Kaiju News Bits - 'Rampage' plot, 'Pacific Rim: Uprising' Jaeger, and 'Shin Godzilla' release!?

Well these last few weeks have had an interesting peppering of giant monster news and we here at Tokyo Lives have been very busy recently, thus unable to cover these stories as they occurred (Sorry about that!). I know we'll be talking about most of these during our next episode of the podcast that will be releasing towards the end of the week but I thought why not release an article as well. Let's dig in! 

First up we got some juicy plot details for the 'Rampage' film from Dwayne Johnson's instagram account. Take a look:

Goin' primal. 🦍 Good to finally have boots on the ground here in Georgia for production of #RAMPAGE. I head up an anti poaching unit out of Rwanda. My best friend is a rare albino gorilla named, George. Very bad people infect George, an alligator and a wolf with a serum. All three animals grow at an unprecedented rate. Their size, speed, agility and violent aggression is off the charts. They go on a deadly rampage and want to destroy the world. George not happy. Me not happy. When animals like you, they lick you. When they don't like you, they kill you. I will hunt down the bad people who did this to my best friend. And when I find them, I will not lick them. We have the best VFX monster making team (WETA) on the planet. Our actors and crew have been working very hard to raise the monster genre bar. As always, let's have some fun. Let's shoot. 🤙🏾 #PrimalDNA #George #Lizzy #Ralph

There was also a nice plot breakdown that might be a little spoiler heavy so I will just link you to it here.  Overall there aren't too many surprises within these first plot details since they basically describe the plot of the games. Well technically in the later Rampage titles the creatures are actually humans that have been mutated into the monsters so I guess this does point out that they are basing the film on the first game. Interestingly enough, I feel like the humans into monsters angle may have been a bit more compelling for a film adaptation (maybe some horrifying transformations).  But anyways lets move on to the next news bit!

'Pacific Rim: Uprising' has finished filming and is currently deep into post production now which is great for us fans because now we will start getting gems like the above image. This schematic was spotted at a toy convention in Japan and it gives us the best look at a new Jaeger we have had so far. It looks like Gypsy Avenger (Gyspy Danger's replacement) will have a similar arsenal to the original Jaeger. This includes the return of the Elbow Rocket, Chain Sword, and the Plasma Caster. It seems like the turbine in it's chest has been upgraded to a "Dual Vortex Turbine" which kind of hints that maybe Gyspy Avenger is still a analog Jaeger. Cool stuff all around.

Last but certainly not least, it looks like we have a tentative release window for the american 'Shin Godzilla' Blu-Ray/DVD.  According to Blu-raydisc.de Germany is getting their 'Shin Godzilla' home release on August 8th. Now you may be saying "Kyle that's the GERMAN release not the American release" and you would be right in questioning this. But hear me out! One thing to note is that the English Dub is being put onto this version of the film. Also the time frame fits from all of the other live action Funimation releases that they have done (like Attack on Titan). So due to these pieces of evidence, I am predicting that we are looking at a July-September release for the film in the states.

Do these news bits excite you? Let us know in the comment section below! 

'Shin Godzilla'- American Theatrical Dates Announced!

Funimation has announced the full details of the theatrical run of 'Shin Godzilla'! Check out the press release and the american poster below! 

“SHIN GODZILLA” STOMPS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA THIS OCTOBER

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 2, 2016. The iconic science fiction monster Godzilla makes land fall in the U.S. and Canada this October with the North American theatrical release of “SHIN GODZILLA” from Toho Company, Ltd. Fans have been clamoring for news of the film’s theatrical dates ever since Funimation® Films made its surprise acquisition announcement in July at San Diego Comic Con 2016. And today, the company revealed that “SHIN GODZILLA” will roar into theaters for a limited engagement on October 11 – 18. The movie will screen in more than 440 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets for “SHIN GODZILLA” will be available for prepurchase on the official film website beginning on September 9.

