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Whether you need a Father’s Day gift for a monster-loving dad or want to class up your wardrobe beyond graphic horror tees, Fright-Rags has you covered with Godzilla polos.

Available in black, blue, grey, and green, each shirt features a subtle Godzilla embroidered on the left breast to quietly reminds everyone who’s the King of the Monsters.

The 3.5-ounce 100% polyester polo shirts feature a three-button placket and moisture-wicking and Uv protection performance.

Priced at $42, they’ll ship the week of July 11.

Godzilla celebrated its 70th anniversary last year and is more popular than ever, with Takashi Yamazaki currently writing a follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One for Toho.

Meanwhile, the next installment in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, in production for release on March 26, 2027. Grant Sputore (I Am Mother) is directing from a script by Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the...

The word “shin” not having the same meaning in English as it does in Japanese, Toho had provided an English title for their 2016 Godzilla film, Shin Godzilla – but I’ve never seen anyone call that movie by its official English title, Godzilla: Resurgence. Instead, it’s always just been Shin Godzilla, and will continue to be now that Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to the film with the intention of bringing it back to theatres on August 14th, with a home video release to follow. Variety notes that Gkids will be releasing the film “in its original Japanese language with subtitles, including restored text cards and a 4K remaster that has never before been released in North America.”

Directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, Shin Godzilla has the following synopsis: Make way for the ultimate homage to one of the most enduring legends of the big screen—Godzilla!

Roaaaar!! GKids Films has unveiled a brand new teaser trailer for the 4K remastered re-release of the other Japanese Gojira movie recently known as Shin Godzilla. This one originally debuted in 2016, opening in Japan and US the same year, also under the original title Godzilla: Resurgence. It was the first big Japanese reboot of Godzilla in a long time, and it was handed to iconic filmmakers Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi (who later went on to direct Shin Ultraman & Bullet Train Explosion) to re-imagine. So they gave us this strange, new, gilled lizard creature instead of the typical Gojira kaiju – it wasn't exactly a big hit in the US. After the immense success of Godzilla Minus One, GKids got their hands on a new 4K remaster and will give it another shot. With a re-release in US theaters this August. "Something has surfaced in Tokyo Bay..." As the Prime Minister pleads...

Godzilla in all his horrifying forms gets a new lease on life beginning August 14. Gkids announced plans to re-release 2016 giant monster movie Shin Godzilla in theaters in North America with a newly remastered 4K treatment. A new teaser trailer and poster debuted along with the announcement. Shin Godzilla 4K Remaster Teaser Trailer Shin Godzilla 4K movie poster Related: Godzilla x Kong: Supernova Stomps into Theaters on March 26, 2027 Hideaki Anno ( Rebuild of Evangelion ) and Shinji Higuchi ( Shin Ultraman ) directed Shin Godzilla . The film also features a script by Anno, music by Shiro Sagisu and cinematography by Kosuke Yamada. Gkids describes the story of Shin Godzilla : Something has surfaced in Tokyo Bay. As the Prime Minister of Japan pleads with the public to remain calm, a horrific creature of tremendous size makes landfall in the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Then it evolves. The government assembles a motley...

2016’s Shin Godzilla is stomping into theaters this August with a brand new 4K remaster courtesy of Gkids, who picked up North American distribution rights, Variety reports today.

Gkids will release Shin Godzilla in theaters on August 14, with a home release to follow.

The film will be released in its original Japanese language with subtitles, including restored text cards and a 4K remaster that has never before been released in North America. The announcement comes with a new teaser trailer and poster, below.

In Shin Godzilla, “The Prime Minister of Japan pleads with the public to remain calm after a horrific creature of tremendous size makes landfall in the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Then, it evolves. The government assembles a motley task force to combat the monster when an envoy from the US Department of State delivers a folder of classified documents. On its cover is...

Hold on to your hats, Godzilla fans, as the one of the best films in the franchise is finally headed back to U.S. theaters after nearly a decade thanks to Gkids, who have acquired the North American distribution rights to Shin Godzilla (a.k.a. Godzilla: Resurgence). Premiering back in 2016, the Toho film received a brief theatrical release in the United States thanks to then-rights holder Funimation, who distributed it across a limited number of screens during the month of October.

Per Variety, Shin Godzilla will hit theaters on August 14, but it remains unclear for just how long. The 4K release will feature the original Japanese language with subtitles and restored text cards, and after its theatrical run, a home video release will follow. This marks Gkids first release of anything Godzilla related since Toho acquired the company in 2024, and for President David Jesteadt, the timing couldn’t...

Gkids has acquired the North American distribution rights to “Shin Godzilla.”

The film is directed by Hideaki Anno (“Neon Genesis Evangelion” franchise) and Shinji Higuchi (“Shin Ultraman”) with a screenplay by Anno and visual effects by Higuchi. In the film, the Prime Minister of Japan pleads with the public to remain calm, after a horrific creature of tremendous size makes landfall in the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Then it evolves. The government assembles a motley task force to combat the monster when an envoy from the US Department of State delivers a folder of classified documents. On its cover is written “Godzilla.”

