OFFICIAL: "GODZILLA VS. KONG" COMING 2020! Warner Bros & Legendary Release Statement

ワーナー・ブラザース 2020年『GODZILLA VS. KONG』を発表！


The gloves are off in Warner Bros/Legendary's Official Press Release!

While there has been much fan speculation since Legendary Pictures King Kong franchise has moved over  from Universal to Warner Bros, with the upcoming production of Jordan Vogt-Roberts' KONG: SKULL ISLAND, there surely would be a cross-over with their own GODZILLA franchise, which was launched with the 2014 Gareth Edwards film. And now, it has been officially announced in their upcoming schedule.

Here's comment on today's press release from Business Wire:

Following Legendary’s and Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2014 success with the global reinvention of the Godzilla franchise, the companies have come together to create an epic, new shared cinematic franchise. All-powerful monsters become towering heroes for a new generation, revealing a mythology that brings together Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in an ecosystem of other giant super-species, both classic and new. Monarch, the human organization that uncovered Godzilla in the 2014 film, will expand their mission across multiple releases.

The announcement that the reinvention of monsters continues was made today by Legendary CEO, Thomas Tull, and Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. The initial trio of films are 2017’s KONG: SKULL ISLAND; GODZILLA 2 in 2018; and then GODZILLA VS. KONG, arriving in theaters in 2020. While Legendary maintains its new home at Universal Pictures, the GODZILLA films remain in partnership with Warner Bros., who will now also distribute KONG as a part of this franchise. Production on KONG: SKULL ISLAND begins October 19th.

Warner Bros. and Legendary released Godzilla in May 2014 with an agreement to release Godzilla 2 on June 8, 2018. Both films feature the human Monarch organization. Shortly following Legendary's pact with NBC Universal, Legendary acquired rights to additional classic characters from Toho's Godzilla universe, including Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. This paved the way for developing a franchise centered around Monarch and anchored by Godzilla, King Kong, and other famous creatures.

When Legendary announced films centered on Godzilla and Kong, fans all over the world speculated these two characters might one day meet in the same film. Classic Toho monsters including King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan, as announced at Comic-Con 2014, may also join the Legendary pantheon of giant monster mayhem going forward.

“Audiences really responded to Godzilla,” stated Tull. “Today, I’m excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I’ve always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we’re pleased to be announcing that and more.”

“Working with our partners at Legendary, we enjoyed tremendous creative and commercial success with `Godzilla,’” said Tsujihara. “It’s great to be able to revisit these characters and help create a franchise with so many creative possibilities for filmmakers. Fans love these big, globally iconic films and it doesn’t get any bigger than this.”

KONG: SKULL ISLAND stars Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham, and Toby Kebbell. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and written by Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy, and Derek Connolly, KONG: SKULL ISLAND will fully immerse audiences in the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.

Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce with Mary Parent. Alex Garcia and Eric McLeod will executive produce. Warner Bros. will distribute the film in 3D and IMAX 3D on March 10, 2017.

GODZILLA 2 will be written by Max Borenstein and directed by Gareth Edwards. Legendary is producing with Mary Parent, and Alex Garcia will executive produce. The film is set to be released by Warner Bros. on June 8, 2018.

GODZILLA VS. KONG will be released in 2020.

Personally, I like the Japanese originals, because they are Japanese. To me, these American incarnations are sidebars, as Toho's vampire films are treated by those into that genre. I hope that the fallout from these only gives the Japanese films more scope in the US, in the form of better treatments in releases of the originals on home video, and beyond.

And, I also hope — at the very least — that these Hollywood-made incarnations are true to the spirit of the original characters, and will be fun, enjoyable escapism.

Stay tuned for more details as they develop!

MINI REVIEW: GARETH EDWARDS' "GODZILLA" Run, Do Not Walk to See This King of Monsters!

ギャレス・エドワーズ監督の『ゴジラ』は大成功だ！


The very striking Imax 3D poster for Gareth Edward's kaiju spectacle!

NO SPOILER ZONE: This past Monday, I attended a press/advance 3D screening of the highly-anticipated return of the King: Edwards' GODZILLA (2014), produced by Legendary Pictures. Until the film is released this coming weekend, I will be holding off on my full-blown review, which will discuss the film in far more detail. So, there will be no spoilers this time around — I will just state that GODZILLA is a must-see spectacle, which is light-years beyond the Roland Emmerich film, from the opening titles to the end credits. The crowd gasped, cheered, and pumped their fists into the air numerous times, and enthusiastic applause and thunderous hoots exploded as the screen faded to black.

Without giving away anything, Edwards' interpretation of the monster is also largely atypical of similar, braindead blockbuster Hollywood productions, and doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator in its execution. Fiercely character driven, GODZILLA's narrative and drama unfold in the tradition of the best of director Shusuke Kaneko's benchmark kaiju eiga, GAMERA 3 (1999) and GMK (2001). The visual effects are gorgeous and dynamic, and sometimes truly frightening — but it never veers into Michael Bay territory. The source of much pre-release debate, the pair of enemy monsters, designated "Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms" (MUTOs), are highly evocative of Japanese kaiju design, and are one of the film's many highlights.

