The success of 2014’s Godzilla hasn’t just green-lit a sequel for 2018, it has also inspired filmmakers in Japan to create a new movie of their own. So get ready, because you’re about to see a lot more of the world’s longest running movie franchise.
Toho studio, Hideaki Anno, and Shinji Higuchi have announced they’re teaming up to co-direct “Godzilla 2016,” a new Japanese version set for release next year. Plot details and other information hasn’t been revealed, but Toho said the film is in good hands.
“Ever since Hollywood announced that ‘Godzilla’ was to be resurrected, the expectation for another Japanese Godzilla grew,” Toho said in a statement. “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.”
Anno and Higuchi have actually collaborated before on God Warrior Appears in Tokyo; individually, Anno has worked on animation for Nausicaa in the Valley of Wind, while Higuchi has worked on the Evangelion series.
Toho has produced 28 Godzilla movies since the monster’s debut in 1954, with the most recent coming back in 2004. The film is being planned for a global audience, which means it could make its way to the U.S. at some point. That would be a little strange considering we just saw a successful reboot last year, but you won’t find any complaints from me.
If a Japanese version doesn’t strike your fancy, the second Godzilla film from director Gareth Edwards is set to hit theaters on June 8, 2018.
See full gallery on TechnoBuffaloSource: Variety