“We are thrilled to bring ‘SHIN GODZILLA’ to theaters across North America this October,” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and President of Funimation. “Toho established Godzilla as one of the most iconic monsters in science fiction history and we’re honored to now be a part of that history with the theatrical release of this new movie. Fans will not want to miss this limited theatrical event.“

Co‐directed by Hideaki Anno (creator of “EVANGELION”) and Shinji Higuchi (director of Toho’s 2015 “ATTACK ON TITAN” live action movies), “SHIN GODZILLA” is the 29th Godzilla film produced by Toho and represents a brand new chapter in the 62‐year history of this celebrated movie monster. The film stars Hiroki Hasegawa and Satomi Ishihara — both also from the “ATTACK ON TITAN” live action movies — as well as Yutaka Takenouchi.

“Movie audiences can look forward to a great time watching ’SHIN GODZILLA’ this October,” said Mike DuBoise, EVP and COO of Funimation. “A larger than life monster like Godzilla has to be experienced on the big screen. And we expect this movie to sellout in numerous theaters so we encourage fans to purchase tickets in advance.”

SHIN GODZILLA has been a big hit in Japan since its opening on July 29, 2016, which garnered a box office of ¥ 845,675,500 and total audience of 564,332 during its first three days. To date in Japan, the movie has grossed ¥5,302,014,700 at the box office and 3,637,748 in total attendance.

In advance of the movie’s opening, Funimation will be hosting two premieres of “SHIN GODZILLA” — on October 3 in Los Angeles and on October 5 in New York before opening day of New York Comic Con 2016. Additional details on these two events to be announced.

To purchase tickets to or find more information on “SHIN GODZILLA,” visit funimationfilms.com/shingodzilla.

Like us on Facebook at Facebook at facebook.com/funimation, and follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/funimation and Instagram at instagram.com/funimation.

This is of course super awesome news and we here at Tokyo Lives can't wait to see the new film on the big screen. We aren't 100% sure on our plans yet but we will be keeping you all posted and will be happy to talk to our fans at whatever screening we end up going to. Keep an eye on Tokyo Lives for further updates!

'Shin Godzilla' Bits: Box Office Results, Behind The Scenes Clip, and More!

This has been a whirlwind couple of weeks for us here at Tokyo Lives, and we are attempting to stay on top of the major news items as they happen. We have been going through some changes on the back side of things but please bear with us and make sure you stay tuned to the site for everything Giant Monster related (including a new podcast episode releasing later this week) . Now that I have gotten the disclaimer out of the way let's talk more about 'Shin Godzilla'! I know that most of the internet is trying to avoid spoilers for the new Godzilla film, so I will be staying spoiler free until the very end of this article where I will very clearly mark that you are heading into some spoiler-ish territory. Let's get started!

First up I'd like to share some Spoiler free reactions to the film that have come from a variety of sources. 'Shin Godzilla' has been very well received in Japan and is even being hailed as a masterpiece by some. Other however were not so impressed.

SHIN GOJIRA was an amazing film. The city rampage sequences are SPECTACULAR. This incarnation of Godzilla is the most terrifying version since the original. The story is heavy on dialogue between the various agencies and governments trying to deal with the threat, and I could not make out many key moments due to language limitations. There were many surprises, and it was not predictable by any means. There were aspects of the film that will be controversial, and it is definitely an entry in the series that will divide fans. I do like the film and what it adds to the overall mythos of Godzilla.   

Next:

After a few hours of sleep and thinking it over here is my spoiler free take on Shin Gojira…..this is a very unique spin on the character. It’s hard to make a full judgment on the film without seeing it subtitled and a chunk of the story I didn’t understand. It’s a film that is heavy on dialogue. There are some wonderful nods to the original film and fun Easter eggs. However I need another viewing of the film.
I can only say that I enjoyed the film. Was it my absolute favorite, not at all, but it isn’t a mess either. With that being said, this film will definitely be divided among fans much like G2014 and final wars was.
There is some wonderful tension in the movie and very unexpected elements. Visually; the cinematography is some of the best in be series in my opinion. The filmmakers get artistic with shots and camera movements and that was something great to see. It also helped engage the audience during the dialogue scenes. But expect things you never saw before for the franchise.
Overall the special effects are good and Godzilla is just this walking death machine. He is massive and you really feel his presence.
There are things about the film that drive me nuts especially with the way he moves but I won’t get into those due to spoiling the film. My major complaint is that the ending is anti climatic. Though the film ends on what is very symbolic shot but it is certainly creepy.
I could go more in depth on the film but I hate the trend nowadays on social media with spoiling films for the mass majority. Movies are meant to be experienced together and to surprise it’s audience. In a culture full of instant gratification we need to take a step back and relinquish that. Shin Gojia either you love it, hate it, or are middle of be road, you should view it for yourself as the filmmakers attended.
The experience of seeing this film is something I won’t ever forget.  

