Via Variety, Toho announced that it is teaming up with Polygon Pictures on the Godzilla anime, which doesn’t now have a subtitle. Now, Godzilla owner Toho Studios is looking to do even more with the radioactive lizard by having him star in his first anime film. Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita are directing the movie from a script by popular graphic novel and anime movie writer Gen Urobuchi. As of right now, the film is simply titled Godzilla, with only a generic sci-fi teaser image providing any clues as to what the film might be about.
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Toho Animation is preparing this animated feature for theatrical release sometime next year via Polygon Pictures (Star Wars: The Clone Wars). We can add animation to the new wave of Godzilla properties, as a Godzilla anime has been announced for 2017 release. With the first Godzilla film released in 1954, the 29 features in the live-action franchise have collectively sold upwards of 100 million tickets in Japan. That series was followed by Toho’s “Godzilla: The Series”, which was based on the 1998 feature film and aired on Fox Kids for two seasons.
It’s a tonal decision that’s apparently resonated with audiences, as Shin Godzilla has become a huge hit in Japan, with its box office revenue already surpassing that of Legendary Pictures’ 2014 Godzilla. Legendary Pictures is now planning to release Godzilla 2 in 2019, and Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020.
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Godzilla made its anime debut earlier this year in a crossover episode with anime series Crayon Shin-chan, which aired on Japanese television on July 22.
