U.S.-Japan Collaboration: Godzilla
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Godzilla is a monster among monsters! An unprecedented blockbuster created with an abundance of knowledge and budget from Japan and the U.S.! A new history of monster movies begins!
(ゴジラは怪獣の中の怪獣！日・米の知恵と費用をふんだんに使って描く空前の超大作！怪獣映画の新しい歴史が始まる！) |
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— Tagline advertised in Toho's 1978 release lineup |
U.S.-Japan Collaboration: Godzilla (日米合作 ゴジラ Nichibei Gassaku: Gojira) was the tentative name given to a planned 1978 Godzilla film collaboration between Toho Eizo, Toho Pictures, and Henry G. Saperstein's H.G. Saperstein & Associates. Though little information was given of the project in Toho's 1978 release lineup, it is commonly believed to be tied to Godzilla vs. Gargantua, a story treatment written by Reuben Bercovitch for a movie involving Godzilla battling a Gargantua not unlike those which appeared in Saperstein's earlier co-production The War of the Gargantuas.
Plot
The film's plot is unknown.
History
U.S.-Japan Collaboration: Godzilla is one of the ideas proposed during the late 1970s and early 1980s when no new Godzilla films were produced. The idea was promoted by UPA Productions' chief Henry G. Saperstein, who had been involved in the creation of Frankenstein vs. Baragon, Invasion of Astro-Monster, and The War of the Gargantuas. In his article "Godzilla's American Cousin" from FILMFAX #45, Stuart Galbraith IV mentions "a live action film that would have pitted Godzilla against a Gargantua" and an animated Godzilla movie as among "several projects" which Toho and Saperstein tried putting together.[1]
Saperstein's friend Reuben Bercovitch was to pen a treatment of the tale, and the budget for the production had been set at $6 million: a very high amount of money for a Godzilla film at the time.[2]
Despite the American involvement, the concept never materialized past the planning stages and Godzilla's career hiatus continued.
Gallery
A page from FILMFAX #45 (June-July 1994) mentioning an unmade "Godzilla vs. Gargantua" project (center-bottom to top right)
Trivia
- Although Godzilla vs. Gargantua was never made, Godzilla did ultimately face off with Sanda and Gaira in the comic series Godzilla: Rulers of Earth in 2014. The 1985 book Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction also featured an illustration titled "Dream Monster Showdown 2: Godzilla vs. Sanda and Gaira."
- In 2020, Steven Sloss adapted Godzilla vs. Gargantua for the first episode of the fan audio drama series Godzilla Unmade.[3]
References
This is a list of references for U.S.-Japan Collaboration: Godzilla. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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