Godzilla

[Spruebox]

From Twitter:

LOL!

Hey, I should follow him on Twitter just so I can tell him I liked his version ;-)

[Gabriel]

From Thompson on Hollywood:
Godzilla Returns, and Legendary’s Got Him

The giant Japanese green monster Godzilla is back. So like The Hulk, Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, The Addams Family, Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans and so many other familiar properties, Hollywood is going back to the well with a franchise and an easy-sell name. Sigh.

Last time, in 1998, Sony oversold Godzilla as a hulking surefire blockbuster, plastered on gigantor-sized billboards everywhere. But something went terribly wrong with Sony’s Roland Emmerich Godzilla. Part of it was that Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park dinosaurs were so much better. Also, Emmerich’s sense of scale was off: the thing was too big to be comprehended inside the frame. It wasn’t scaleable, somehow. Now, in an ever-expanding CG universe, anything is possible.

Another reason for Legendary and Warner Bros. to add this project to their franchise arsenal: while the 1998 movie, which cost $130 million, was blasted by critics and grossed $136,314,294 domestically, that figure repped just 36 % of its worldwide $242,700,000 total (per Box Office Mojo). That’s not so bad. They acquired the rights from Toho studios to make another Hollywood Godzilla movie. Six movies have been made since the 1998 Emmerich film in Japan, and Toho retains the rights for Japanese distribution. Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes), Roy Lee and 3-D expert Brian Rogers will produce; he was working with producer Kenji Okuhira and writer Yoshimitsu Banno on a 3-D IMAX Godzilla; they have been folded into this project as exec producers, along with Doug Davison.

Also, Legendary genre maven Thomas Tull (who has partnered with Warners on Superman, The Watchmen and the Chris Nolan Batman films) pledges to return to the basics of the original series. “Godzilla is one of the world’s most powerful pop culture icons,” Tull told Variety, “and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise.” The reboot is due in 2012.

Godzilla movies fall into three eras over 29 films: Showa, Heisei, and Millennium. The first 1954 Godzilla was released in Japan and sold 9,610,000 tickets. Initially criticized for taking advantage of Japan’s nuclear devastation, it was released in America for the first time on DVD in 2006 by Classic Media.

As Patrick Tatopoulos completely redesigned the monster for the 1998 film, which was modeled on a disaster film formula, Tull seems to be heading toward a more conventional Godzilla (will he have atomic breath?), which could mean that the towering beast will battle other giant monsters. Oh joy.

When I tweeted my skepticism today, Drew McWeeny (@DrewAtHitfix) remonstrated with me:

@akstanwyck Emmerich’s film was exactly what you’re talking about. Corporate. Crass. I’ll agree with that.

But Tull’s a huge fanboy, and Godzilla is something he’s wanted to do his whole life. This one’s all about passion.

I think it’s worth letting them take their shot and seeing what they come up with. After all… it’s not my money.

Meanwhile McWeeny comments on the IESB rumor that Independence Day sequels are on their way, with Will Smith attached. Even the world’s biggest movie star must stoop to sequels. The question, as McWeeny points out, is whether the original ID4 duo, Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin, who have gone their separate ways, would come back together for this.

[Gabriel]

From Obsessed With Film:
The Time Is Right For A New GODZILLA!

1. Give Godzilla a formidable foe.

2. Increase the destruction.

3. Give Godzilla some personality.

4. Design Godzilla to look more like the Japanese version.

5. Make the film about Godzilla.

6. Make Godzilla invincible.

UPDATE: Godzilla producer Roy Lee (who also produced the excellent Quarantine and the upsetting The Strangers) contacted me and assured me that most of the items on my wish list are part of the current plan. Understandably, he didn’t want to go into details at this stage, but it sounds like they have a good grasp of this property. Thanks, Roy! It’s nice to know there are still cool people in Hollywood!

