Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/19/10 - Norman England Talks DEATH KAPPA, Toho Goes 3D And Lindsay Lohan (WTF)?

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Not too much to talk about on the Godzilla and Japanese monster movie front, but I did discover a couple of articles that I think that everyone will find interesting.

For starters, I have a new blog post from our dear friend, Norman England, where he talks a little bit about the "Death Kappa" premiere and some of the other movie projects he has been involved with over the past few weeks.

After that, there is an interesting article about how Toho is going to produce the first ever 3D film in Japan. No, it's not a monster movie. No, it's not a sci fi film, and, no, it's not a fantasy film. Oddly the studio who made a name for themselves by producing such films has opted to make an action movie in 3D, namely the third "Umizaru" film, which is about a coast guard rescue team.

Lastly I have a story about "Godzilla: Final Wars" director, Ryuhei Kitamura........well, actually the story is about gonzo actress, Lindsay Lohan, being cast in "Black Friday 3D", but Kitamura will be at the helm. Amazingly the plot sounds a little like the director's prior effort, "Sky High".....kinda. It's about vengeance...and a serial killer.....anyway.

Here we go:

Full Steam Ahead!

I don't know if this is a blog or simply a list of things I've done between time point A and time point B. I wouldn't mind writing more often and in more detail, if only time permitted. Not even sure where to begin...

Well, since my last entry, I attended two screenings at Imagica. The first was "Death Kappa," an upcoming giant monster film by director Tomoo Haraguchi. It was the premiere screening of the film and attended by the staff and cast. I was there finishing up my story on the film for Fangoria magazine.

I love watching films at Imagica. Nice, large, cushiony seats, a bright clear screen and some booming audio. As "Death Kappa" isn't a major release it was screened in the smaller theater on the lot, but even that's not bad. Still, the large theater is my favorite screen in Japan and I've seen a number of big films there over the years.

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Japan's 'Godzilla' studio enters 3D films
AFP

A major Japanese studio known for its "Godzilla" monster films plans to enter the booming 3D movie business this year with an adaptation of a manga series, it said Tuesday.

Recent Hollywood three-dimensional hits "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland" have scored huge success in Japan, whose first major domestically produced 3D film will be released in September, top distributor Toho Co. Ltd., said.

Toho will distribute the third installment in the live-action "Umizaru" series about coast guards to more than 400 theatres across Japan, starting September 18.

"It will be the first 3D production of a major Japanese film," a Toho spokesman said. A team led by major network Fuji Television was in charge of production and Toho would distribute the movie, he added.

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Lindsay Lohan Ready For 'Black Friday 3-D'?
Moviefone (blog) - Bryan Enk

'Black Friday 3-D' tells the story of a brother and his friends who seek revenge after his sister is brutally attacked, a journey that puts them in the path of a serial killer named Tyler Hillburg. The film will be directed by Ryuhei Kitamura ('The Midnight Meat Train,' 'Godzilla: Final Wars').

Read More

See Also: Godzilla In The News 05/13/10 - A Great Godzilla Retrospect, Godzilla Goes A Dancing?, And Bambi Didn't Have A Chance / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/11/10 - How Does King Kong vs Godzilla Rank Among Monster Battles? More Gamera And Kamen Rider DVD Stuff / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/06/10 - Rina Akiyama Rides The Metro To Promote Kamen Rider And Return Of Godzilla Actor Kei Satô Passes / Godzilla 2012 (And Gamera) In The News 05/06/10 - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Rumors / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/03/10 (Part 2) / Godzilla (And Friends) In The News 05/03/10 / Godzilla In The News 04/21/10 - Big G Influences Fashion And Music, Plus The Top 5 G Films According To CNN / Godzilla In The News 04/19/10 - Obama Worried Jolly Green Giant/Godzilla Conflict Could Destabilize Region / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/15/10 - The Angry Edition! / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/12/10 / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/08/10 / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/04/10 - Happy Easter! / Godzilla 2012 In The News 04/01/10 / Godzilla 2012 In The News 03/31/10

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"LEGENDARY PICTURES TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE BASED ON TOHO COMPANY’S ICONIC MONSTER, GODZILLA

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 coming back -- this time, with Legendary Pictures taking the lead, co-producing and co-financing with Warner Bros. for release in 2012.

Legendary announced Monday it had obtained rights to the iconic monster character from Japan's Toho Co., which has overseen more than 25 "Godzilla" films. Toho will release the pic in Japan.

Legendary said it's planning to announce a director shortly.

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 exec produce.

"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."

Legendary noted the film will fall under its co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Legendary's productions with Warners have included "The Dark Knight," "300" and "The Hangover."

Speculation about a new "Godzilla" has been active since last summer. The Bloody Disgusting web site reported in August that the project was in development.