Is Godzilla 1998 still an official Godzilla movie?

[James23873]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but this got me thinking a lot earlier. If Zilla is now officially a separate character, complete with his own copyright icon, does that make the American Godzilla movie no longer a real Godzilla movie?

[g2kmaster]

The Godzilla from 1998 and the Zilla from GFW is, as far as I've heard, two different characters legally.

[kpa]

The 1998 movie and character are still trademarked and copyrighted by Toho as "Godzilla". They recognize is as a Godzilla film, but not as part of the 28 movie series they produced in Japan. G98 is official in the same sense that Hanna-Barbera cartoon and the Marvel,Dark Horse, and IDW Godzilla comic books are official... they're are licensed and approved by Toho.

[Gyaos]

^ But doesnt the one statement they say in GMK make Godzilla 1998 canon?

[Legionmaster]

^ But doesnt the one statement they say in GMK make Godzilla 1998 canon?

There would have to be some serious retconning then, because no one in GINO had ever seen or heard of a giant radioactive dinosaur before 1998. Don't you think Godzilla's 1954 attack on Tokyo would have been global news?

[Hellspawn28]

^ But doesnt the one statement they say in GMK make Godzilla 1998 canon?

Ugh, that was a gag line . Tristar's Godzilla is still copyrighted as Godzilla and they even use the normal Godzilla copyright icon on the books and other stuff that was tie in the movie. For example: http://www.tohokingdom.com/books/prev/g ... k_back.htm

[CTHimes]

Tristar's Godzilla is still copyrighted as Godzilla and they even use the normal Godzilla copyright icon on the books and other stuff that was tie in the movie. For example: http://www.tohokingdom.com/books/prev/g ... k_back.htm

There are also separate icons for the American Godzilla (and his offspring), but they're not used as often. They were first used on the cover of the official magazine for the 1998 film, and I think they both show up on the 2006 DVD cover. There's also an icon for the Zilla character used in GFW that uses a different illustration of the monster.

[kpa]

^ But doesnt the one statement they say in GMK make Godzilla 1998 canon?

No. Like others here have noted, the line in GMK is a joke.

When making G98, Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich said their movie was not a continuation of the Toho Godzilla series. Their movie takes place in an everyday world where there has never been any giant monsters before Godzilla appears in 1998. The creature is named after a Japanese legend, not a real monster that attacked Japan.

In GMK, Godzilla attacked Japan in 1954, and other monsters have popped up around the world since then. These other monsters are sometimes called "Godzillas" even though they're not the same as the original... this happens with Baragon in the movie.

Shusuke Kaneko is not a fan of G98, and the line in GMK is an obvious joke about the American Godzilla. But the backstory for GMK makes it equally obvious that the exact events shown in G98 could not be part of that timeline. The same goes for FINAL WARS, which had decades of monster attacks, worldwide wars and mutant soldiers... none of which fit with G98.

[JVM]

We all agreed a few years back as Fans that it doesn't count, regardless what Toho says to the contrary.

[James23873]

The 1998 movie and character are still trademarked and copyrighted by Toho as "Godzilla". They recognize is as a Godzilla film, but not as part of the 28 movie series they produced in Japan. G98 is official in the same sense that Hanna-Barbera cartoon and the Marvel,Dark Horse, and IDW Godzilla comic books are official... they're are licensed and approved by Toho.

Good to know. I just thought that maybe the new Zilla character might have overridden the original copyright , but I guess not.

[kpa]

In 2008, Toho had the TriStar film restored and reissued in HD in Japan. The movie was-- and is-- still called GODZILLA.

[Hellspawn28]

I don't see how a remake of the original movie can be canon to something if the original movie took place? It would be like making Psycho V then having both the original and remake took place in one universe!

[XxComablack1937xX]

Who really cares? Even if Toho were to say tomorrow Officially ''Godzilla 1998'' is Godzilla... i still wont call it, think of it or even see it as Godzilla an that's all that matters to me.

[edgaguirus]

I consider it a seperate film as well. Gino carries the Godzilla name, but the film works independently of the Toho films.

[SuperSaiyan4Godzilla]

I consider it a seperate film as well. Gino carries the Godzilla name, but the film works independently of the Toho films.

I don't understand this "independently" stuff everyone is saying..

Aren't most of the films, besides obviously connected ones, independent of themselves? Even if they're made by Toho, most films go off in totally different directions.

I still don't understand the fascination with shunning the American film either. Its a film that we can learn from. Its not the best example of a Godzilla film, but it brings interesting ideas to the table that weren't really considered before it existed.

[JVM]

It doesn't matter what Toho thinks anymore, everyone agreed over a year, I think two years ago it doesn't count.

[CTHimes]

It doesn't matter what Toho thinks anymore, everyone agreed over a year, I think two years ago it doesn't count.

No offense, but that's ridiculous. If Toho says it counts, then it counts. End of discussion. If you don't want to consider it an official Godzilla film, fine, but that doesn't change the fact that it was produced and released as a Godzilla film, and that the company that makes and controls the franchise says it is still a Godzilla film.

Besides, where, when, and how did "everyone" agree that it doesn't count? Was there some official fan summit called to determine this?

It's been decided that King Ghidorah is actually purple, despite what's seen on screen, and that he is Godzilla's closest ally. I don't care what Toho says, but everyone decided that I'm right about this, so it's done.

[JVM]

^ I'm being somewhat satirical because I still think it played out rather stupidly in my opinion. During a discussion in the "Worst Godzilla Film" topic, a large number of people repeatedly insisting G98 doesn't count. Once I got bored of debating it, I made that little sarcastic remark and continue to make it because I'm a bitter smartass.

[Goji]

"It doesn't matter what Toho thinks"

"everyone agreed that it doesn't count".

Lol..now that's rich. Who's "everyone"? A handful of 14 year olds on TK?

[GotengoXGodzilla]

"It doesn't matter what Toho thinks"

"everyone agreed that it doesn't count".

Lol..now that's rich. Who's "everyone"? A handful of 14 year olds on TK?

You can find out all about it here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=298&start=0

Legally, GINO is a Godzilla film. It counts as one, even if fans don't like it. You don't see me saying that Final Wars isn't a Godzilla film, even though I hate it more than GINO.