[Gabriel]

From the Godzilla 2012 blog:
What Went Wrong With Godzilla 98? - Inside The Mind Of Dean Devlin

[Gabriel]

From You Tube:
Godzilla 2012: Brian Rogers On Legendary Pictures Film Plans

[HarryCanyon]

Yes the US Godzilla from 98 wasn't bad but GINO.

I do remembered when Godzilla 1985 came out here in the states when i was 4 years old, my parents took me to see that when i lived in St. Louis.

[Lbrosfilm]

I read that ILM was initially approached to do Godzilla (1998), since most of the guys over there are huge fans of these things. But when they saw the design of Godzilla, they backed out, feeling that it was not honoring the originals.

I'm not sure if that's true, but it sounds plausible. Hopefully with this new version Godzilla will be done right, like this: http://www.collider.com/wp-content/u...y-Pictures.jpg

Maybe this time ILM will do the effects, since I doubt the American studios will go for a suit actor.

[Gabriel]

Always 2 - Godzilla full CGI

[Gabriel]

From MTV:
NYCC 2010: MTV Splash Page At New York Comic Con!

- Friday will also feature a pair of exclusive debuts from the comics world, as we present the first look at an upcoming prequel comic, and the exclusive announcement of a brand new series that hails from a monstrous corner of the movie world.

Splash Page @ NYCC 2010 EXCLUSIVE: Godzilla Returns To Comics... And He's Not Alone!

From CBR:
NYCC: Godzilla Finds New Stomping Grounds at IDW

Official Press Release

The biggest star in motion pictures prepares to wreak havoc once again! IDW Publishing is thrilled to announce a partnership with Toho Co., Ltd. to create all-new GODZILLA comics. Starting in 2011, Godzilla will smash his way back onto the scene with a cast of characters from his films never before seen in comics.

“This new series will be monsters and mayhem, but most importantly, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Yukio Kotaki of Toho. “Godzilla has been gone from comics for too long and we feel that IDW is the perfect company to welcome him back in 2011.”

In addition to the King of the Monsters himself, the new comics from IDW Publishing and Toho Co., Ltd. will feature many of Godzilla’s friends and foes, including MOTHRA™, KING GHIDORAH™, RODAN™ and more that have never before been featured in an American comic book series alongside Godzilla. With an impressive cast of monsters both old and new, IDW’s series will treat fans to both familiar themes and original takes on the pop culture legends that have stomped, smashed, and fought their way across movie screens for over five decades.

“Not only is Godzilla known worldwide, he’s loved worldwide, too. Having a film career with more than 25 movies and going on a 56-year span pretty much solidifies you as a legend, and IDW is really looking forward to contributing to that legacy,” said Chris Ryall, Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in Chief for IDW Publishing. “We wanted Godzilla to return to comics, but this time we wanted him to have some company. I think fans will be pleased with the monster guest appearances, which will really offer something for every fan of these films. There are the classic characters, but there are also a few surprises, too.”

Debuting in February 2011, fans can expect to see a number of unique storylines from some of the industry’s top creators.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

From Kaiju Cast:
10.08.2010: Godzilla’s Triumphant Return to Sequential Art

Truly fantastic news from New York has hit the ‘net this morning: IDW Publishing has just announced at New York City Comic Con that they have acquired the rights to produce Godzilla comics starting in 2011.

Fans should prepare themselves for more than just a giant radioactive dinosaur stomping through the pages of this new series, which is slated to begin showing up in your local comic book shop in February of next year. Not only has IDW worked closely with Toho to secure permission to bring back Godzilla, they’ve also gotten permission to use the following giant beasts in their upcoming books!

• Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mechagodzilla, Anguirus, Gigan, Battra, Destoroyah, Hedorah, Space Godzilla, Titanosaurus, Kumonga (aka Spiega)

Exciting news, if you ask me – and I know for a fact that a big Godzilla fan at IDW is working closely with this project.

From Newsarama:
NYCC 2010 - IDW Sneak Peek at 2011 Panel LIVE!