Gkids will release the 2016 feature in theaters on Aug. 14, with a home release to follow. The film distributor is set to release “Shin Godzilla” in its original Japanese language with subtitles, including restored text cards and a 4K remaster that has never before been released in North America.

Superman, which releases in theaters worldwide on July 11, is expected to be one of, if not The, blockbuster movie of the summer. Writer and director James Gunn took inspiration from a wide variety of comics, TV shows, and movies for the Dcu's first official film. But one of the biggest influences on Superman will definitely surprise you. Obviously, Gunn pulled from the extensive catalog of DC Comics, and even from past Superman movies, like Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. But the director was also inspired by some creature features, including Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One. But Gunn didn't look at the 2023 hit because of its kaiju. It was the human characters that James Gunn was interested in.

As part of the growing press tour for Superman, as DC Studios prepares for the film's release next month, James Gunn spoke to Japanese media outlet Cinema Today to promote the movie.

As the weekend approaches, it's time once again for the Bam Smack Pow team to bring you the biggest anime news of the past week. This week, we're ramping up to the Summer 2025 anime season with new trailers and information, and taking a look at a showcase of the career of the one of the most important figures in the history of anime.

More information about Dan Da Dan season 2

Last week, Bam Smack Pow reported that the Dan Da Dan movie Evil Eye trailer went live. The movie itself will be a special early look at the first three episodes of the anime's second season, released as a compilation movie. This week, the official trailer for the full season of the anime has been released, which you can watch above.

Also notable is the announcement from Netflix that "On The Way", the opening for Dan Da Dan season 2 will...

A rare piece of Studio Ghibli artwork by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno has been rediscovered and will soon make its public debut.

Per Oricon, the image is an original layout of the heavy cruiser Maya, intended for Studio Ghibli's landmark anime movie Grave of the Fireflies,which Anno worked on as a key animator ahead of its 1988 premiere. The artwork will be exhibited at the Takahata Isao Exhibition: The Man Who Planted Japanese Animation, which opens June 27 at Azabudai Hills Gallery and runs through Sept. 15. Anno's Maya layout will be presented alongside a harmony cel based on the sketch, which features a painterly technique "for greater realism, resembling fine art."

Rare Studio Ghibli Artwork Rediscovered for Grave of the Fireflies Image via Akiyuki Nosaka / Shinchosha / Isao Takahata / Studio Ghibli

When Anno's long-lost Studio Ghibli artwork makes its exhibition debut, it will be a part of a larger gallery...

When Gareth Edwards released his magically scaled reboot Godzilla in 2014, no one knew it would lead to a six-movie franchise and a compelling TV series on AppleTV+. Yet, that is precisely what has happened. And now, after much anticipation, a cryptic tweet from the MonsterVerse has confirmed that something new is coming.

As the franchise's official account confirms, the latest film in the Monarch collection is officially titled Godzilla x Kong: Supernova. Coming March 26, 2027 is a film directed by Grant Sputore (2019's I Am Mother) from a script by Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Michael Lloyd Green (also from I Am Mother). And it's clear that Godzilla and Kong will have a new major crisis on their hands.

Please stand by. Your call is very important to us.#GodzillaXKong: Supernova | Now in production. Only in theaters March 26, 2027

Report a Titan Sighting. Call (240) Mon-arch pic.

With roughly 30 million views in its first week of release, Netflix's brutal action film Havoc, starring Tom Hardy, topped the English-language top 10 list. The streamer's non-English list, on the other hand, was topped for the second time by the Dutch thriller iHostage. However, a couple of new releases claimed the second and third spots on the global top 10 list. At number three was the poorly reviewed Indian heist movie Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, but the number two spot was claimed by the much better-received Japanese thriller Bullet Train Explosion.

The movie scored a total of 12.3 million views in its first week on Netflix. It found spots inside the top 10 in as many as 80 countries, and was the number one movie of the week in four countries, including Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. A legacy sequel to the 1975 classic Bullet Train (not to be confused with the 2022 Brad Pitt...

Even at their most fantastical, high-concept blockbusters can prompt audiences to contemplate what might happen if their circumstances took place in real life. Frequently, the question is as simple as what would “actually” happen or how an individual would react if presented with a larger-than-life situation. But after watching local, national or even worldwide forces respond to an emergency or incident, it becomes easy — even natural — to compare that effort to what the characters in a movie do when they leap into action.

In that regard, “Bullet Train Explosion” meets a believability threshold that feels virtually unparalleled. Like his previous film “Shin Godzilla,” director Shinji Higuchi’s follow-up to the 1975 Japanese film “The Bullet Train” explores with meticulous and realistic detail what a bureaucratic response might be to, well, a scenario that’s likely only to happen in the movies. Even without a movie star fighting his way up and...