And finally a brief comment from a Japanese fan on 2chan: 

This is a great movie, but I'm not sure if it's a Godzilla. I could accept 2014, but not this. Also, while I was worried about it, I didn't think he'd ACTUALLY stick Evangelion in.                                                                                                                       

These are just a few of the great reviews that can be found around the web, but be wary because it is hard to talk about a lot of the film without getting into spoilers. It really seems like this Godzilla film needs to be seen in order to form a full opinion. 

The positive reaction from Japan has resulted in huge box office numbers, which is good news for everyone involved. 'Shin Godzilla' has already raked in $22.9 million as of Tuesday 8/9 -  a huge amount of money for the Japanese box office. It may seem tiny by american standards but keep in mind that reports are saying this film only cost around $10 million to make, so it is already on it's way to making a good profit for Toho. Even if you are not that excited about this specific film, this profit will allow Toho to make another film after this and truly start a new era of Godzilla films.

 There was also a new behind the scenes clip released that shows how the CG model of Shin-Goji was created and added into the real footage. This is really impressive when you consider that Japan has never really had the infrastructure for CGI effects before, but clearly they are well on their way to establishing it. I severely doubt we will be getting another fully Suitmation Godzilla film (especially with how well received the effects in 'Shin Godzilla' are).

  Now for the fun stuff...

 

WARNING! SPOILERS BELOW!

 

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One of the more controversial aspects of the new film is that Godzilla has two additional forms in before he evolves into the final form that we have seen in all of the trailers. We had a couple images of the Bandai vinyls but no concrete look at their actual designs in the film itself. Just yesterday some fairly high resolution images of the maquettes used for the CG creatures made their way online. Check them out:

I definitely am getting a Baby Godzilla ('Godzilla Vs MechaGodzilla 2') vibe from the second form which is cool and really hits that nostalgia button. The first form, which has been dubbed "Turkey-zilla" by fans, is strange and I don't really like it. I do really like the gills on both of them, but I hate that Shin-Goji's tiny arms are even smaller on both of these designs.

Last thing I'll leave you with in this little spoiler section is a quick image and video showing off Shin-Goji's destructive atomic breath. Not much to say but this is going to be a spectacular scene to watch in full when the movie releases stateside.

LEAVING SPOILERS!

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Well what do you guys think of Shin Godzilla so far? Let us know in the comments below!

'Godzilla: Resurgence' - Funimation To Distribute The Film In America!

A few days ago Toho announced that they would be offering distribution licenses across the globe for the new Godzilla film ('Godzilla: Resurgence'). I held off on writing an article about it specifically because I had a feeling we'd be getting an official announcement soon. That day came today and we now have a world famous company taking the reigns for the American release. Funimation will be handleing the Theatrical and Blu-Ray/DVD release in the good old USA!

Announced via their official twitter in preparation for San Diego Comic-Con (you'll be seeing quite a few big pieces of news this weekend I would bet), Fans were completely awestruck by the great news. After the New World Cinemas debacle there was a lot of doubt that we were going to get the film anytime soon. Now we know that the film is going to be coming to American theaters (no idea if it is going to be a wide release or a Fathom event) late 2016. While we may not have a specific date for the release or many details at this time, everyone in the fandom is super pumped!

Funimation is a super reputible company out of Texas that mostly releases anime but have dabbled with live action Japanese films before.  They have distributed the live action Ruroni Kenshin films and also the Attack on Titan movies. Funimation are pros at dubbing the stuff they release but it is still possible we will get a subbed version of Resurgence instead (I'm fine either way).

Keep an eye on our site as we will be updating you guys as soon as more is revealed throughout the weekend and beyond!

'Godzilla: Resurgence' Trailer 2 - Purple?!

Well this week is officially awesome! First we get two TV spots and now we get a final trailer for 'Godzilla: Resurgence.' Check it out!

There sure is a lot of cool stuff in this trailer! The human side of the story does look a bit worrisome though (boardrooms galore!).

Keep an eye out for my full trailer breakdown later today!