This our big announcement for the panel: "So we're doing Godzilla." Ryall reveals

Will debut in March 2011, with art and writing by The Goon's Eric Powell

Full title is Godzilla: Monster World.

Ryall explains it as "a league of extraordinary big ass monster stompin' monsters"

correction: "a league of extraordinary big ass CITY stompin' monsters"

[Gabriel]

Deadline Exclusive: Legendary Pictures Re-Teams With 'Clash Of The Titans' Scribe On 'Pacific Rim'

In a last dash pre-holiday deal, Legendary Pictures has closed a high-six figure preemptive acquisition of Pacific Rim, a science fiction film that will be written by Travis Beacham. Beacham was the original writer of Clash of the Titans, the 3D remake which has grossed $475 million worldwide for Legendary and Warner Bros.

Set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, the planet must band together and use highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace. The deal was made on the basis of a detailed 25-page treatment. Legendary acquired the project under its co-production and co-financing agreement with Warner Bros. The deal was made by the writer’s reps at WME and Anonymous Content.

Guillermo del Toro Offered ‘Pacific Rim,’ AKA the Godzilla Reboot?


Latino Review Exclusive:
Guillermo Del Toro Offered 'Pacific Rim' AKA 'Godzilla' Reboot

El Mayimbe here...

While FoxNewsLatino.com is busy pandering to Latinos with their lame news stories about Model Latina and Jessica Alba gracing the cover of the London issue of GQ, we’re going to give them a lesson in how to break an actual news story involving a Latin. You listening Fox News Exec Michael Clemente? Pay close attention chico. This is how it is done.

Back in May Mike Fleming over at Deadline broke that Legendary Pictures picked up the sci fi pitch "Pacific Rim" from Clash of the Titans writer Travis Beacham. The deal was made based on Beacham's 25 page treatment.

"Pacific Rim" is pictured as a tentpole event film, set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, the planet must band together and use highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace.

Well guess what?

We know who those "malevolent creatures" are because the folks at Legendary want to make "Pacific Rim" the basis for the "GODZILLA" REBOOT!

Apparently, according to sources, the current "Godzilla" draft they did get was not good and they wanted a writer/director to do a lot of work on it. Merging “Pacific Rim” with the Godzilla reboot solves that problem. That’s one of the options on the table.

We have also exclusively learned that Legendary just offered “Pacific Rim” to Guillermo Del Toro!

Now at press time, it's just an offer, doesn't mean that Guillermo will take it. With Guillermo doing Mountains of Madness, I don't know if he will be able to fit Godzilla into the pipeline for Legendary's anticipated release date of 2012.

Does this mean we get to finally see Godsooky in the reboot as comic relief?

Stay tuned as more develops...

Hasta el proximo capitulo folks…

[HarryCanyon]

Hire someone like the guy who did Incredible Hulk 2008 and Clash of the Titans 2010 for the job.

[Gabriel]

From AICN:
Just spoke with Joe Kosinski, director of TRON LEGACY... about that, BLACK HOLE & OBLIVION

He's not sure if OBLIVION will be his next film, as he's also working on a remake of BLACK HOLE. The script on that one is being handled by Travis Beacham, who worked on the incredibly disappointing CLASH OF THE TITANS.... and whose spec, PACIFIC RIM has been turned into GODZILLA at Legendary. Now... if you get a chance to talk BLACK HOLE with Kosinski, he really gets excited.

[Gabriel]

HEAT VISION EXCLUSIVE: 'Monsters' Director Stomps to 'Godzilla'

Godzilla has a director.

Gareth Edwards, the British filmmaker who wrote and directed indie sci-fi movie Monsters, is closing a deal to develop and direct the creature feature for Legendary Pictures, the company that co-produced blockbusters such as Inception and The Dark Knight.

Warner Bros. will co-produce, co-finance and distribute per its deal with Legendary. Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing along with Dan Lin, Roy Lee, and Brian Rogers.

