Thursday, April 22, 2010

Run For Your Life! It's Godzilla!!...No...Wait It's A Crustacean

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: PhysOrg.com / Wikipedia

Okay Godzilla fans, listen up! I'm going to run three names by you, and you tell me what I'm talking about?

1. Pleomothra
2. Godzillius robustus
3. Godzilliognomus

No, they are not the names of three new monsters from the upcoming American Godzilla film, and no, they are not the names of three new monsters from a new Japanese Godzilla movie.

Give up? Okay, that was kinda hard because those are the Latin names for what I'm talking about. Here are the English names.

1. Swimming Mothra
2. Strong Godzilla
3. Gnome Godzilla

Okay, I bet ya got a guess now. They're new Bandai Godzilla figures or some other form of Godzilla toys right?

Wrong!

Okay, I'll tell you. The 'Swimming Mothra', 'Strong Godzilla' and 'Gnome Godzilla' are three forms of crustaceans (Remipedia) that belong to the 'Godzilliidae' species.

I know that half of you just went 'huh....what?'

Crustaceans....you know.....like shrimp, lobsters and crabs...crustaceans.

Here's some info from Wiki:

Members of this group (Remipedia) are colourless with a head and up to forty-two similar body segments composing an elongate trunk. The swimming appendages are lateral on each segment, and the animals swim on their backs. They are generally slow-moving. They have fangs connected to secretory glands; it is still unknown whether these glands secrete digestive juices or poisonous venom, or whether remipedes feed primarily on detritus or on living organisms. They have a generally primitive body plan in crustacean terms, and have been thought to be a basal, ancestral crustacean group. However, Fanenbruck et al. (2004) showed that at least one species, Godzilliognomus frondosus, has a highly organised and well-differentiated brain, with a particularly large olfactory area which is a common feature for species that live in dark environments. The size and complexity of the brain suggested to Fanenbruck et al. that Remipedia might be the sister taxon to Malacostraca, regarded as the most advanced of the crustaceans. This is also one of the reasons why it is included in the Pancrustacea hypothesis, a hypothethical clade of probably the most advanced Mandibulata.

Hey check it out! The one named after Godzilla is the 'smart' one!

Come to find out that the scientists who named these babies were all Godzilla movie fans.....small world.

I'm certain that this all has to do with the fact that Godzilla actually fought a giant crustacean, Ebirah, in "Godzilla Versus The Sea Monster" (Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Great Duel in the Southern Seas), "Godzilla's Revenge" and "Godzilla: Final Wars."

Godzilla fans are everywhere! Trust me.
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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.