Bullet Train Explosion (新幹線大爆破 in Japanese) is a gripping Japanese action thriller directed by Shinji Higuchi, the visionary filmmaker behind the acclaimed Shin Godzilla. This film offers a modern reimagining of the 1975 Japanese classic The Bullet Train (Shinkansen Daibakuha). That original film served as inspiration for the 1994 Hollywood hit Speed. Bullet Train Explosion plunges audiences into a terrifying scenario: a state-of-the-art Shinkansen hurtling towards Tokyo with a bomb aboard, programmed to detonate if the train dares to slow down.

Bullet Train Explosion is a remake that refuses to be just a mere remake, delving into social conflicts and modernizing the 1975 classic.

However, politicians don’t fare well in this film.

Non-Stop to Danger: The High-Stakes Plot

Tension ignites with a chilling phone call to the Shinkansen General Operation Control Center. An anonymous caller, their voice masked by a modulator, reveals a deadly secret: a bomb has been planted aboard the Hayabusa No.

Netflix Japan will release Bullet Train Explosion on April 23, a modern retelling of the 1975 film The Bullet Train. Directed by Shinji Higuchi and starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, the film updates the original’s premise with a present-day setting, new characters, and large-scale practical effects. The timing coincides with Netflix’s tenth year of operations in Japan and reflects its efforts to back high-budget Japanese projects outside the anime space.

The film centers on a Tokyo-bound bullet train carrying passengers unaware of a planted explosive system. If the train’s speed drops below 100 kilometers per hour, the device will detonate. The bombers demand a ¥100 billion ransom while authorities and passengers alike scramble to respond. While the storyline draws direct influence from Junya Satō’s 1975 original, Bullet Train Explosion places stronger attention on those inside the train, pushing character decisions to the forefront.

Kusanagi plays one of several passengers facing immediate consequences as the situation unfolds.

Netflix is releasing Bullet Train Explosion on April 23, a new film by director Shinji Higuchi that updates the premise of the 1975 Japanese thriller The Bullet Train. The film centers on a Tokyo-bound bullet train rigged with a bomb set to detonate if the train drops below 100 kilometers per hour. As the vehicle speeds toward its destination, railway personnel, government officials, and a diverse set of passengers work to prevent catastrophe.

The film’s antagonist, whose identity remains concealed behind a voice modulator, demands ¥100 billion to disarm the device. Higuchi, known for his earlier work on Shin Godzilla and Doomsday: The Sinking of Japan, has a long history of incorporating public infrastructure into cinematic large-scale destruction. Trains have featured prominently in several of his past projects, including Shin Godzilla, where a Keikyu line train is destroyed, and Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, which marked his breakout in the world of tokusatsu special effects.

Japanese filmmaker Shinji Higuchi finds beauty in bullet trains specifically so he can destroy them on screen, a creative paradox that defines his latest film, Netflix’s “Bullet Train Explosion,” and much of his celebrated career.

“The order, the precision that it symbolizes and something that’s stable… That’s something that I’m drawn to, and because I love it so much, I want to destroy it,” Higuchi tells Variety about the Japan-set film at Netflix’s Apac showcase in Tokyo.

The film’s central premise is that bombs are rigged to detonate instantly if the titular train’s speed drops below 100 km/h. The bomber demands JPY100 billion ($660 million) as ransom to disarm the explosive device, triggering a desperate race against time for crew, passengers and railway personnel.

Prior to “Bullet Train Explosion,” Higuchi established himself as a master of tokusatsu filmmaking, with trains frequently appearing in his destructive setpieces.

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Gremlins 2 Toys from Super7

Battle-ready Gizmo (with bow and arrow) and Mohawk from Gremlins 2 are joining Super7’s ReAction Figures line.

Priced at $22, the 3.75″ scale retro-style toys are expected to arrive next month.

Freddy’s Dead Shirt from Gutter Garbs

Gutter Garbs saved the best for last with a Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare design by Sam Coyne.

T-shirts ($32), long sleeves ($40), hoodies ($55), and 12×18 posters ($30) are available through Sunday, April 20, and will ship the week of May 18.

Shin Godzilla Figure from Nonoblock

Nanoblock is releasing a Godzilla constructible figure based on the King of the Monsters’ appearance in Shin Godzilla.

The 300-piece Lego-style toy stands 3.75” tall. Due out in May, it costs $17.99.

Psycho Shirt from...

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound, Godzilla will be stomping back into theaters sooner than later. Following a report from Bloomberg Japan (originally posted in Japanese), as part of a $800 million-dollar plan to promote and increase its international reach, Toho has announced that a direct sequel to 2023's Godzilla Minus One is in the works. It was previously reported in November 2024 that Toho had greenlit a new Godzilla movie to follow up on Minus One, but not that would be a direct sequel.

