Lost Project Discussion - Godzilla vs. Gamera (2002)

[SonOfGorgo]

Since I couldn't find any thread about this tiny piece of lost history, I thought I may make one for all of you.

While this is very scarce in terms of info, it's interesting to imagine what it would've been like had it saw the light of day and came to fruition. For one, I think many of us can agree that none other than Shusuke Kaneko himself would've been the ideal director of this project, heck, even combine the canons/continuities of GMK and the 90s Gamera trilogy, that would've been perfect.

Also, considering that the Heisei Gamera is established at being 80 metres (265 feet) while the GMK Godzilla is 60 metres (200 feet), I imagine Godzilla growing to a bigger size than the former since I usually see Gamera as the underdog, perhaps about 90 metres (300 feet) once he fully regenerates again.

But that's just my brief thought, what about yours? Please feel free to express your ideas, thoughts and opinions regarding this piece of kaiju history in the comments down below. Thank you.

Link below:
https://wikizilla.org/wiki/Godzilla_vs. ... 2002_film)

[Godzillian]

it was never even developed. Basically after Daiei was bought by Kadokawa they went to Toho to see if they'd co-produce a Godzilla vs Gamera. When Toho said no that was it. Surprised Toho shot it down since the early 2000s was a rought time for the franchise. A Godzilla vs Gamera may have been a much need boost in GA interest and revenue

[SonOfGorgo]

it was never even developed.

I don't think I said it was.

Basically after Daiei was bought by Kadokawa they went to Toho to see if they'd co-produce a Godzilla vs Gamera. When Toho said no that was it. Surprised Toho shot it down since the early 2000s was a rought time for the franchise. A Godzilla vs Gamera may have been a much need boost in GA interest and revenue.

I know, precisely.

[edgaguirus]

It would have been a match for the ages. If it had been considered, Kaneko would also be my choice for director.

While Toho is willing to distribute Gamera films, I don't see any problems with a match between the two. Gamera was Godzilla's main competitor when it came to kaiju films, but putting the two of them on screen would be big publicity. It would get attention, and probably make a tidy profit as well.

[Mr. Yellow]

This could be bull, but I’ve heard the stickler was that Kadokawa insisted that Gamera win, which is bonkers and unbelievable. I figured it was just Toho being Toho and them thinking that Gamera was good enough to appear with Godzilla.

[King of the Monsters]

The thing about Gamera needing to win is probably just an urban legend, I've never seen any official confirmation of it. The more likely reason is that Toho didn't want to have to split the profits of a film where they provided the more marketable character and probably more of the funding as well as the distribution with Kadokawa.

[eabaker]

Although, Gamera traditionally being a heroic monsters (even in his first film, he's certainly not the pure engine of destruction Godzilla can sometimes be), and Godzilla at the time being played as much more of a threat to humanity (even when he happened to be up against a more obviously wicked monster), it just seems like storytelling logic would dictate a victory for Gamera.

[darthzilla99]

Although, Gamera traditionally being a heroic monsters (even in his first film, he's certainly not the pure engine of destruction Godzilla can sometimes be), and Godzilla at the time being played as much more of a threat to humanity (even when he happened to be up against a more obviously wicked monster), it just seems like storytelling logic would dictate a victory for Gamera.

If it was Kaneko directing, than not necessarily. He has gone on record that if he were to direct a hypothetical Godzilla vs. Gamera movie, he would have Godzilla win.

As for the speculation, well supposedly Toho turned it down because they wanted to do an anniversary movie for Godzilla's 50th (which became Final wars).

Let's say Toho said yes and got Kaneko to direct. This would have been around the time the Kiryu movies were being made. Lets assume this has the same budget as Final wars. Knowing Kaneko, this would have been a Honda style kaiju film with a lot of allegories relevent back in 2004. Since climate change was starting to gain traction around that time (two years before An Inconvenient Truth), I imagine Kaneko would have tied in climate change into the narrative and how some Governments are ignoring it and big corporations destroying the environmental, ect... He would have written in complex human characters with growth.

As far as effects go, it would still have been traditional suits, miniatures, and CGI. Now depending on the production time, here are two scenarios:
1. If we had a 12 month production time like the gamera films, then the effects quality would most likely be that of either Gamera 3 or Gamera the brave mixed with excellent CGI quality like the returner given that we have a huge budget and long production time.
2. If we had a 6-8 month production time like the Godzilla movies, I imagine something between GMK and Gamera 3.

These are my thoughts.

[BlankAccount]

Surprised Toho shot it down since the early 2000s was a rought time for the franchise. A Godzilla vs Gamera may have been a much need boost in GA interest and revenue

Agreed, it would have made more than GFW at far less cost.

[UltramanGoji]

People really seem keen on this idea that Gamera is some kind of big name in non-genre fan's minds.

[BlankAccount]

People really seem keen on this idea that Gamera is some kind of big name in non-genre fan's minds.

No? We're talking about in Japan, where most of the movies were being played. Almost none of the millennium films made it in U.S. theater nation wide.

[UltramanGoji]

People really seem keen on this idea that Gamera is some kind of big name in non-genre fan's minds.

No? We're talking about in Japan, where most of the movies were being played. Almost none of the millennium films made it in U.S. theater nation wide.

And I wasn't talking about America. Gamera really isn't as big of a draw as some people think in Japan. He's not dead, but certainly not as big as most of you think.

[PitchBlackProgress]

People really seem keen on this idea that Gamera is some kind of big name in non-genre fan's minds.

No? We're talking about in Japan, where most of the movies were being played. Almost none of the millennium films made it in U.S. theater nation wide.

And I wasn't talking about America. Gamera really isn't as big of a draw as some people think in Japan. He's not dead, but certainly not as big as most of you think.

This, like seriously, a thousand times this.
It’s bad enough when he’s brought up in any MonsterVerse thread…

[BlankAccount]

This, like seriously, a thousand times this.
It’s bad enough when he’s brought up in any MonsterVerse thread…

Probably cause a Mosterverse film would help the Gamera franchise.

[tbeasley]

Toho hasn't worried about Gamera since the late 60s/early 70s. Heisei Gamera didn't perform nearly as well as Heisei Godzilla, Gamera the Brave outright bombed and the NYCC teaser failed to get anything off the ground.

[PitchBlackProgress]

I'd put a nail in Gamera's coffin.
Who owns the rights to Gamera now any way, what with Daie going bankrupt and all..

[UltramanGoji]

I'd put a nail in Gamera's coffin.
Who owns the rights to Gamera now any way, what with Daie going bankrupt and all..

Kadokawa, same people who’ve owned it since the 90’s.

[jackzilla]

I think if a Godzilla vs Gamera film ever happened, it'd be better if Toho did it. Sure if Hollywood did it, the budget would be bigger and the fights would be bigger, but not a lot of people in the US know who Gamera is. Godzilla is a household name, everyone knows who Godzilla is, but in the US, the average person would see the name "Gamera" and be like "Who?"

[miguelnuva]

And now all we here is was that Gamera in the kotm trailer. If it was me I would make Godzilla a force of nature and make Gamera a badass anti hero like he was in Gamera 3 going all out trying to kill Godzilla. Eventually a new monster shows up and they have to work together.

[SonOfGorgo]

And now all we here is was that Gamera in the kotm trailer.

Say what? Where?