'Godzilla: Resurgence' - New TV Spots And Images Revealed

Well, we are now only 9 days away from the late night showings of 'Godzilla Resurgence' premiering in Japan. Super exciting! Toho seems to have finally jumped on the marketing train with some new footage in the form of three 30 second long TV Spots and a couple of new promotional images.

The first of the three TV Spots is honestly nothing to write home about, as it only uses footage from the official trailer. The other two are a different story entirely. We get some really nice glimpses at never before seen action shots, and a few good profile shots of Shin-Goji's head. I think what really needs to be said about these three spots is that this film is going to have a really unique style, and the cinematography is going to be of a quality never seen before in a Toho released Godzilla film. That shot of him walking from the prospective of a car driving by is particularly great.

I have been very vocal with my dislike of the Shin-Gojira design as a whole, and unfortunately these spots really do not change my mind. Everything we have seen of the full body looks super awkward and stiff (which is saying something since this creature is created mostly through CGI), save for his tail which moves every chance it gets. The head looks pretty fantastic from a side profile but from the front it still appears goofy, since he apparently can't close his gaping mouth. The design does look like it is going to shine at night (pun intended), a true sight to behold with all of his glowing red spots. His eyes definitely still evoke 54, and that's fine by me (though I still wish they were about 10% bigger). I'm still holding out for some great body movement from Godzilla himself in the full film, but for now there is still a lot of awkwardness to this design. 

Toho has also been shoving 'Godzilla: Resurgence' articles into every magazine possible within the last few weeks, and, as such, we have gotten a few more glances at this design in action. Both of these covers give a nice look at what this design will look like when he finally turns his head.

I do wonder what Toho was thinking with the marketing of the movie. Why did they wait until the last second to do all this awesome marketing? I know they were probably trying to do something akin to 'Godzilla (2014)'s marketing which managed to keep a lot of secrets for the film, but I think they missed the mark. The thing that was so great about 2014's marketing was the constant trickle of new info. A new TV Spot here and a new poster there, it kept people talking about the film up until the release. I'm very interested to see how well the film does in Japan with this super last minute marketing blitz.

'Godzilla: Resurgence' releases in Japan on July 29th.

Shin-Chan Vs Shin-Gojira Crossover Is Releasing On July 22nd

Apparently Toho is going all out with anime crossovers for their new Godzilla film. Our buddies over at Gormaru Island have translated a Japanese news report that breaks down a very interesting (weird if you ask me) crossover. The popular anime 'Crayon Shin-Chan' will be having a special crossover episode on July 22 featuring a certain familar icon that we all love and hold dear.

The plot of this crossover seems pretty much what you would expect from anything Godzilla related:

The mysterious giant monster Godzilla has invaded Kasukabe, Saitama. The story of the cross-over episode involves Godzilla wrecking Shinnosuke's home town of Kasukabe, and since all of the residents are still paying off 30 year mortgages on their homes, they arrange an impromptu Self Defense Force to counter the interloping monster.

The biggest and coolest bit of news within this utterly ridiculous crossover is that Shin-Godzilla's official roar will be used in the anime. The fact that they specify this means that the roar we have heard in the trailer has not been the official roar and was definitely just a placeholder. This is super exciting and definitely allows us to continue to speculate about his possible roar (I'm hoping for a return of the Bio-Goji roar myself).

Apparently, the creators of the episode will be attempting to recreate Shin-Goji's movements from the upcoming film to make this a faithful adaptation. The actual design shines in an anime format surprisingly and I have less problems with it then I ever have. I still think it looks super goofy from certain angles but hopefully when he is constantly moving my issues will fade to the back of my mind. We also get a glance at Godzilla's nuclear breath and it definitely looks like they are going more wispy with it, ala 'Gojira' (1954). Weird that it is most definitely blue though.

This will probably be our best glimpse from what to expect out of the new Godzilla in 'Godzilla Resurgence' before it opens in Japan on July 29.

New App Shows Shin Godzilla In Full Motion

About eight hours ago, a new smartphone app released in Japan promoting the new Toho film 'Godzilla: Resurgence.' In the app, you have to scan a QR code and then focus your camera on the poster of the film. Godzilla then comes crashing through the poster while audio from the trailer plays in the background. This gives us a really cool glimpse at his possible level of mobility in Resurgence itself, so it's definitely worth checking out.