That initial announcement of a Minus One follow-up also included the information that director Takashi Yamazaki would be returning. Although we now know that Yamazaki's new movie will be a direct sequel, no further plot details or an expected release date have been announced. However, it's possible to make an educated guess about the date. We know that the deal in place between Toho...

Pop quiz, hot shot: There’s a bomb on a bullet train. If the Shinkansen drops below 100 kilometers per hour, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do!?

Well, one thing you don’t do is confuse “The Bullet Train Explosion” for a “Speed” remake set in a country with a functional public transportation system. For one thing, this sleek Netflix spectacle is actually a remake of the 1975 Ken Takakura/Sonny Chiba vehicle that inspired “Speed,” even though “The Bullet Train” was itself a response to American disaster films like “Earthquake” and “The Towering Inferno” (pour one out for free trade).

For another thing, Shinji Higuchi’s glossy new version — as fawning toward the East Japan Railway Company as the “Shin Godzilla” director’s kaiju movies have been skeptical of the Japanese government — isn’t fueled by unleaded suspense so much as it is by the sheer...

Another week has come and gone, so that means it's time once again for Bam Smack Pow team to bring you the most important anime news of the week that was. This past week featured several major anime debuts and returns. Keep reading below for the all details and the places to watch these debuting and returning anime series.

Before we get into the rest of the week's major anime news stories, a quick reminder that we previously reported that One Piece has returned for its lengthy production hiatus. The One Piece anime had been on hiatus since the fall with the conclusion of part one of the Egghead Island arc. As of Saturday, April 6 with the streaming debut of episodes 1123 and 1124, One Piece is back, bringing fans around the world the second half of the Egghead Island arc. New episodes go live on Saturdays and stream first for international audiences on Crunchyroll.

Netflix has released their full lineup of new arrivals for April 2025 this morning, and we’re here to shine the spotlight on the horror highlights of next month’s wave of fresh content.

First up and most notably, Charlie Brooker’s “Black Mirror” Season 7 debuts on Netflix on April 10, with six brand new episodes including a sequel to “USS Callister.”

“Black Mirror” Season 7 features Awkwafina, Will Poulter, Milanka Brooks, Peter Capaldi, Emma Corrin, Patsy Ferran, Paul Giamatti, Lewis Gribben, Osy Ikhile, Rashida Jones, Siena Kelly, Billy Magnussen, Rosy McEwen, Cristin Milioti, Chris O’Dowd, Issa Rae, Paul G. Raymond, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jimmi Simpson, and Harriet Walter.

Lose your mind. Lose your reality. This season, nothing is as it seems…

April 3 marks the premiere of brand new Netflix anime series “Devil May Cry,” of course based on the Capcom video game franchise. The series was created by Adi Shankar.

You can...

When you hear the name Studio Ghibli, you can’t help but envision those gorgeous hand-drawn animations, fantastical worlds, and tales that truly pull at your heartstrings. Founded by the incredible Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the studio has been a staple of animated films for decades, providing us with such classics as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and My Neighbor Totoro.

Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo is the only Ghibli short live-action film. | Credit: Studio Ghibli

However, what many fans don’t realize is that Studio Ghibli has already dipped its toes into live-action filmmaking. Unlike the grand two-hour animated epics for which the studio is known, this venture into live-action is a mere nine minutes long. It’s called Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo, and it’s a completely different setting than one would associate with Ghibli, offering a terrifying vision of destruction that feels more...

Shonen manga tend to be some of the most mainstream and popular in the industry, and this is extended to their anime adaptations. On the other hand, seinen manga don't quite have the same appeal, namely due to them being intended for older audiences. However, there's currently one manga for this demographic that could find more mainstream success, especially if it's adapted.

Science fiction manga Snowball Earth has been running for four years, and in that time, it's begun to attract some major attention. The story combines elements from several popular genres of anime and manga, namely some big hits from the past few years. While an anime adaptation hasn't even been so much as hinted at yet, it's only a matter of time before it's produced to build upon the success of the manga.

Snowball Earth Remixes Shonen Elements The Underrated Sci-Fi Manga Is Seinen by Way of Shonen...

"Shin Godzilla" stands tall as one of the original kaiju's greatest movies ever. Though the massive international success of the subsequent "Godzilla Minus One" may have stolen its thunder a bit, "Shin Godzilla" is a totally different beast — a send-up of ineffectual political bureaucracy loaded with dark comedy, but also featuring one of the most truly horrifying versions of Godzilla ever put to screen.

Less a radioactive lizard and more an eldritch monstrosity of true cosmic terror, the Godzilla of "Shin" morphs multiple times throughout the film, starting as an unsettling, unsightly amphibian crawling on its belly and eventually working its way up to a fully upright creature with massive spines and the most deadly heat ray ever seen in the franchise. The monster's four forms show a clear escalation in power and size, but the film also teases a fifth form that would have come about had the...

