Reason To Be Optimistic About GODZILLA 3D ?
Posted by: Monster Island News on June 17th, 2010
Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: The Wrap
Ever since Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros announced their plans to produce another American made “Godzilla” movie back in March, fans have been waiting quite patiently for any news about the film to surface.
And still they are waiting.
At the time of the official announcement, Legendary execs stated that word of the films director would be coming, ‘very soon’, but here we are some three months later, and still no word on that front.
Sorry.
In fact, since that initial announcement, there has been nothing coming out of the studio about “Godzilla” at all. Not even rumors.
Well, I wish I had HUGE announcement for you today, but alas, all I have is tidbit, a scrap, a mere morsel of “Godzilla” movie news, and even this is a bit of a stretch.
At the 3DNext Summit on Monday, “Godzilla” producer, Brian Rogers, spoke out about how he thought that the medium (3D), was misused in “Clash of the Titans”, stating, “’Clash of the Titans’ is important here, because it made the industry realize that you cannot do substandard 3D and charge full pricing.”
Well , like I said, not much ‘meat’ there, and I’m certain that many of you are scratching your head wondering why I even brought up this quote in the first place?
Though it has not officially been stated, it is a forgone conclusion that “Godzilla” is going to be made in 3D, and why not, all new fantasy and sci fi films are being shot that way since “Avatar”.
Now, this is why I think Rogers statement is reason for some optimism in regards to the upcoming “Godzilla” movie. Since the film is being produced by Legendary Pictures, the same folks that brought us, “Clash of the Titans”, it would appear that the film makers are taking a good hard look at the mistakes made in that prior film, in hopes of not repeating them.
Which should come as very good news to all “Godzilla” movie fans around the globe.
The echoing theme for “Godzilla” seems to be, ‘don’t make another G98’ and ‘give the fans what they want’, again more reasons for optimism.
Also, if you want to read into it, the fact that Legendary Pictures hasn’t rushed the selection process for a director, echoes these concepts. Meaning, that they are taking their time to find the right guy for the job instead of going for someone ‘trendy’ or ‘hot at the moment’, kinda like the Ryuhei Kitamura hiring at Toho for “Final Wars”.
Not that the hiring was totally wrong, just Toho had other directors in their stable that probably had a better understanding of “Godzilla” movies than Kitamura did, and who could have produced something a little more, fan-friendly, than what the action movie director produced.
And no, I’m not picking on the director. I’m just using the situation to hammer home a point about how I feel that Legendary Pictures, in all likelihood, is taking the right approach here.
There is no need to rush things, and even though “Godzilla” movie fans have been getting ulcers waiting for some news, they ultimately would rather wait, and have things done right, then have the studio rush into things and make a movie nobody likes.
Geez, for such a small bit of information, I really ran with it. Guess it just goes to show how excited we all are to see an American “Godzilla” movie, right?
Maybe in this case, no news is good news?
See Also: Hot Off The Press! Page 77 Of Todd Tennant’s “Godzilla 1994” Online Comic / Godzilla, Anguirus, And The Case Of The Missing Monster Suits / Godzilla 3-D, Godzilla 2012, Rumors And Misinformation Abound / What The Fans Want To See In An American Godzilla / Godzilla 2012 – Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros (Fan Group) / It’s Official! A New Godzilla Movie Is Coming In 2012! / Get Ready With Your Finger Missiles And Robot Punch! The Shogun Warriors Are Coming To The Big Screen! / Japanese Uber Geekdome – Godzilla Related Cosplay & The Return Of The Life-Sized Gundam / “Godzilla 1985”: 25th Anniversary / All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla’s Revenge)(1969)(Toho) / A Godzilla Plush Doll For All You Little Monsters / Run For Your Life! It’s Godzilla!!…No…Wait It’s A Crustacean / Putting Legendary Pictures Godzilla Into Perspective / Legendary Pictures Announces New Godzilla Movie! / Roland Emmerich Proud Of Godzilla, Not Making Sequel / Toho Tells Comcast, “Didn’t You Learn From Subway? You Can’t Use Godzilla To Sell Cable TV!” / Peter H. Brothers’ Ishiro Honda Bio To Be Published / G-FAN No. 88 Summary / Schedule Conflict Knocks Out Godzilla Film Fest / G-FEST XVI News / Preserving Godzilla And The Blu-Ray Announcement / Godzilla 3D – Opinions Swirling Swirling Swirling / Godzilla 3D Begins Pre-Production For 2011 Release / A Pin-up Girl Riding Godzilla – Now This Is Art! / Godzilla & The Monsters Of Mass Destruction Trailer / Steve Bissette Creates Special Artwork For New Hampshire Screening Of King Kong vs Godzilla / G-FAN #87 Summary / Ishiro Honda Bio Being Negotiated / Robert Scott Field Is Joining Kenji Sahara At G-FEST XVI / King Kong And Godzilla Invade The London Subway
Founder of the popular monster and sci-fi blogs Monster Island News and Godzilla 3D News and Information.
