Toho Doesn’t Care About Hollywood, Their Own ‘Godzilla’ Movie Set For 2016

Consider this proof that even if Hollywood decides to launch their own franchise based on something outside of it, that is no reason the originators can still do their own thing. F*ck everyone else.

HeroTaku has reported that Toho — the original studio behind the 1954 classic Gojira — will produce their own Godzilla film, bouncing off the success of this year’s Godzilla from Legendary Pictures.

Earlier this year at G-Fest false rumors began to spread about Toho would be working on reviving Godzilla for Japanese audiences… Now, as of today this rumor is a reality since Toho expects to release a new Godzilla film in 2016. This will be Toho’s first Godzilla in 12 years, since the 50th Anniversary when they released Godzilla Final Wars. The reason behind Toho’s new Godzilla is none other than due to the success of Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla, and heightened fan support! Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla directed by Gareth Edwards has proved to be an amazing success opening in 63 countries and earning over $470 million worldwide.

HeroTaku goes on to say that Toho is assembling the staff now and shooting is projected to go from summer to fall in 2015.

This is kind of amazing. Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla was pretty phenomenal in its own right, but in the current movie climate there’s an unwritten rule (I’m assuming, I’m sure there are lawyers who like to get in the way of these things) that a Hollywood franchise from something pretty not Hollywood is suspended when the Hollywood franchise still has legs. That Toho found some way to continue doing their own Godzilla concurrently with the Hollywood series is awesome.

But not unprecedented. The infamous 1998 Godzilla was the Hollywood product that ran in the midst of Toho’s Godzilla series, with Godzilla 2000 coming after. Yet, the big difference here is time. In 2014, almost everyone can know about everything if they want. Everything intersects with everything. Trailers and information about Toho’s Godzilla might run on the same websites that will also cover Legendary Pictures’ version.

For fans of the genre and of the Big G himself, this is a great time to be ecstatic.