From Shin Godzilla co-director Shinji Higuchi, Bullet Train Explosion crashes onto Netflix on April 23.

Go off the rails with the explosive teaser trailer below.

The film is a modern remake of the 1975 Japanese action thriller The Bullet Train, which inspired the ’90s hit Speed.

A tense phone call comes into the Shinkansen General Operation Control Center. The caller claims that a bomb has been planted on the Hayabusa No. 60 bound for Tokyo, and it will explode as soon as the speed of the Shinkansen train drops below 100 km/h.

The caller demands 100 billion yen to disarm the bomb. A battle unfolds as the crew, passengers, and railroad workers race against time to avert disaster.

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi leads an ensemble that includes Kanata Hosoda, Non, Jun Kaname, Machiko Ono, Hana Toyoshima, Daisuke Kuroda, Satoshi Matsuo, Suzuka Ohgo, Matsuya Onoe, Naomasa Musaka, Pierre Taki, Bando Yajuro, and Takumi Saitoh.

Shin Godzilla assistant...

Shinji Higuchi, renowned for his dynamic storytelling and spectacular visuals as seen in “Shin Godzilla,” is gearing up to release his latest thriller, “Bullet Train Explosion,” on April 23. This modern-day reboot of the classic film stars Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, marking another collaboration with Higuchi since their last project, “Doomsday: The Sinking of Japan.”

Set aboard the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa No. 60 en route to Tokyo, the film thrusts viewers into a high-stakes scenario where a bomb will detonate if the train’s speed falls below 100 km/h.

The teaser trailer offers a glimpse of the action, showcasing impressive VFX where the train shudders violently, hinting at an explosive crisis. As the conductor, played by Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, announces the danger, a desperate race against time begins, involving the crew, passengers, and the Shinkansen General Operation Control Center.

The film features a diverse cast alongside Kusanagi, including Kanata Hosoda as conductor Fujii and Non as the driver Matsumoto.

"I will never stop it." Netflix has revealed a fantastic teaser trailer for an action thriller movie from Japan titled Bullet Train Explosion, arriving to watch pretty soon in April. This is a surprise remake / reboot of the 1975 Japanese action classic Bullet Train, which many action filmmakers have been influenced by. It's the brand new modern Japanese update like Shin Godzilla, and yep, it's even directed by the same guy who co-directed Shin Godzilla, and made the most recent Shin Ultraman. When panic erupts on a Tokyo-bound bullet train (known as Shinkansen) planted with a bomb that will explode if it slows below 100 km/h, the authorities race against time to save everyone. There's also an superb new poster showing Takaichi standing before the burning Hayabusa No. 60 train, capturing the extreme tension. Starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, with Kanata Hosoda, Non, Jun Kaname, Machiko Ono, Hana Toyoshima, and Daisuke Kuroda. This has some incredible footage,...

Netflix has revealed the complete ensemble cast and first teaser for “Bullet Train Explosion,” the upcoming thriller from “Shin Godzilla” co-director Shinji Higuchi.

While Tsuyoshi Kusanagi had previously been announced in the role of conductor Takaichi, the streaming giant has now disclosed the full roster of talent joining the project. Boarding the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa No. 60 alongside Kusanagi are Kanata Hosoda as conductor Fujii, Non as driver Matsumoto, Machiko Ono as House of Representatives member Kagami, Jun Kaname as entrepreneurial YouTuber Todoroki, and Hana Toyoshima as student Yuzuki Onodera.

The supporting cast features passengers from diverse backgrounds, creating a cross-section of society trapped in the high-speed crisis. Takumi Saitoh completes the main cast as Kasagi, the general commanding officer of the Shinkansen General Operation Control Center coordinating rescue efforts.

Netflix’s newly released teaser showcases the film’s central premise: a bomb rigged to detonate instantly if the train’s speed drops below 100 km/h.

There have been several dozen films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, going strong and releasing multiple films almost every year since its beginning in 2008. The McU's overwhelming volume has inspired several conversations by pundits and critics, wherein they ponder the series as one of the longest-running in cinema history. It is, of course, by no means the longest. Indeed, a close study of cinema history will immediately reveal film franchises that handily outstrip it.

One might immediately think of Godzilla, for instance, a film series that has been chugging along pretty steadily since its debut in 1954. To date, there have been 38 feature films (in both Japan and America) in the "Godzilla" franchise. Some deep-cut kiddie-entertainment enthusiasts may be able to recall that there are already 43 animated movies to star Mattel's Barbie, and that's not even counting Greta Gerwig's live-action blockbuster. Those 43 movies were made between 2001 and the present.

Netflix has revealed its 2025 slate of Japanese films and television series, with the streamer offering a rich mix of period series, action films and intriguing unscripted offerings.

