Was Toho Unhappy with Shusuke Kaneko (over GMK)?

[StriderSubzero]

I apologize if this has been discussed before, but I was just curious about Kaneko's involvement with GMK. I'm pretty unaware of box office sales in Japan, so I have no idea if GMK was "successful" in that regard—my question was regarding Kaneko's "re-imagining" of some of the Toho characters, especially Godzilla's origin and the darker take on the story as a whole. Did Toho dislike the final product, or was there a backlash in Japan against this take on the story? It just seems strange that Shusuke Kaneko only directed one film, and then was never involved again. Or was that the plan all along?

[Smuggers]

It was the highest grossing millennium film.
He didn't direct another because he was busy.

[Xx_The_Masquerade_xX]

From what i remember hearing if i'm correct is that the director himself was upset with Toho because he wanted to use to other lesser known monsters then Mothra an King Ghidorah but Toho wouldn't allow it an forced him to use them due to there popularity.

Though i'm pretty sure since it was pretty much the only real successful G-film of the millennium era films Toho was pleased with the end result.

[Arbok]

From what i remember hearing if i'm correct is that the director himself was upset with Toho because he wanted to use to other lesser known monsters then Mothra an King Ghidorah but Toho wouldn't allow it an forced him to use them due to there popularity.

I don't recall hearing Kaneko holding a grudge over that. Not saying something else about Toho didn't sit right with him, like their very quick production schedules or something, but haven't heard of the monster change being a sticky issue after the film was finished. I know Kaneko agreed, following not being happy at first, after talking with his friends and realizing they weren't familiar with the monsters he was proposing.

As others have said, I'm sure Toho was pleased with GMK considering it was the only film in the Millennium series that got even close to matching the Heisei series success. I would like to think (i.e. just me mussing here) Toho might have even felt bad about the tight control they had over Kaneko, and gave more free reign on their later entries (which kind of back fired come Godzilla: Final Wars)... but who knows. A lot of stuff behind closed doors with Toho, naturally.

[kpa]

Toho has always maintained a lot of control over their Godzilla movies; most of the directors they've used were Toho employees brought up in the studio system. Shusuke Kaneko is different; he's an independent filmmaker who makes movies for several different studios. Toho was a bit nervous bringing in an "outsider" to direct a Godzilla film because that's not how they generally operate. Kaneko's popularity convinced them to give it a shot (though they did have him make PYROKINESIS first to show he could do a movie Toho's way) but the deal was only for the one Godzilla film.

Kaneko said there were pros and cons working for Toho. He preferred the longer schedule and creative control Daiei and other studios offered, but Toho provided higher budgets and the chance to work on Godzilla.

Toho was very happy with GMK. It was the most profitable Millennium film, it received the most critical praise in Japan and the US, and it has played well outside Japan (it's the most theatrically rented Godzilla film in the US from Sony's repertory division). Rather than any kind of backlash from Japanese fans, ticket sales actually went up weeks into the film's run based on positive word-of-mouth... and that's rare for any movie. Toho asked Kaneko about doing the 2002 Godzilla film but he was already signed to direct the musical comedy WHEN YOU SING OF LOVE for Shochiku so Toho went back to their usual system and brought back Masaaki Tezuka to make GxMG.

If the Godzilla series had continued beyond 2004 we likely would have seen Kaneko do another one. He did direct AZUMI 2 for Toho in 2005.

[StriderSubzero]

Thanks for all that information, kpa.

I've heard a lot of hate against GMK (mostly online, but from friends that are into Godzilla also), but it's personally my absolute favorite. I always suspected people didn't like the different take on the story, but I thought it was fresh and interesting to take a darker, more "spiritual" approach to the mythology of the monsters, etc.

It seems people just don't like change in a franchise that has been going for so long, but I'm pleasantly surprised that it was a hit. It's a shame that Kaneko didn't do another film, but maybe we can cross our fingers for him to do one in the future sometime? I'm hoping that Toho will decide to bring the series back shortly after the US reboot next year (or whenever), similar to the way they did in 1999.

Did Toho start maintaining tighter control after what happened with Yoshimitsu Banno and the Hedorah film? I recall hearing that they were unhappy with that direction (and for good reason, probably).

[kpa]

Thanks for all that information, kpa.

You're very welcome.

I've heard a lot of hate against GMK (mostly online, but from friends that are into Godzilla also), but it's personally my absolute favorite. I always suspected people didn't like the different take on the story, but I thought it was fresh and interesting to take a darker, more "spiritual" approach to the mythology of the monsters, etc.

It seems people just don't like change in a franchise that has been going for so long, but I'm pleasantly surprised that it was a hit.

No movie will please everybody, but GMK has a pretty positive reputation. It got good reviews and did very well at the box office in Japan. In 2002 Toho held a screening of the film at the American Film Market and it got a great response. And as I mentioned before, Sony got the US rights and has subbed and dubbed 35mm prints for theatrical bookings, and it has been their most-requested Godzilla film over the past decade.

It's a shame that Kaneko didn't do another film, but maybe we can cross our fingers for him to do one in the future sometime? I'm hoping that Toho will decide to bring the series back shortly after the US reboot next year (or whenever), similar to the way they did in 1999.

The last several daikaiju films released in Japan were not successful so Toho and other studios are taking a break from making them. I suspect that if the Legendary movie is a hit Toho will just sit back and let them handle the franchise for a while.

Did Toho start maintaining tighter control after what happened with Yoshimitsu Banno and the Hedorah film? I recall hearing that they were unhappy with that direction (and for good reason, probably).

They've exercised a lot of control from the earliest days of the series because 1) Godzilla is a key franchise for the studio, and 2) they make the movies themselves (rather than partnering with other companies like they do with most of their movies). That's pretty standard... if you work on a major property (Batman, Spider-Man, Star Wars, etc) you have a lot of rules and conditions to deal with. Banno reportedly had more freedom because producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was in the hospital when GvsH was being made.

[PygmyZilla]

Kaneko should have been given the budget and freedom Kitamura received. My heart goes all a-flutter when I imagine what might've been.

I have to agree with this statement. Using Gamera 3 as a baromoter of what Kaneko can do with the proper budget and resources, I think GMK could have gone from being a very good Godzilla movie to a STELLAR Godzilla movie.

[cmdmstudios]

I have heard that not only did Kaneko want to use Anguirus and Varan, but that instead of the D3 Drill Missiles and Satsuma Subs, he wanted to use Masers and the Gotengo. Makes me wonder how the film would've turned out with such a high-tech aspect contrasting with the ancient mythological origins for the Guardian Monsters.