I have never been the biggest advocate for this design. In fact, I can go on the record saying that I do not like it very much at all. Seeing the suit in the full film might end up changing my mind though, as long as he has the full range of movement seen in the app video above. Gone are the super stiff motions that we have seen thus far, and replacing them are some very Godzilla like movements in his upper torso. I still don't really like the snake mouth, but I think I could get over that in time.

We also seem to get a brief glimpse at his radioactive breath, and it looks like they may be returning to a white beam instead of the more traditional blue. This would be yet another reference to the 54' Gojira design, and I am completely on board for this minor change. Hopefully, we will keep getting more and more of these little glimpses at the design before the film releases in Japan on July 29th.

Is This Shin Godzilla's Roar?

I woke up this morning in a usual routine which includes checking in to see what the Godzilla community was up to late into the night, and I was pleasantly surprised. Fans were discussing and arguing about whether or not a part of the soundtrack had been leaked and included a snippet of Godzilla's new roar from the upcoming 2016 film. The video in question and the answer to our click-baity headline is below.

If that is the roar for Shin-Goji, I actually wouldn't mind at all. Not because it sounds particularly good, but because it would show that they're going even further with setting their Godzilla apart, without throwing tradition out the window. 

Unfortunately, this is definitely a fake. The Japanese title reads "My idea for Shin Gojira's roar." Also, if you listen, the dialog in the clip is from a much older film, and the roar itself is a heavily modified sound bite.

I still wanted to post it because the discussion around Godzilla's new roar and the possibilities are endless, and I want to know what noise you think will come out of this undead behemoth.

Hopefully, we'll get another trailer that actually answers this question before Shin Godzilla releases on July 29th in Japan.

'Godzilla Resurgence' News Round-Up, Massive Plot Detail Emerges

These last few weeks have been peppered with tiny pieces of information about 'Godzilla Resurgence' and we thought there might be enough little bits of info to warrant a full breakdown of the new stuff. These news bites range from marketing info to huge plot details, so let's get to it!

'GODZILLA RESURGENCE' SOUNDTRACK UP FOR PRE-ORDER

The soundtrack for the new films has shown up on the Japanese Amazon and is showing the same release date as the film (July, 29th). The coolest thing about the release is the new image of a snarling Shin-Goji that looks amazing! This picture really stands out and kind of proves my point that this Godzilla design will look good from some angles, but not so much from others. My co-host Coleman pointed out that it looks like he may be a bit more regenerated in this image, but I think that may be just hopeful thinking.

'GODZILLA RESURGENCE' PLOT DETAIL AND NEW IMAGES

The biggest news of the last few weeks has been relayed by Sci-Fi Japan. This article not only revealed some great new hi-res photos of the film, but also gave an interesting (but crucial) plot detail that was not known until now. 'Godzilla Resurgence' is not connected to the original 1954 'Gojira' and will be the first appearance of Godzilla in the film's universe. This is the first time that a Japanese-made Godzilla film has tried to separate itself from the original, and makes this movie a reboot of the franchise instead of a sequel. I personally don't like that we don't have a baseline for how this Godzilla will act, but I do see how this may free Toho to make some pretty radical changes to the formula we know Godzilla to adhere to. I mean, the design itself is a decently large departure from what we have seen from Toho in the past.
 

CROSS MARKETING EVERYWHERE

The last few pieces of "news" really just show how hardcore Toho is marketing the new film in the hopes to make it a smash hit over the summer. First we have a little commercial for a cross-promotion with the company PARCO. In the ad, Shin-Goji seems to be going up against the companies giant Koala mascot. There are actually a couple of quick new shots for the film which makes the 30 second ad worth a watch.

Lastly, we have a interesting little event going on at Umihotaru which is an artificial island that is apparently a huge tourist spot.  The full breakdown was done by our friends over at the Gormaru Island facebook page, but it looks like there is going to a 1/60th scale Shin-Goji image put up and some activities like a Godzilla photo session and a talk show interview with Shinji Higuchi. I doubt we will get much more information from the event but at least we got the super silly image out of it right?

Hopefully, we'll be getting some more substantial news in the near future! Maybe a final trailer soon or an actual US distributor will rear their head? A fan can always hope and dream.