Warner Bros. may have already made plans for a Gareth Edwards helmed Godzilla sequel for 2018, but longstanding fans of the undisputed King of Monsters won’t have to wait too much longer before the gargantuan predator returns to the big screen, as Toho is developing their own rendition of the radioactive beast for the first time in over a decade.
Due to arrive in 2016, the legendary Japanese film company also confirmed that Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi – co-directors behind Neon Genesis Evangelion and the forthcoming live-action adaptation of Attack on Titan – will take the reigns for what is to be the studio’s 29th Godzilla feature film. In a statement released to Variety, Toho touched upon the renewed demand for the alpha predator, and hinted how it will differ from Hollywood’s more grounded-in-reality approach.
“Ever since Hollywood announced that ‘Godzilla’ was to be resurrected, the expectation for another Japanese Godzilla grew. And if we were to newly produce, we looked into Japanese creators who were the most knowledgeable and who had the most passion for Godzilla.”
According to reports, the studio has also made plans for an international release of the upcoming film, while also confirming that it intends to use CG technology in order to bring Gojira to life, as opposed to the old-school man in a suit techniques. Such an approach will no doubt create a different beast than what fans of Toho have been used to, and the teaser image above hints that the latest Japanese incarnation could be a smaller beast.
Either way, with full access to all of the creature’s famous villains – including King Ghidorah, Mothra, and much more – there’s plenty of potential for Toho to deliver a true modern classic come next year. But the question remains: are you excited for Godzilla to return home in 2016?