The standout highlight from the lineup, and a potential breakout global hit, is the period series Last Samurai Standing. The series hails from filmmakers Michihito Fujii, Kento Yamaguchi and Toru Yamamoto and could appeal to fans of both FX’s Shogun and Netflix’s Squid Game with its survivalist premise and period setting. Junichi Okada leads the cast in this story that takes place at the tail end of the samurai era in Japan and is about 292 warriors who are invited to compete to the death for a cash prize. Last Samurai Standing is an adaptation of Shogo Imamura’s novel Ikusagami, which has already been adapted into a popular manga series.

‘Last Man Standing’

Hirokazu Koreeda’s Asura is among the streamer...

Following the United States premiere of the new 2K restoration as part of New York City’s Japan Society over the weekend, Hideaki Anno’s first live-action feature-length film, “Love and Pop,” is headed to North American theaters for the first time via GKids.

The movie, based on the novel by Ryū Murakami, was originally released in 1998 but never had a North American release. The new 2K restoration will be “presented with technical adjustments made to its format,” since it was originally captured by consumer-grade handheld digital cameras. The film will be released at the IFC Center in New York City starting Feb. 21 and at the American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3 starting Feb. 23. Additional markets will follow.

“Love and Pop” is described, in the official release as “radical in its stylistic approach to teenage ennui, taking to the seedy streets of Shibuya with handheld digicams, distorted lenses and a barrage of unconventional camera angles.

Godzilla Minus One is one of the best entries in the Godzilla franchise and its unbeatable dominance continues. After scoring an Oscar in 2024, the film scored yet another big award.

The Japanese epic fantasy film was one of the titles to take home an award at the 52nd annual Saturn Awards, which took place on Sunday, Feb. 2. Some of the biggest winners were Dune: Part Two, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Deadpool & Wolverine. The awards honor the best in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and Godzilla Minus One scored the award for Best International Film, as announced by the Saturn Awards.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Saturn Awards (@saturnawards)

RelatedGodzilla x Kong Director Recruits Another Monsterverse Star for Next Movie

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire director Adam Wingard adds another Monsterverse star to the cast of his upcoming A24 horror film.

Godzilla Minus One's world premiere was on Oct.

The Godzillafranchise has been drawing crowds to movie theaters since 1954. Between the Japanese and American entries in the film series, nearly forty feature-length movies starring Godzilla have been produced. For a wide range of reasons, some of these installments have grossed far more financially successful than others.

Godzilla's recent films have been hits at the box office, but plenty of the King of the Monsters' older movies performed well, too. Comparing them may not seem fair due to the many cultural and economic changes that have affected the performance of films over the decades, but the numbers are what they are. The original Godzilla may have only grossed 2.25 million dollars, but multiple newer entries in the franchise have grossed over half a million dollars, ensuring that the series won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Godzilla 2000: Millennium Began a New Era of the Franchise

Along with being the...

Hayao Miyazaki, the mastermind behind Studio Ghibli’s classics, is celebrated for creating enchanting worlds while addressing profound societal issues. Beyond his cinematic accomplishments, Miyazaki’s upfront views on global politics, cultural upheavals, and Japan’s changing place on the global stage often reveal his profound beliefs.

In a rare 2016 interview with Mbs TV, Miyazaki discussed Donald Trump’s unexpected rise to president, along with other topics like Japan’s military policy, Emperor Akihito’s abdication, and the cultural popularity of films such as Your Name and Godzilla Resurgence.

Hayao Miyazaki’s reaction to Donald Trump’s presidency

During the 2016 interview with Mbs TV, when asked if he expected Donald Trump to win the U.S. presidential election, Miyazaki’s response was straightforward “No, I didn’t. I think it’s a terrible thing.”

Hayao Miyazaki | Credit: 大臣官房人事課 via Wikimedia Commons

His disappointment echoed the shock felt worldwide following Trump’s victory at the time.

A new Godzilla card game is coming out this year. The iconic kaiju Godzilla has found increased popularity in recent years thanks to the Oscar-winning Godzilla: Minus One and the popular Hollywood blockbuster Monsterverse movies made by Legendary Pictures. With a sequel to Godzilla: Minus One on the way and the Monsterverse continuing to chug along, it seems like Godzilla's stock has never been bigger—which is saying something given that the monster stands over 400 feet tall.

Bushiroad has announced new details about its Godzilla Card Game, which was quietly announced late last year. The new card game will be released simultaneously in Japanese and English, with a planned release date of July 2025. The initial game will feature two starter decks and a new booster pack line. While few details have been released in English, the card game features cards that use stills from various movies (ranging from classic...

Godzilla has been everything from an anthropomorphic anti-hero to global force of destruction and back again, but his roots have always been in horror as a dark metaphor for the dangers of nuclear war. Godzilla's original appearance in 1954's Godzilla has typically been viewed as a horror movie, given its dark subject matter and the wanton destruction of Godzilla's attacks. However, in the following years of the period recognized as the Showa Era, Toho's Godzilla evolved into a borderline silly character as they moved the character towards family-friendliness.

