Guide to Toho Film/TV Distributors

For the discussion of Toho DVDs, Blu-Rays, CDs, streaming services, VHS, and other formats where Toho films and soundtracks can be found.
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Tohosaurus
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Tohosaurus »

Companies like Universal would likely want their existing titles.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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Man, Thank you so much.
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John Pannozzi
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by John Pannozzi »

Universal has licensed a number of its titles to Shout Factory, so maybe we could get some nice Blu-rays from them in the future.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Chrispy_G »

I imagine the only way any one company COULD have all of the non WB/Legendary films would be if, for whatever reason, they actively decided to do it and perceived a value in being the 'home' of all of the films in terms of US distribution.

I think it would have to come from Funimation, they are on top of Shin Godzilla and I would assume are candidate #1 for the anime. They have business ties and distribution dealings with Universal. So they would have to extend some kind of olive branch to Universal as far as 'partnering' on the films Uni already has.

Then there would have to be a driving interest in actually picking up/buying out the remaining film rights from the Sony/Kraken/Lionsgate/Media Blasters of the world....

Sony has been in all sorts of trouble as a Studio lately and there are rumblings of the film division being shut down/sold and/or the assets being sold off.......IF that sort of thing happened, I suppose there could be an opening for all of their Godzilla titles to go elsewhere...
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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If FUNimation were wanting to be Godzilla's "home" in the US, they might've been interested Mechagodzilla, RoG, or SoG. At least that's my guess. Could be factors I don't know with those titles of course.

Would be nice though.

I wonder when Classic Media's titles expire.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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I believe that the U.S. version of Varan is public domain.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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MikeSTZillak wrote:I believe that the U.S. version of Varan is public domain.
Really? I would've thought even a US version would revert back to Toho. Is that the only Toho title (kaiju, at least) that is?
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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MikeSTZillak wrote:I believe that the U.S. version of Varan is public domain.
The Japanese version is not, and that is all that matters. An explanation is available here : http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/201 ... -will.html

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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I know that the dub of Godzilla vs. Biollante is property of either Miramax/Dimension Films, HBO Video, Echo Bridge, or Lionsgate.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by mikelcho »

One question: Does Sony own the theatrical and television rights to all three Rebirth of Mothra films? If so, then that needs to be updated because only Rebirth of Mothra II mentions this on the list.

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by MikeSTZillak »

Is Half-Human public domain now? I mean, Toho hasn't released since its theatrical release!
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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mikelcho wrote:One question: Does Sony own the theatrical and television rights to all three Rebirth of Mothra films? If so, then that needs to be updated because only Rebirth of Mothra II mentions this on the list.
Movies yes, TV and theatrical surely by extension, although I might have only specified what I knew.
MikeSTZillak wrote:Is Half-Human public domain now? I mean, Toho hasn't released since its theatrical release!
Toho simply declines to make it available. I'm sure there's a thread on all of that with the movie somewhere here on TK.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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MikeSTZillak wrote:Is Half-Human public domain now? I mean, Toho hasn't released since its theatrical release!
No, it is not, at least to the U.S. release because it was renewed within 28 years of its initial release date of 1957.

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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by Chrispy_G »

Interesting developments...Kinda sorta somewhat, I suppose.

We all know the whole timeline of - Classic Media has the 7 films from 54, 55, 64, 65, 69 and 75. Classic Media became the 'Dreamworks Classics' division of Dreamworks Animation...which was recently purchased by Universal Studios, who has North American rights to(Their version of) King Kong vs Godzilla.....effectively bringing 8 Godzilla titles(The first 6, 69, and 75) under the overall Universal umbrella.

Now there is this.
http://deadline.com/2017/07/sony-pictur ... 202139652/

Sony has the 12 films from 1991-2004, Funimation has Shin Godzilla. Now, in a sort of roundabout way, those 13 titles, in some capacity, are all under the overall Sony umbrella.

This could possibly open up an avenue for Funimation to have an opportunity to create new Dubs for those 12 films Sony has. Again, super mega-pipedream....and something I've harped on before. But now there is a sort of tenuous connection which could allow for something like that to happen....possibly.