Ken Hulsey began his writing career in 2000 when he founded kensforce.com a popular site with fans of Japanese sci fi/monster movies (Godzilla, Gamera and the like) and other B movies.
In 2008, he closed down his original site and created the blog "Monster Island News" a showcase for classic horror/monster films and independent/alternative cinema.
There are two Godzilla 3-D flicks in the air now. The first is supposed to deal with Godzilla and an amped up Hedorah(the Smog Monster) renamed Deathla slugging it out in Las vegas. Toho gave approval to this project awhile back. Legendary Pictures stated that there godzilla flick would be true to the classic Godzilla while being an update on what has come before. a bit vague really. The big question is who will the rival monster or monsters be? I vote for Titanosaurus myself.
Actually, the first film, “Godzilla 3D To The Max” (working title) is dead now. Yoshimitsu Banno, who was in charge of that film, is now a producer on “Godzilla 2012”.
Actually, there has been much speculation that Legendary Pictures hired Banno to acquire his rights to make a 3D Godzilla film and also the rights for the film to screen in the IMAX format.
Rumors have been around for awhile that Toho was actually fighting Banno about the film. Reportedly they initially sold the rights to use “Godzilla” to Kerner Productions, but when they found out that Banno was to be involved, and that the film was to be a follow up to his 1971 film, Godzilla vs Hedorah, they set out to block the production.
Toho has always regarded Banno’s film as a below standard Godzilla film, and after it’s release, the studio put a halt to the director’s plans for two more G films along the same line as “Godzilla vs Hedorah”.
The two parties have been at odds for decades.
I think that Toho is okay with Banno being involved with G2012 because he is only one of several producers, and the film probably won’t involve the “Godzilla vs Deathla” story.
Hard to say, Toho’s politics are vexing. Godzilla wasn’t due back for at least ten years, then he shows up in its always sunny on 33rd street. They seemed to have warmed to Hedorah as it appeared in Godzilla Final Wars. I wished Megalon had made an appearance as well.
“Final Wars” was by far my favorite Godzilla movie– the first one that was exactly how I always wished they’d be since I was a kid. It had no boring parts. I saw it ni Japanese and didn’t need subtitles to follow the story. I was surprised it didn’t do well, since it was the first Godzilla movie since the original that would be entertaining to people who aren’t diehard Godzilla fans. Apparently Godzilla fans like long boring movies about uninteresting humans instead of cool, fast-paced movies with awesome kaiju beating the crap out of each other. Too bad.
I’d rather see a Godzilla movie that had ZERO human characters in it, TBH. I hate all the scenes with the armies and the generals and so forth deciding how to kill Godzilla.
I actually was at the world premiere of “Final Wars” and it played very well on the big screen. Actually was a much better movie to see in that kind of a theatre experience than on video.
My only real issue with the film was that for a Godzilla 50th anniversary film, there could have been more Godzilla in it. You see the monster in the beginning, then not again until it is almost half over. And since I interviewed Kitamura, I get the fact that he wanted to show that Godzilla was all powerful and could beat any other monster in two moves, I wish the monster battles were longer than a minute long (mostly).
It’s a great sci fi movie with Godzilla in it, instead of a great Godzilla movie with sci fi in it. If that makes any sense.
My top Godzilla films:
1. Monster Zero
2. Destroy all Monsters
3. Gojira
4. King Kong vs Godzilla
5. Godzilla vs Desroyah
I also really love “Godzilla Raids Again”, though it really isn’t a great movie in most fans eyes, I really love the human characters, and the campy fast paced monster fighting.
To each their own. I can’t fault anyones love of any Godzilla film.
Long live the king!
Opps! Destroyah not Desroyah, my bad!
Not really much of a fan of Godzilla/Gojira. Having said that, surely any Godzilla remake should really be set in Japan and not America? It’s their monster. I never liked the concept of Godzilla 1998 taking place in New York. Just didn’t seem right to me. Seeing as (in my personal opinion) even the original Gojira was inferior to The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms it would be better for any American set ‘Godzilla like’ movie to be a remake of The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms instead of Godzilla.
Gojira itself stole/borrowed/was influenced by King Kong/The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.
Indeed Toho producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was inspired by both the The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms and King Kong. Actually one of the early concepts for “Gojira” featured a giant ape, not a dinosaur.
Reading that you are a fan of “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms” and “King Kong”, and not “Godzilla”, I respect your input ……. but, the original 1954 Godzilla film is a far superior movie than “20,000 Fathoms”.
Not to knock that film, it is a classic, but “Gojira” is a masterpiece!