Since the end of the Showa Era, Godzilla's alignment has shifted between being a villain and an anti-hero, with many subsequent films choosing to ignore everything except the events of the iconic original Godzilla movie. As a result, some Godzilla movies are darker than others, with many hearkening back to the radioactive lizard's roots in horror. Ten of Godzilla's 38 movies in...

While more recent Godzilla movies have revisited the terrifying power, threat, and majesty of the radioactive lizard, his history is still filled with silly story lines and puzzling plot choices. Toho in particular returned Godzilla to his deadly, metaphorical roots with two of the most acclaimed movies in his 70-year career on the big screen: Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One. Legendary’s Monsterverse, on the other hand, has progressed from the gritty reintroduction of Big G in Godzilla (2014) to the comic book-level insanity of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.

To be clear, one of Godzilla’s most important features, and a big reason why he’s remained popular for so long, is his adaptability. He can serve as a powerful symbol of the horrors of nuclear war just as easily as he can act as a family-friendly merchandise inspiration. In fact, some of Godzilla's most memorable moments...

Dandadan has been serving one unique episode after another, and fans have been impressed with it for the most part. In episode 9, the anime debuted Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, which took almost everyone by surprise. In fact, the staff even went to extra lengths to include a Shin Godzilla reference.

Nessie in Dandadan episode 9 | Credits: Science Saru

It was a fun episode with a battle against Serpos, and the action sequences were also extremely well depicted. But fans did point out one thing that was a bit annoying about the episode, which has been a repetitive theme in the anime.

Dandadan‘s Green-Yellow Color Grading Received Negative Feedback Dandadan episode 9 in green-yellow color grading | Credits: Science Saru

Dandadan has always used different color gradings in its battle sequences in the anime. The very first encounter with the Serpos has a blue color grading, while Momo and Okarun’s final...

Godzilla has played the hero more often than not in his 70-year career on the silver screen, but in one classic Toho movie he was the villain while one of his biggest rivals saved the day. Godzilla began as a terrifying destructive force, acting as a metaphor for the horrors of nuclear war, but he quickly evolved into a more family-friendly heroic monster during the Showa Era of films. Some of the most underrated Godzilla movies returned him to his monstrous roots, and in one 33-year-old movie, that villainous status put him at odds with one of his greatest rivals.

Over the years, Toho has changed the alignment of many of its monsters, with very few exceptions. Mechagodzilla, for example, was an all-powerful alien weapon in his first two appearances before evolving into a human-made defense mechanism against the destruction of Godzilla on Earth. Mothra has never appeared as a true villain,...

Episode 8 of Dandadan has finally dropped, and it soon ended up becoming a massive game-changer! While the Serpo Arc of the series is about to start, and excitement is high among the fans for it, one particular moment from this week’s episode has already stolen the show.

Nessie from Dandadan | Credits: Science Saru

The animation studio has managed to pull off one of the most epic Easter eggs from the manga that has left everyone speechless. In a surprising twist, they referenced the iconic Shin Godzilla, which was vaguely hinted at in the manga! Right after coming from the masterclass adaptation in Episode 7, Studio Science Saru again stepped up their game this week.

Shin Godzilla Saved The Day For Dandadan! Nessie using the Shin Godzilla power beam | Credits: Science Saru

Studio Science Saru has really outdone itself with its innovative take on Dandadan Episode 8. By including an anime-original scene...

Kaiju No. 8 fans who cant wait for the Season 2 premiere in 2025 will soon have something to help contain their excitement. The rising Shonen Jump anime action series is receiving an exclusive lineup of extraordinary apparel from one of the most respected brands in anime clothing.

Via an exclusive press release, Atsuko has announced its brand-new line of themed anime apparel. This collaboration between Kaiju No. 8 and Atsuko includes four distinct clothing items based on the hit Shonen Jump series: a Kaiju No. 8 Black Tee (Msrp: $40), a Kaiju No. 8 Sweater Vest (Msrp: $75), a Kaiju Defense Bomber Jacket (Msrp: $150) and Kaiju No. 8 Parachute Pants (Msrp: $90). Anime fans can purchase the clothing via the official Atsuko website.

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Godzilla has fought countless monsters in his 70 years on the silver screen, some of which he played a direct or indirect role in creating. While there have been several major iterations of Godzilla over the decades, the original Godzilla who attacked Tokyo in 1954 has had a lasting legacy throughout the different eras of the radioactive lizard. While the main timeline of Toho's Godzilla franchise has been reset many times, the original Godzilla is often acknowledged, and sometimes used as an explanation for how the latest of Godzilla's many foes came to exist.