Legendary picked up the rights to the giant lizard from Japan’s Toho Co. in March 2010. It was around that time that Edwards’ Monsters made its premiere at SXSW (where WME quickly signed him for representation) before moving on to the Toronto International Film Festival and a U.S. release by Magnet Releasing in October.

The movie, famously made for a budget in the low six figures, took a different tact in its handling of the alien invasion genre. It centered on two characters traveling through a Mexico that is now a quarantine zone due to an alien-monster infestation. The flick slyly showed only parts of the aliens during the course of the movie, with tentacles attacking cars and people during the night, for example, but the gripping climax featured two giants slithering around an abandoned gas station.

The movie got Hollywood ga-ga over the filmmaker, who always intended Monsters to act as a showpiece to attract bigger work, and Legendary execs were no exception. They sought him out, thinking he could be the right man to take their monster into the 21st century.

Edwards will now work with a new yet-to-hired writer on the script. (David Callaham was the original writer.)

Edwards’ Monsters work has won the filmmaker three British Independent Film Awards, including nods for best director, best achievement in production and best technical achievement. It also landed him work with Timur Bekmambetov on an epic sci-fi project that he is writing as a directing vehicle.

[Gabriel]

From Motion Captured:
'Monsters' director Gareth Edwards signs on for 'Godzilla'

Gareth Edwards made quite a splash with his micro-budget giant monster movie, "Monsters," last year, and while it didn't make my end-of-the-year list, I have real admiration for what he accomplished, especially working on the budget he did. He's a smart filmmaker with a really interesting visual imagination, and it seems like one of the most obvious couplings of filmmaker with material in recent memory to hear that Edwards has been hired by Warner and Legendary to direct their upcoming "Godzilla."

It's an exciting choice in a lot of ways. If you see "Monsters," you'll see how clearly his focus is on character instead of spectacle, even in the moments where there are giant monsters onscreen. His idea of a money shot is defined by the emotion it evokes, not on how "cool" it is, and that's one of the reasons "Monsters" may have confounded people expecting more conventional genre fare.

"Godzilla" is a big priority over at Legendary, and for good reason. Thomas Tull is a fan of the property and knows that it's already been done really wrong in America before. It's interesting… talking to him after "Clash Of The Titans" came out, he was more blunt about that movie's problems and failings than almost any critic I spoke with. Tull is certainly not blind to the idea that his company can get it wrong, even when they're trying their hardest to get it right. That's one of the things that is most intense about filmmaking… sometimes, it's just a matter of alchemy, and all the willpower in the world can't turn a bad film good.

The way you deal with that is you treat development as an opportunity to make all those mistakes en route to the right way to do something. They've been working on the "Godzilla" script for a while now (and, no, they're still not folding Travis Beacham's "Pacific Rim" into this project), and the fact that they've moved on to hiring a director means they've finally got the material in the right ballpark.

I have no doubt Edwards will now work with the writer on a draft or two, but this means the ball is rolling. The train is leaving the station. "Godzilla" will walk the earth once more. And if it turns out all these dead birds and dead fish are just viral marketing for this film, I will be very, very impressed.


"Godzilla" is tentatively aiming for a 2012 release.

[Lbrosfilm]

from motion captured:
'monsters' director gareth edwards signs on for 'godzilla'

sweet!

[swishbig]

I really liked Cloverfield and hope they do the movie somewhat like that. Maybe more destruction and a bigger budget.

You mean like shot with a live camcorder? No thanks.

[Gabriel]

From Examiner:
Battle of Godzillas may be newest screen battle.

Godzilla, the iconic King of the Monsters, may be facing his biggest challenge yet – himself. Hollywood was abuzz last week when Gareth Edwards was named as director for a new American made version of the Big Green Guy. The film will be backed by Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers. Edwards caught the eyes of producers in Tinsel Town earlier this year when he directed MONSTERS.

