GODZILLA" and "GODZILLA" were screened at the Annecy Film Festival in conjunction with two other films!

The second chapter of the hit animated film "GODZILLA" trilogy, "GODZILLA: Crusade on Mobile Cities," was officially screened at the 42nd Annecy International Animated Film Festival, which was held in France until June 16 (Saturday).

GODZILLA" (also known as "Anigoji") is the first animated film in the "Godzilla" series, a special effects monster movie released in 1954. The director is Kobun Shizuno, who has worked on many theatrical "Detective Conan" series, including the latest in the series, "Detective Conan: Karaben no Koiga" (Detective Conan: Love Song in Red). The film will be directed by Kofumi Shizuno, who has worked on a number of "Detective Conan" series, including the latest "Detective Conan: Karaben no Koiga" series, and Hiroyuki Seshimo, who was the general director of the TV anime "Knights of Sidonia: The Battle of the Ninth Planet" and the film and TV version of the anime "Ajin. The story is also drafted and written by Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus), the creator of the TV anime series "Fate/Zero", "PSYCHO-PASS: Psycho-Pass", and "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

It has been announced that the anime film will consist of three chapters, with Chapter 1, "Monster Planet," released in November 2017, followed by Chapter 2, "Decisive Battle Mobile Growth City," opening on May 18, 2018. A new key visual that foreshadows the big battle with Mechagodzilla in his new form was recently released and has been attracting a great deal of attention.
⇒Animation Film Screening Schedule

The first chapter of Anigoji, "Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters," and the second chapter, "Godzilla: The Last Airbender," will be screened at the Bonlieu Theater, the festival's largest main theater with a capacity of approximately 1000 people, from 19:00 local time on Friday, June 15. Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle.

GODZILLA" was the only film that was allowed to be screened together at this year's festival. This was also the first time in the world that such a screening format, which has not been done in Japan, was held in Annecy, France. The following is a report from the stage greeting held to commemorate the official screening.

Official Report

Director Shizuno and Director Seshimo took the stage after being introduced by festival moderator Mr. Orard, and after self-introductions, the Q&A session began immediately.

─ ─ The "Godzilla" depicted in this animation is the 32nd and 33rd in the series, including Hollywood productions, and I believe this is the first time the series has been made into an animated film. Could you tell us again how you came up with the idea of making an animated film?

Director Seshita: "Godzilla" is a traditional content. Because of that, there are strong stereotypes.
Our mission was to reboot "Godzilla," which grows old with tradition, through animated expression, for the demographic in Japan and abroad who have never seen Godzilla but love anime.
The screening at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival is truly a symbolic event, and at the same time a great honor.


─ I would like to ask Director Shizuno. What would you like to say to the audience here in Annecy today about this new adaptation of "Godzilla"?

Director Shizuno: I worked very hard to make this film so that people will be pleased with it. Also, I am simply happy that the film will be seen abroad. It will expand the scope of our work. There are people from many different countries here today, but I think most of them are from France. I was told by the festival staff that the animation market in France is still expanding, and it is an honor to be able to have the first overseas screening in Annecy, which can be said to be the center of this kind of soil.
Also, many of the audience members are very young, so I would be happy if they could be exposed to this film at this moment and have it be a catalyst for something.


Thank you very much. It is very meaningful that this is the first screening of a film in a foreign theater, and that it is being held here at the Annecy Film Festival. Let's all enjoy the film together!

After the stage greeting in a friendly atmosphere, the official screening finally started! ＜Chapter 1 "GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters" is already available in many European countries through Netflix, while Chapter 2 "GODZILLA: Crusade on Mars" was shown for the first time overseas. During the screening of both films, the audience seemed to be immersed in the world view created by both directors. However, when the heroine Yuko, played by Kana Hanazawa, appeared on stage, the audience cheered. And when GODZILLA finally appeared in the middle of the film, the audience cheered even louder! This was the moment when we were finally able to unveil Anigoji, which we were unable to show at last year's "Work in Progress" at the Annecy Film Festival.

And when the end rolls of "Planet of the Monsters" and "Decisive Battle in Mobile City" began, the audience erupted in applause! Some audience members even shouted "Yuko----!!!!! and some audience members shouted "Yuko"! After the end roll, Takahiro Sakurai's character, Metfies, said to Mamoru Miyano's character, Haruo, "It's Kidra," to which the audience gave an even louder round of applause and cheers.


＜European animation fans and Godzilla fans beyond the seas seemed to be waiting with great anticipation for the monster showdown between "Godzilla Earth" and "Ghidorah" that will be depicted in the final chapter "GODZILLA: The Star-Eater.

After the greetings, a commemorative photo was taken with both directors and the audience. When Director Seshita raised his right hand in a pose resembling Godzilla's hand (hereinafter referred to as "Godzilla Pose"), all audience members responded with a "Godzilla Pose!　It is a great thing that Annecy, the center of the international animation film festival, has accepted the new challenges of both directors in the Godzilla series.

The official screening of "GODZILLA: The Star-Eater" this November and the second film produced by Legendary Pictures to be released next year, gave a great boost to the series, which is accelerating its franchise.




Film Information] (*Honorifics omitted)
GODZILLA: CASE MULTIPLE CITY
In theaters now

＜Staff
Director：Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshimo
Story draft : Gen UROBUCHI (Nitroplus)
Screenplay : Sadayuki Murai, Tetsuya Yamada, Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus)
Character Design: Yusuke Kozaki
Music: Takayuki Hattori
Assistant Directors: Hiroaki Ando, Naohiro "Tady" Yoshidaira
Production Design: Naoya Tanaka, Ferdinando Patulli
CG Character Design: Yuki Moriyama
Sculpting Director: Mitsunori Katanori
Art Director: Yukihiro Shibuya
Color Design: Hironao Noji
Sound Director: Tetsu Motoyama
Production: Toho
Production: Polygon Pictures
Production: Polygon Pictures


<Cast
Mamoru Miyano, Takahiro Sakurai, Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Yuki Kaji, Junichi Suwabe
Kenta Miyake, Kento Horiuchi, Kazuya Nakai, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Rena Ueda, Arie Ozawa, etc.


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