodo.

Reading that quote, makes me recall an early concept for the Big G, anticipating the production of RETURN OF GODZILLA, illustrated by Hariken “Hurricane” Ryu in the pages of a 1984 issue of Kodansha’s TV Magazine, which was a cross between the ’54 and ’64 Godzilla, infused with an impressive demonic presence — foreshadowing GAMERA 3’s “Nightmare Gamera” — which we ultimately didn’t get.

This time, though, if what these sources have shared with us, we could see the definitive Godzilla many fans, such as myself, have been waiting decades for.

Cross your fingers (and toes) that this is happening and that official news is not long off! Stay tuned for more details as they develop...