The first surprise came when Toho Corporation gave the okay for another American version of Godzilla. The first version, starring Jean Reno and Mathew Broderick was panned by critics and ballyhooed by the Hollywood Hype Hydra. It wasn’t that GODZILLA was a bad film, it was a good monster movie; it just wasn’t a good Godzilla movie. Hollywood began blasting GODZILLA before it was released. Producers Roland Emerick and Dean Devlin had shaken the Hollywood foundation with a series of blockbusters and a cocky mien. The movers and shakers thought they needed knocked down a peg, and GODZILLA was the vehicle. Toho was very disappointed with GODZILLA. In fact, the animal showed up in two Godzilla movies made in Japan after the American release and was soundly defeated by the original creature. Still, despite a negative campaign, the American GODZILLA managed to score $435 million in box office sales. With pay-per-views, videos and merchandise sales, the intake was considerably more. The campaign, however, was successful as Emerick and Devlin have not worked together since.

Meanwhile, Godzilla was having his own problems in his native land. A revamped monster, with a four picture deal, was going sour with fans and went through three different directors, seeking the right combination. Toho commissioned an independent Godzilla movie in between movies three and four of the series and it became more popular than the series. In it, Godzilla is reverted to a monster of destruction and the monsters he usually fought to save Earth, Ghidrah, Mothra and Baragon, became the ‘bad guys’. Now the Godzilla fan base was divided between the Earth friendly and the destructive monster Godzilla, and Toho had a publicity nightmare. Toho opted to put Godzilla on hiatus for ten years. Born in 1954, Toho retired Godzilla in 2004 on his fiftieth anniversary and declared no Godzilla movies would be made until 2014. Ten years proved to be too long for a reboot.

Toho announced earlier this year it was bringing Godzilla out of retirement early. The new movie is scheduled for December of 2012. It is planned for 3D treatment. But Toho was now in a dilemma. Script and technical issues threatened to delay Godzilla’s planned return. When Legendary Pictures approached Toho will the concept of doing another American Godzilla back in March, Toho saw a solution to its quagmire. Toho may scrub its planned 2012 release and attempt to satisfy fans with the new American version. This will allow them to keep to their original decade of retirement. The American version will satisfy clamoring fans and give the parent company the needed time to work out its difficulties. But, as of now, both movies could be released within months of each other, creating an on-screen battle of epic proportions.

MONSTERS was billed as the greatest large monster movie of the decade. I’m certain J.J. Abrams would not agree. MONSTERS had a rather unique distribution scheme. IFC Films allowed the movie to be seen through its web site. For several months, the cost was exceptionally low, and then it was offered for free. The tactic was to help spread the hype behind the advertising slogan. Actually, MONSTERS was a film about illegal immigration disguised as a monster movie. For most of the film, the monsters, aliens born from space spawn hijacking a ride on a meteor, where hidden from view. Viewers saw tentacles only with battles against an ill equipped Mexican army. The real story centered on two Americans caught in Mexico, trying to make their way back to America. The Americans suffered similar trials attempting to go home, as illegal immigrants do trying to come here. It was this theme that garnered accolades for Edwards with the Hollywood elite, as illegal immigration is just one of the many liberal causes high on the Hollywood agenda.

Edwards makes no qualms about his purpose for making MONSTERS; it was to serve as a show piece to garner him bigger projects. The ploy worked. David Callahan was first hired to script the new Godzilla film. Edwards promised to bring in his own people and a new scriptwriting team is currently being sought. No official word from Toho yet if it will still release its project in December 2012 or add the two remaining years to Godzilla’s forced retirement. Speculation is that Toho may release its new version of Godzilla, but only in Japan, allowing them to gauge reaction to Edward's treatment first and providing the opportunity to compare fan reaction and acceptance.

[chatterbox]

anyone know the theme music to godzilla from the last movie?

[Gabriel]

Legendary's 'Godzilla' Remake to Be Written By Max Borenstein (Heat Vision Exclusive)

Max Borenstein has been tapped to write the planned remake of Godzilla.

