Toho planning to build a Godzilla cinematic universe in the 2020s

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Godzilla 2000

When the 1998 American GODZILLA film was in the works, Japanese company Toho intended to let their GODZILLA franchise sit dormant while an American franchise played out. Instead, that '98 film was poorly received and Toho had to bring the real Godzilla back in GODZILLA 2000 the following year. 

Now Legendary is using their 2014 American GODZILLA film as the foundation of a cinematic "MonsterVerse" that also includes KONG: SKULL ISLAND, the upcoming GODZILLA sequel, and the 2020 crossover event GODZILLA VS. KONG… But this time Toho isn't just sitting back and letting the Americans have their fun. They're making their own Godzilla projects at the same time, producing a trilogy of anime films – GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS, the newly released GODZILLA: CITY ON THE EDGE OF BATTLE, and the upcoming GODZILLA: EATER OF STARS (that title has yet to be confirmed) – as well as a live action film that presented a very different version of the Godzilla creature, SHIN GODZILLA.

SHIN GODZILLA seemed to slip through some sort of contractual loophole, as one of the film's directors revealed that Toho wouldn't be allowed to make another live action Godzilla movie "until after 2020" – in other words, not until after Legendary's MonsterVerse has reached its crossover climax.

In a recent interview with the Japanese publication Nikkei Style, Toho's "Chief Godzilla Officer" Keiji Ota revealed what the future holds for their GODZILLA franchise. It doesn't include a sequel to SHIN GODZILLA, but it does involve the building of their own new "MonsterVerse".

…after 2021, we're thinking of a potential strategy that [releases] Godzilla movies uninterrupted at a rate of every 2 years, although there is a preference for a yearly pace as well. 

The future of the series and its forwarding developments are very conscious of the method of "shared universe". Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, etc. could all share a single world view much like a Marvel movie where Iron Man and the Hulk can crossover with each other. It is said that each movie can be a possible film production where any one of them could lead a film of their own as the titular character.

SHIN GODZILLA was a huge hit, but instead of thinking of doing the obvious idea of making a SHIN GODZILLA 2, instead think about a world that can be used for a long time, I'd rather make a World of Godzilla."

(Translation provided by Gormaru Island.)

I don't see any negative side to this "World of Godzilla" idea. New Godzilla films coming out every one or two years, as well as new films for his fellow kaiju, all of them existing in the same universe… That sounds like a return to the kaiju glory days, and I'm all for that. Give me nineteen new Godzilla and related movies over the course of ten years, like Marvel just did with their AVENGERS series.

Source: Godzilla-Movies

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.