With some minor — I repeat, minor — reservations, Gareth Edwards' GODZILLA is a certified champion of modern monster movies. In the words of the legendary "Creature Features" host, Bob Wilkins, "I think you're gonna like it."

PONDERING GARETH EDWARDS' "GODZILLA" Will G's Japanese Heart Be Lost In Translation?

彼の日本の原点が削除されたときに何がゴジラになった？


Fan-made poster where 2014 is seen via 1954 eyes by Ivan Griscenko.

Now, I can be pretty outspoken because I generally have a very well-informed opinion when it comes to Japanese Cinema & Pop Culture, especially in considering their Fantasy Films, and while I certainly do champion them, I also bare no outright distain for their Stateside counterparts, either (well, mostly). As I've said numerous times, both publicly and privately, the reason why I enjoy these films, is because they are Japanese to begin with. And at the core, it is their inherent Japaneseness that which appeals to me the most.

Many American Godzilla fans, but not all of them, tend to latch on to anything stamped "Godzilla" (be it a stilted animated series or some horribly sculpted hunk of plastic), because they are hungry for any and all things related to the Big G. Yes, I do realize that the Japanese have already metamorphosed and anthropomorphized the character over the years (but it's their character in the first place). The same fans, meanwhile, are seemingly intolerant when it comes to the Japanese doing the same (i.e., Toei's SPIDER-MAN series).

Recently, I have been asked, over and over, what are my thoughts on the upcoming Legendary Pictures production. Firstly, I'm reserved (or "optimistically cautious"), because I like my kaiju eiga to be Japanese productions; even if it's the godawful, unwatchable GODZILLA FINAL WARS. I have no doubt that everyone involved on this production is doing their damnedest to make the best film possible, and technically and visually, it will be phenomenal. But, the strike against it is, that once removed from being Japanese, will the beast lose the heart of what makes it tick? The 1998 disaster proved that in spades.

With all that being said, I'm not close-minded nor stodgy enough to refuse to see it. Of course, I will see it (I'm hosting an opening night screening at Big Wow! ComicFest). The only thing that matters is what's up on that big screen, and no hopes or wishes can change that. Yes, Virginia, 10,000 American Godzilla fans can be wrong. As they were 16 years ago. Gareth Edwards is a good man, and is an up and coming director of talent, of this no one one deny — but we must also remember that this is a big studio picture and he doesn't have full creative control. Hollywood kitchens today have too many cooks.

So, what about the average Joe Blows out there? Are they ready for a mega-budget Godzilla film in the first place? Or does the Emmerich & Devlin Debacle still have a stranglehold on the public's consciousness? Is it still "too soon"? One thing's for certain, the people behind this new film have not only the legacy of Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya to uphold and respect, but also they have to supersede and remove the blemish left by the horrendous Tristar Disaster. So, the task is nothing less than monumental for all concerned.

No matter what happens, be it glorious or apocalyptic, I'm not placing all of my hopes and dreams on this one film. Would I like to behold something as creatively and spiritually successful as Guillermo del Toro's PACIFIC RIM? Yes, of course I would. Still, for better or worse, the original Japanese films continue to capture the imaginations of new generations — the world over — and will continue to do so for years to come, regardless of what future Godzillas may bring.

"GODZILLA" LAID BARE IN SAN FRANCISCO! Textless "Coming Soon" Poster from Legendary

米国『ゴジラ』のポスターは今発表！


Textless Coming Soon poster art that has blown-up the internet.

Since the announcement of the upcoming Gareth Edwards' GODZILLA for Legendary Pictures, I've been asked — frequently — what I think about this latest American interpretation of this immortal cinema icon. Long before it unspooled in theaters, I dreaded 1998 debacle (especially after having read the screenplay for the earlier, and ultimately unfilmed, Jan de Bont production), but I am curious and — somewhat cautiously — optimistic for this new round.


And here's the same Coming Soon poster with all of it's clothes on.

Part of the reason stems from the forthright approach of director Edwards and the solid casting. So, I think we might have something good — or at least very sincere — on our hands. It also helps that Edwards and the staff had copies of my book,"Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters," as reference material (which was also employed in putting together the "Godzilla Encounter" at the San Diego Comic-Con 2013). And he even gave us a great quote for the paperback edition out on April 8th.

Still, what do I think of an American version of Godzilla? Well, I might have to say that it would be the same as what I'd think of a Japanese Superman: Supes is inherently American. Period. (And the Japanese have Ultraman.) When I discovered these films as a child I was drawn to them for some reason, and as I got older I realized it was because they are Japanese. This is why they are appealing to me in the first place. Remove the Japaneseness from Godzilla and what will we have left?

With that being said, I will be waiting to see the film on May 15th with crossed fingers (for Gareth Edwards), but I will not be holding my (radioactive) breath. At least my hometown is on the poster...

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment:
Download the official textless poster (4050x6000 300dpi), here!
Download the official poster with text (4050x6000 300dpi), here!
Download the isolated text blocks, here!

Special thanks to Chris Mirjahangir!