Kraken Releasing, a division of Section23 Films, has licensed a variety of Godzilla films for release in the North America market. This thread is a news roundup of those releases, which are for the DVD and Blu-ray format. It includes news about the titles and press releases distributed by the firm about their respective offerings.

May 19th, 2016 update

In news that just about every Godzilla fan has been waiting for, Kraken Releasing and Section23 have announced that The Return of Godzilla (1984) will finally be making its way to DVD and Blu-ray in the United States.

The 1984 production kicked off the first reboot of the Godzilla franchise and launched the Heisei series, which would go on to be a resounding success at the box office. Kraken Releasing, who already done three Godzilla releases back in 2014 such as the Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster! Ebirah – Horror of the Deep Blu-Ray, will begin selling the title in September of 2016. The movie, which was a popular VHS release, has been absent on DVD and Blu-Ray in America, making it a highly sought after title by fans.

This particular release will feature the Japanese version of the film, the first time this has been released in the United States, alongside a dubbed version of the film. No mention of extras have been made. Given the information available, it sounds unlikely that the Godzilla 1985 version will be included although nothing has been definitively stated. The film will retail at the budget range, similar to the previous titles from Kraken Releasing.

Section23 Films, who will distribute the title, released both a fact sheet and a press release regarding the long awaited release. Below is both the fact sheet and at the very end the press release can be found in full.

KRAKEN RELEASING LICENSES “RETURN OF GODZILLA®”

May 19, 2016 – You can’t keep a good giant monster down, especially when he’s being very, very bad!  Kraken Releasing is proud to continue the tradition of releasing the very best in kaiju(giant monster) entertainment with the first U.S. release of the complete and uncut THE RETURN OF GODZILLA® (aka GODZILLA™ (1984))!  Available on both Blu-ray and DVD, and featuring both the original Japanese version with English subtitles, as well as an English dubbed version, this special release is the Godzilla® epic that fans and collectors have been waiting for.

With a higher budget and more advanced special effects than any previous film in the series, THE RETURN OF GODZILLA® returns Japan’s greatest monster to his intended role as an epic force of destruction and the film’s spectacular success re-launched the Godzilla® franchise after nearly a decade in suspended animation.  Unfortunately for North American audiences, this direct sequel to the original 1954 feature film has previously only been available in a highly edited version that cut over twenty minutes of original footage and effects, changed key plot points and altered the dark dramatic tone and narrative by inserting additional scenes and humor in an attempt to “Americanize” the film.  But now, at long last, the acclaimed kaiju masterpiece finally hits American shores in all its uncut original glory!  Get ready for the biggest Godzilla® epic that you’ve never seen as Kraken Releasing unleashes the complete and unedited THE RETURN OF GODZILLA®!

THE RETURN OF GODZILLA® will be released on September 13th.

January 21st, 2014 update

Kraken Releasing (yes, that is the company’s name), a division of Section23 Films, has just licensed the rights to three of the Showa series Godzilla films that include: Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966), Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) and Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972).

All three movies are stated to have a future Blu-Ray and DVD release, and are to each include a Japanese audio track with English subtitles and an English dubbed version. Otherwise, details are scarce, including a release date beyond coming later this year, likely to capitalize on the upcoming American Godzilla flick by Legendary Pictures.

The trio of films was originally part of the Showa series titles that Sony once held distribution rights for in the US, but had since let those rights lapse. The two titles missing from the Sony library, that were originally licensed alongside these three, are Son of Godzilla (1967) and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974).

As a side note, it sounds like this will be the first time that Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) is released in the US with that title, as Sony, who generally did issue them with the Toho preferred titles, opted to distribute it as Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.

Below is the press release that was distributed today in full:

January 21, 2014 – 1967 may have been the Summer of Love, but 2014 will be the Summer of Godzilla®, and Kraken Releasing is spreading the kaiju (giant monster) goodness with the first U.S. Blu-ray release of three classic films featuring the world’s most famous giant reptile. Also available on DVD, and including both the English dubbed and original Japanese versions with English subtitles, these are three of the big G’s wildest adventures ever and showcase why, sixty years after his atomic birth at Japan’s TOHO Studios, Godzilla® is still one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry!

The fun begins as 1971’s Godzilla® vs.Hedorah™, released theatrically in the U.S in 1972 as Godzilla® vs. the Smog Monster, pits Godzilla® against the forces of pollution in the form of a constantly mutating, acid-spewing behemoth from outer space. With eye-popping 1970’s “mod” costumes, hairstyles and psychedelic visuals that include conventional cel animation alongside the special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano, Godzilla® vs. Hedoarh™ director Yoshimitsu Banno’s ecologically focused take on the world’s greatest monster is easily one of the most unique films in the series and required viewing for any giant monster fan or cult film enthusiast.

What happens when three major movie monsters slam dance in the South Seas? The answer is 1966’s Ebirah™, Horror of the Deep, originally released in the U.S. in 1968 under the title Godzilla® Vs. The Sea Monster. Pairing Godzilla® and another of TOHO’s most popular kaiju, the giant moth Mothra™, against a wide variety of adversaries, including the titular sea monster, giant birds and a mysterious terrorist organization, the wet and wild widescreen spectacular was directed by Jun Fukuda.

Finally, 1972’s Godzilla® vs. Gigan™ ups the giant monster ante once again with a series of tag team battles featuring four classic kaiju. Released theatrically in the United States in 1977 as Godzilla® on Monster Island and again directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano, the film unites Godzilla® and spiny ally Anguirus™ against two of the series’ most popular opponents: the three headed monster King Ghidorah™ and the new alien cyborg Gigan™.

About Kraken Releasing:
KRAKEN RELEASING is a new international video distribution label specializing in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror genre entertainment for mainstream audiences. Together with sister labels MAIDEN JAPAN (TOKYO MAGNITUDE 8.0, PAT LABOR, ROYAL SPACE FORCE) and SWITCHBLADE PICTURES (BIG BAD MAMA-SAN, ATTACK GIRLS SWIM TEAM VS. THE UNDEAD) Kraken’s goal is to bring the best filmed entertainment from around the world to our customers.

About Section23 Films:
Section23 Films provides home video marketing and distribution services for a variety of companies, including Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Maiden Japan and AEsir Holdings. With its special focus on genre entertainment, Section23 Films distributes some of the very best anime, martial arts, and horror titles on the market today.