News

Godzilla Anime Film Previewed in 2 New TV Ads

TOHO began streaming two new television commercials for the upcoming Godzilla anime film trilogy on Wednesday. The videos preview the action and characters of the first film.

The first film, Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (Godzilla: Kaijū Wakusei), will open in Japan on November 17, and then it will stream globally on the Netflix service this year.

The official website describes the first film's story:

The planet is beset by the emergence of colossal creatures that roam the earth, and king among them is “Godzilla”. For a half a century, these beasts engage in ferocious battle with each other and mankind. But humans, unable to compete, prepare for exile from their home planet. In the year 2048, a select few humans are chosen by the central government's artificial intelligence infrastructure to set out on an interstellar emigration vessel, the Aratrum, on an 11.9-lightyear journey for the planet Tau-e in the Cetus constellation. But when they arrive after 20 years of space travel, the remnants of mankind find the environmental conditions on Tau-e to be much different than expected, and basically uninhabitable by humans.

One youth on board the emigration vessel, Haruo, had seen his parents killed by Godzilla before his eyes when he was only 4 years old. Ever since, he has thought of nothing but returning to Earth to defeat Godzilla. With the doors to emigration now closed, Haruo and other crew spearhead a “return to Earth” decision despite severely attenuated and hazardous conditions on board for such a long trip back.

Somehow, the Aratrum makes the return journey in one piece, but the home they return to has become an alien planet. 20,000 years have elapsed, and a new ecosystem has emerged with Godzilla atop the food chain. Can mankind take back its native planet? Will Haruo get his revenge?

The films star:

Mamoru Miyano as Haruo Sakaki, the protagonist

Takahiro Sakurai as Metphies, the Exif alien who understands Haruo well

Kana Hanazawa as the heroine Yūko Tani, who grew up with Haruo after he was orphaned

Tomokazu Sugita as Martin Lazzari, an optimistic environmental biologist working with the military

Yūki Kaji as Adam Bindewald, a young landing ship pilot who respects Haruo

Junichi Suwabe as Mulu-Elu Galu-gu, a Bilsard alien

Daisuke Ono as Eliott Leland, Haruo's superior officer and military commander

Kenta Miyake as Rilu-Elu Belu-be, a Bilsard alien veteran soldier and Haruo's instructor

Kenyuu Horiuchi as Unberto Mori, emigrant spaceship Aratrum captain

Kazuya Nakai as Halu-Elu Dolu-do, a Bilsard alien patriarch riding Aratrum

Kazuhiro Yamaji as Endurph, an Exif alien riding Aratrum

The new kaijū "Servum" will also appear in the film.

Kobun Shizuno (Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare and other Detective Conan movies, Fist of the North Star: The Legend of Kenshirô, Fist of the North Star: The Legend of Toki) and Hiroyuki Seshita (Ajin, Knights of Sidonia) are directing the films at Polygon Pictures. Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, Psycho-Pass) of Nitroplus is credited with the story concept and screenplay. Urobuchi is also responsible for series composition with Yūsuke Kozaki.

Hiroyuki Morita is serving as assistant director, and Naohiro Yoshihira ("Tady") is the technical director. Naoya Tanaka and Ferdinando Patulli are production designers, and Yuki Moriyama is designing the characters in CG. Mitsunori Kataama is the model director. Yukihiro Shibutani is the art director, and Hironori Nochi is the color key artist. Satoshi Motoyama is the sound director. XAI will perform the film's theme song "White Out." Boom Boom Satellites bassist Masayuki Nakano is producing the song. The song will mark XAI's major debut after winning the the first ever Artist Award at the TOHO Cinderella audition last November.

The film also received a prequel novel on October 25, supervised by Gen Urobuchi.