While Godzilla himself has never actively attempted to create a monster, his energy, his cells, and even the weapons used against him have resulted in the origin of some of the most powerful creatures that Godzilla has ever faced. Simply the fear of Godzilla has resulted in the creation of several of his most powerful foes. The...

2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the first on-screen appearance of the one and only Godzilla, and with that timing, it's worth revisiting some of the most underrated movies in his filmography. Godzilla's history is loaded with classics that G-fans universally appreciate, like Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Mothra vs. Godzilla. The radioactive lizard has also seen a revival in recent years, with Legendary's Monsterverse smashing box office records and Toho's Godzilla: Minus One winning an Oscar. However, some of the best Godzilla movies have fallen out of the public consciousness and deserve more love.

Godzilla's cinematic history has historically been broken out into different "eras" that each carry their own distinct tone and aesthetic, and each era boasts movies of varying popularity. Each era has at least one or two movies that tend to rise to the top in Godzilla movie rankings, but as a result,...

Takashi Yamazaki, director of the film ‘Godzilla Minus One’ offers,” and revealed, “I can’t tell you what offers they were. I turned them down, crying tears of blood, because they were making a new Godzilla movie.”

Also on stage, footage from their attendance at New York Comic Con in the US was shown, along with special footage shown there. Director Yamazaki reminisced about the reaction of local fans at the screening of Godzilla 1.0, saying, “The fans over there seemed to love the parachute scene. They stood up and got really excited.“

He also smiled as he recalled the overseas reaction, saying, “It seems they also like steady fighting styles like Operation Wadatsumi. Even the president of Marvel told me that. He said, ‘We all have meetings every day about whether we can create a plot development like that.‘”

Furthermore, video messages from Kamiki Ryunosuke and Hamabe Minami , who starred in “Godzilla 1.0,...

We have some news that's sure to make kaiju fans very happy indeed.

After bringing the monstrously successful and critically-acclaimed Godzilla Minus One to the screen, Takashi Yamazaki is set to return as writer, director, and VFX supervisor on the next Japanese Godzilla movie.

Toho International (via SFFGazette.com) made the news official, but details are practically non-existent for the time being. We have no idea if this movie will be a direct sequel to Minus One or a brand-new outing for the legendary King of the Monsters.

The ending of Minus One did leave the door open for a follow-up, with a mysterious black mark starting to form on Noriko's neck, and the destroyed (or so we thought) Godzilla beginning to reform in the depths of the ocean.

Minus One went on to become the highest-grossing Japanese Godzilla film of all time, taking in over $116 million worldwide on a reported budget of $15 million.

Last year, Toho released a new Godzilla film, titled Godzilla Minus One (read our review Here), in Japan on November 3rd, which happens to be Godzilla Day, the anniversary of the 1954 release of the original Godzilla movie. That was the 69th anniversary – and since this year marks the 70th anniversary of the original film, Godzilla Minus One is returning to theatres this weekend, with screenings starting on November 1st. There’s also a black & white version of Godzilla Minus One that’s called Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, and that version of the film is also returning to theatres for this celebration. To see if Godzilla Minus One and/or Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color will be showing near you this weekend, check out the Tickets.Godzilla website.

Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One sees an already devastated postwar Japan facing a new threat in the form of Godzilla.

One of Godzillas defining features from 70 years on the silver screen is his ability to adapt and transform from movie to movie, and hes not alone in that regard. The transformations that have marked Godzillas history have always been an important part of the metaphorical narrative surrounding him and his monstrous contemporaries. Godzilla has most often been portrayed as an animal or dinosaur altered and enlarged by nuclear radiation, so transformation is a core element of Godzillas entire origin story. His defining traitshis size and atomic breathare direct results of his original transformation.

In addition to Big G himself, many of the monsters in Godzilla's gallery of allies and enemies are also able to change their physical appearance to suit their needs. While transformation is a foundational aspect of some monsters like Mothra or Destoroyah, others have been able to transform only once in their cinematic history with Godzilla, and under very specific circumstances.

The Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise now has a "closed" book of canon, with the original anime series from the 1990s long since concluded and the Rebuild of Evangelion films having also finished in more recent years. The existence of the latter continuity inducts the brand into another "series," however, which explains why it's receiving its latest form of merchandise.

The new "Evangelion Unit-01 (Shin Japan Heroes Universe) Figure" is one of four statues making up a series that represents the Shin Japan Heroes. The others involve wildly disparate franchises that are now all connected by the creator behind the projects and the marketing prefix given to them. With the Unit-01 is simply one part of the equation, fans can go ahead and pre-order the pricey collectible from Good Smile Company to begin building their Shin Japan Heroes Universe collection.

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Its perhaps never been a better time to be a Godzilla fan than during the 2010s and now the 2020s, given the character is simultaneously appearing in both Japanese productions and large-scale blockbusters made in America. In the former camp, there are daring and usually quite intense disaster movies like Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One, while in the latter camp, there are the movies that make up the MonsterVerse.