The Godzilla franchise remains as strong as ever. It may have only risen to prominence in American theaters in the past two decades, but Godzilla has always been an iconic character in Japan. Toho Productions has been the studio responsible for dozens of classic live-action Japanese Godzilla movies, many of which became camp classics in the United States and spurred the character’s revival in modern updates.
Until now, Toho had never produced an animated feature-length Godzilla movie. That is about to change with 2017’s Godzilla, the 30th in the franchise produced by Toho but the first ever to be an anime movie instead of live-action. Such a production will invite questions of how the newest iteration of Godzilla would look in anime form, but a new report gives a taste of the new animated movie’s aesthetic.
Via Anime News Network, the second piece of concept art for the new Godzilla animated movie has been released. The below photo does not show the monster itself, but it does give an idea of what one of its primary settings could look like when the finished product comes out later in 2017.
The movie, which is being produced by Polygon Pictures (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), also released its principal cast of voice actors. Veteran Japanese voice actor Yuuki Kaji will star, along with Takahiro Sakurai, Mamoru Miyano, Junichi Suwabe, Kana Hanazawa, and Tomokazu Sugita. According to Anime News Network, the movie also has a “stage event” planned for AnimeJapan 2017, which takes place in Tokyo on March 26.
The new animated Godzilla venture for Toho comes on the heels of 2016’s Godzilla: Resurgence (aka. Shin Godzilla), which garnered critical acclaim for its gleeful return to the iconic monster’s low-budget roots. With 2017’s Godzilla being the first animated feature-length movie in the history of the franchise, its potential is much harder to predict. But the continued success of Godzilla productions in both America and Japan bodes well for the animated movie’s ability to keep the momentum going, especially with Toho producing.
The 2014 American version of Godzilla, directed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’s Gareth Edwards, was a moderate success with an estimated profit of $52.7 million. It has spawned two upcoming sequels, including Godzilla vs. Kong, but there’s no guarantee that an anime Godzilla would carry the same kind of appeal as a live-action version - even in Japan. But considering the monster’s enduring popularity in both countries, the 2017 version of Godzilla will be a production to watch for.
Source: Anime News Network