Of course, interest in pursuing something like this would have to come from Funimation's end of things....if Shin Godzilla performs well for them, maybe they'll show interest in the Godzilla backlog, especially if they might be in a position where they don't have to bid for distribution rights and can just have access to them via Sony ownership.

65 year anniversary is coming up. Universal need to license their 8 films to Shout Factory, Funimation needs to jump all over the 13 titles Sony/Funimation has, and between the two, the other 7 stragglers need to grabbed up...and we need some awesome collector's edition Blu Rays :D
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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Chrispy_G wrote:Of course, interest in pursuing something like this would have to come from Funimation's end of things....if Shin Godzilla performs well for them, maybe they'll show interest in the Godzilla backlog, especially if they might be in a position where they don't have to bid for distribution rights and can just have access to them via Sony ownership.
I thought the same thing too, and it will be interesting to see what happens down the line. The good news is Shin Godzilla appears to have been a huge success for Funimation -- the limited release was extended more than a week and expanded to more theaters, and if Amazon's listings are anything to go by the preorders for the Bluray/DVD were exceptionally high.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by o.supreme »

Wow...haven't been here in over 2 years! Thanks for keeping this thread specifically updated. I'm hoping Shin Godzilla's apparent popularity on BRD/DVD will prompt other companies to seek production of the remaining seven Godzilla films, and other unreleased Toho Sci-Fi films on Blu Ray.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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o.supreme wrote:Wow...haven't been here in over 2 years! Thanks for keeping this thread specifically updated. I'm hoping Shin Godzilla's apparent popularity on BRD/DVD will prompt other companies to seek production of the remaining seven Godzilla films, and other unreleased Toho Sci-Fi films on Blu Ray.
Thanks,although in actuality I really must go through many of the less popular titles to check. There's probably a number of them OOP.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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GodzillaBurgh wrote:I know that the dub of Godzilla vs. Biollante is property of either Miramax/Dimension Films, HBO Video, Echo Bridge, or Lionsgate.
It absolutely is not "owned" by them. Where did you even hear such a thing? Toho commissioned the dub themselves in '89, and it was recorded in Hong Kong the same year..
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

Post by GodzillaBurgh »

Goji wrote:
GodzillaBurgh wrote:I know that the dub of Godzilla vs. Biollante is property of either Miramax/Dimension Films, HBO Video, Echo Bridge, or Lionsgate.
It absolutely is not "owned" by them. Where did you even hear such a thing? Toho commissioned the dub themselves in '89, and it was recorded in Hong Kong the same year..
I MEANT in terms of U.S. LICENSING & DISTRIBUTION, that's all.
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Re: Guide to Toho Film Distributors

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GodzillaBurgh wrote:
Goji wrote:
GodzillaBurgh wrote:I know that the dub of Godzilla vs. Biollante is property of either Miramax/Dimension Films, HBO Video, Echo Bridge, or Lionsgate.
It absolutely is not "owned" by them. Where did you even hear such a thing? Toho commissioned the dub themselves in '89, and it was recorded in Hong Kong the same year..
I MEANT in terms of U.S. LICENSING & DISTRIBUTION, that's all.
But that doesn't make any sense, nor is it true either. The dub is obviously licensed from Toho themselves, since they produced it, and own it.

I think I might know the source of your confusion though. When Echo Bridge were preparing the release, the employee who was posting here claimed that Toho didn't provide them with the dub, which implies that Toho don't have even have any dialogue stems for it, much less any kind of source (which still seems really unlikely to me; I personally think there was something lost in the translation when attempting to put this release together). They ended up having to rip the dub from the old HBO LaserDisc.
UltramanGoji wrote: Cranky because you got mad I implied GFW isn't a good movie aren't you
Chrispy_G wrote:I'll say it one last time, Trump wins in a landslide.
I'll gladly eat crow if it doesn't turn out that way....but at this point it feels painfully obvious, as it has for months.

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