In a news post made by Sci-Fi Japan yesterday, Legendary Pictures and Warmer Bros. have confirmed and acquired the license to produce a film on Toho’s and Japan’s most iconic character, Godzilla! As quite a few of you know me, I’ve been a HUGE Godzilla fan when I was little, and so is my brother. Godzilla last appeared in 2004 in the film Godzilla: Final Wars, which was released in the U.S. in 2006. Also, his last big screen appearance in the U.S. was Godzilla 2000 in October, 2000, and the last Godzilla film made by the U.S. was Godzilla (1998).
With Legendary and WB acquiring the rights to film the Big-G, this will be the first Godzilla film made in the U.S. since the ’98 Godzilla and the first G-Film to hit American big screens since Godzilla 2000.
Officials at Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. were VERY excited on the results, even Toho officials were just as ecstatic. Here are what they have to say about this fantastic news:
“Godzilla is one of the world’s most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise,” said Thomas Tull, Legendary Pictures’ Chairman & CEO. “Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has.”
“Godzilla is a signature Japanese character which we have nurtured over the years. It is a great honor to reach an agreement with Legendary Pictures, the parent to many a blockbuster film, and we are delighted in rebooting the character together to realize its much anticipated return by fans from all over the world,” says Hideyuki Takai, Toho Co., Ltd. President. “We are anxious to find out where Godzilla’s new stomping will take us.”
“Godzilla is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which Warner Bros. and our partners at Legendary are best known. We have enjoyed a great deal of success together to date and this newest opportunity represents yet another chance for us to collaborate on a property that is very clearly in their wheelhouse,” says Jeff Robinov, WB Pictures Group President.
Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers are set to produce the new Godzilla film, and Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison are set to be executive producers.
On Legendary Pictures’ website, they’re scheduling a theatrical release sometime in 2012.
This is VERY exciting news to hear that the Big Guy is returning! Whenever there’s any more news on the new Godzilla film, I’ll let you know.
(You can follow me on Twitter @jasonnessa)
