GODZILLA movie coming thanks to Legendary Pictures

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source SlashFilm

One thing I used to love about christmas time especially when I was younger was looking forward to watching old  classic Jackie Chan movies as well as the classic Toho Godzilla movies on Channel 4. The movies where cheesy, camp and 99% bad acting but it was my insight into the wonderful weird world of Japanese pop culture. In 1998 Rolland Emmerich destroyed my love for Godzilla when he brought the iconic movie monster to Hollywood and destroyed the cult status of the character as well as any chance of further movies.

Roll on 2010, 12 years later Legendary Pictures the studio that brought us The Dark Knight and  300 is bringing Godzilla back to the big screen thanks to licensing deal with Toho Company who own the original rights to the big green monster. There is’nt much details on who will be involved on the creative side apart from the project is in development stage and a director will be named very shortly.

After Emmerich’s crapness from 1998 I’m sure many people would greet the annoucements with much enthusiasm and it did put many people of movies and big blockbusters, but as I say when things are going bad in something  all it needs is something absolutely shambolic to start the ball rolling for drastic change  and if you look at it we get some mega blockbuster movies that have fantastic promotion and when you see the movie its an embarassment.  So Godzilla 1998 should be used as an lesson on how not to create blockbuster/icon character movies, as the lion king movie  song goes “it’s the circle of Life” the bad must come for the good to return again.

If this movie or even movies is to suceed Legendary must pay homage to the original Godzilla but at the same time not over do it on the campness, maybe bring a little bit of edginess that many of their other movies have had, just never forget the roots of the movie and you could be on the right track for sucess.

Here’s the statement Legendary Pictures have released:

Burbank, CA – March 29, 2010 – Legendary Pictures announced today that they will develop and produce a new film based on Toho Company’s famed GODZILLA character.  Through the terms of the agreement, Legendary Pictures has acquired the rights to produce a movie inspired by Toho’s Godzilla, a franchise the Japanese company created and has nurtured for over fifty years.

 

Toho’s GODZILLA franchise boasts one of the most widely recognized film creatures worldwide, resulting in a series of books, television programs, video games and more than 25 films worldwide.  Legendary intends to approach the film and its characters in the most authentic manner possible.  The company will, in the near future, announce a filmmaker to helm the film for an intended 2012 release. The film will fall under the company’s co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros.  Toho will distribute the film in Japan.

“Godzilla is one of the world’s most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise,” said Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary. “Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see.  We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has.”

“Godzilla is a signature Japanese character which we have nurtured over the years. It is a great honor to reach an agreement with Legendary Pictures, the parent to many a blockbuster film, and we are delighted in rebooting the character together to realize its much anticipated return by fans from all over the world,” comments Hideyuki Takai, President of Toho Co., Ltd. “We are anxious to find out where Godzilla’s new stomping will take us.”

“Godzilla is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which Warner Bros. and our partners at Legendary are best known. We have enjoyed a great deal of success together to date and this newest opportunity represents yet another chance for us to collaborate on a property that is very clearly in their wheelhouse,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

In addition to Legendary, producers on the new film will be Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers. Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison will Executive Produce.