Toho celebrated the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) during the 2023 "Godzilla Day," an annual event marking the anniversary of the original Godzilla (1954). As part of the commemoration, the company released two short films online: the live-action Operation Jet Jaguar (2023) and the CGI-animated Godzilla vs. Megalon 2023.
The latter is a CGI-animated sequel to Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex, directed and written by Takuya Uenishi. Like its predecessor, the short was officially funded by Toho. Produced by Shunsuke Yanagisawa and executive produced by Keiji Ota, it was released under the GEMSTONE brand. In this short, Godzilla battles Megalon, who has gained power from the fallen Gigan Rex.
The ten-minute short premiered online on November 3, 2023, and was later made available on YouTube, where it can still be viewed. Below is the short.
In Japanese, the name of the short differs from the 1973 film because this one includes "VS" in the title instead of "対" (versus - tai), similar to the Heisei Godzilla series. However, according to the English blog announcing the short, the English title is the same for both the short and the 1973 film, simply being "Godzilla vs. Megalon."
For the previous short, Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex (2022), director and writer Takuya Uenishi noted that the score was stock music due to budgetary reasons. For the follow up, Uenishi was able to secure a budget to create new music, allowing Tsubasa Handa to orchestrate three new pieces of music based on older themes. Brought up through an interview for the Godzilla vs. Megalon & Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex Original Soundtrack.
The inclusion of the stock music from Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) was a lingering creative choice from Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex (2022). While director and writer Takuya Uenishi tried to include the music in the earlier short, it was ultimately cut. As a result, when it came time to make the follow up Uenishi decided it should be included, making it the only track that isn't reorchestrated. Noted in an interview for the Godzilla vs. Megalon & Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex Original Soundtrack.
When updating Megalon's theme for the short, director and writer Takuya Uenishi had a clear vision. He aimed for a sound that was less "comical" than the original 1973 theme. To guide musician Tsubasa Handa in reimagining the "Unstoppable Megalon" theme, originally composed by Riichiro Manabe, Uenishi shared video game music that he wanted to be used for inspiration on the new tone. Discussed in an interview for the Godzilla vs. Megalon & Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex Original Soundtrack.
![Godzilla vs. Megalon [2023 Short]](../images/tv/godzilla_vs_megalon_2023.jpg)