Gareth Edwards, the director of the indie sci-fi movie Monsters, is attached to direct the creature feature centered on the giant city-destroying and monster-fighting lizard, which is in development at Legendary Pictures.

Legendary's Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing along with Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers. Warner Bros. will distribute per its deal with Legendary.

David Goyer (The Dark Knight) previously worked on the script.

Borenstein, who just turned in his script for Art of the Steal for Warner Bros and producers Kevin McCormick and Zac Efron, is well acquainted with Legendary. He worked on the company’s in-development Jimi Hendrix biopic, Jimi, and rewrote the outfit’s supernatural fantasy The Seventh Son. The latter, based on the Joseph Delaney YA book, is due to go into production with Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore and Ben Barnes attached to star.

Borenstein is repped by UTA, Anonymous Content and Rosen Feig & Golland.

[Flyingheart]

Maybe they can cast Kevin Dunn again for this one

[Gabriel]

From Geeks of Doom:
Strange Sounds Heard Worldwide: Is It Viral Marketing For ‘Godzilla,’ ‘Cloverfield 2,’ Or Something Else?

Every once in a while some kind of unexplained phenomena hits the web in the form of a video (or many videos), and everyone goes wild trying to figure out just what in the hell it really is.

One such phenomena has reached these heights recently. In numerous videos posted from all over the world on YouTube, a very loud, very intimidating noise is heard. Listening to it you can only assume that a giant alien craft, Godzilla, King Kong, or some dinosaurs are about to come barreling into your back yard. So is it a clever viral marketing campaign, an elaborate hoax, something natural, or something else?

Continue below to check out videos from multiple locations experiencing the event and share your thoughts!

In most cases these are just a well-executed hoax—and props to the ones who pull them off well enough to get the planet debating—but sometimes it’s also a smart viral marketing campaign for an upcoming movie or something else. And perhaps it’s neither and there really is something strange going down.

Sometimes the sound has a very mechanical feel to it and sometimes it sounds like someone dubbed the mating calls of a blue whale over shots of various parts of the world. In all likelihood it is something made by one of us to fool the rest of us.

There is both a new Godzilla movie in the works, and there’s always Cloverfield 2 being whispered about (we know how crafty they can be with the virals). So is it one of those, something else entirely, or should we legitimately be terrified? The Mayans have seen to it that, in the very least, most of us will be on edge when it comes to anything like this, so it’d be a brilliant time to take advantage of those fears some have for the sake of entertainment.

You be the judge!

[Gabriel]

Godzilla And Supercrooks Directors For KAPOW!

Visitors to KAPOW! – taking place over the weekend of 19 & 20 May at London’s Business Design Centre – will have a chance to hear from two of Hollywood’s hottest current directors, Gareth Edwards (Monsters, the new upcoming Godzilla) and Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes, upcoming Supercrooks).

http://kapowcomicconvention.com/

[Gabriel]

Comic-Con: Legendary Surprises with Epic GODZILLA Test Footage at Warner Bros. Panel; Plus First Poster

[Crainy]

Ive been waiting for a Godzilla reboot for quite some time now. This is gonna be so awesome.

[Razor]

Godzilla is a Japanese icon, so it's hard to translate into American film.

It's like this... you can't take, say, a Yakuza (a Japanese mob) and have it portray a Mafia (a Western mob) or vice versa. No way thats gonna work.

There is no way you're gonna take Godzilla and try to "Westernise" it. It's never gonna work. Theres something about Godzilla that only works in a Japanese way. Because it is a Japanese icon.

However, they could make "Godzilla vs King Kong" the movie, if they truly want Godzilla to work in a Westernised setting. After all, King Kong is a Western icon (right?) so he should work fine in a western film, and have Godzilla as the villain (as usual, because he is not Western, and he gate-crashes into the West and goes head to head with the Western hero monster King Kong). Yeah something like that. I mean its happened in the comic books (I know they did Godzilla vs King Kong) so hey why not try to make a film out of it?