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WORLD PREMIERE 4K REMASTERED VERSION OF CLASSIC 1954 “GODZILLA” SHOWING AT ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA
MONDO RELEASES NEW COLLECTIBLES FOR “GODZILLA WEEK”
LOS ANGELES – October 6, 2021 – Toho International, Inc. is proud to announce a series of one-of-a-kind experiences fit for the King of Monsters to celebrate its 67th birthday. Godzilla’s long history continues to shape worldwide pop culture and festivities this year aimed to engage fans new and old to roll out beginning Nov. 3, the date the first film premiered in 1954.
Austin-based movie theater company Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, in association with Janus Films, will exclusively host a coast-to-coast world premiere of the long-anticipated 4K remastering of the classic 1954 “Godzilla” film. The screenings will be held at over two dozen locations across the U.S. including flagship theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco and will mark 67 years since Godzilla’s first appearance in Toho’s “Gojira,” the classic monster movie widely regarded as a masterpiece that continues to shape the course of worldwide pop culture. In addition, throughout the first half of November, Alamo Drafthouse will screen fan-favorite kaiju classics “Godzilla vs. Hedorah,” “Shin Godzilla,” and a double feature of two Heisei era classics that have never been shown theatrically in North America.
To keep the birthday buzz going, Toho Int. has teamed up with Mondo, Super7, Kinokuniya, and the official Godzilla Shop on Amazon to offer fans exciting new Godzilla merchandise. Fans can also tune in to Toho’s Official Godzilla YouTube Channel for all-new content, including the 1978 “Godzilla” animated series, “Godziban” puppet show, and new original “Godzilla Chomp” documentary series premiering soon.
Alamo Drafthouse Godzilla Film Screenings
On Godzilla’s birthday, November 3, Alamo Drafthouse locations from coast-to-coast will exclusively premiere the long-anticipated 4K restoration of “Godzilla.” The newly-restored film has not yet screened in Japan or the U.S., making the November 3rd screenings a worldwide premiere.
From November 5-11, the Godzilla birthday festivities continue at select Alamo Drafthouse locations with a 50th anniversary screening of one of Godzilla’s strangest adventures ever, “Godzilla vs. Hedorah,” as well as 2016’s critically-acclaimed “Shin Godzilla.” Then, beginning the week of November 12th, select Alamo Drafthouse locations will present a must-see double feature spectacular – two classics of the Heisei era never before seen in American cinemas:
- 1984’s “The Return of Godzilla,” the kickoff to the Heisei era and a direct sequel to “Gojira,” which was heavily re-edited and released in the United States as “Godzilla 1985.” The release of the original Japanese version has never been officially screened on U.S. grounds.
- 1989’s “Godzilla vs. Biollante,” which only received a direct-to-video release in the U.S. has never received an official release in American theaters.
“Godzilla continues its reign as King of the Monsters, transcending mere entertainment icons and embodying emotions and social issues reflective of the times,” said Keiji Ota, Chief Godzilla Officer. “It is timely that we introduce the world to this first 4K version of the original Godzilla film to honor the legacy of this globally recognized symbol to the strongest fanbase in the world.”
“Toho’s enduring cast of kaiju creations have been lighting up Alamo Drafthouse screens for almost 25 years, so we were honored to help plan Godzilla’s birthday party,” says John Smith, Senior Film Programmer for Alamo Drafthouse. “It’s been a thrill to partner with Toho on the 4K premiere and our Happy Birthday, Godzilla deep dive into some of the best work that Toho has ever produced.”
Tickets for all films can be purchased at www.drafthouse.com and participating Alamo Drafthouse theaters starting Wednesday, October 6. For a complete list of theater locations, dates and timing, visit the Alamo Drafthouse website (participating theaters are subject to change).
Godzilla AR Experience
For the first time ever, an augmented reality experience will be created for the original 1954 Godzilla character. Fans download the AR experience on their mobile device using the QR code available atGodzilla.com and Alamo Drafthouse locations. Share photos using the hashtag #GodzillaDay.
Mondo
Pop culture collectibles brand Mondo has kicked off its “Godzilla Week” festivities with the release of several exciting new products, including Godzilla and Hedorah Sofubis, the latest addition to their “Godzilla Museum” statue line, and more. The company also plans to announce several top secret additions to its Toho Collection on November 3, including the beginning of its tribute to the Heisei series, with The Return Of Godzilla’s soundtrack pressed on vinyl.
RETURN OF GODZILLA – ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK LP
Music by Reijiro Koroku.
Artwork by Henry Abrams. 140 Gram Heat-Ray vinyl house inside a pop-up gatefold sleeve.
Gold foil numbered edition of 2500.
Retail variant pressed on 140 Gram red vinyl.
Limit one per person. $30
“In conjunction with TOHO, We are INSANELY excited to be bringing you the first in our extensive HEISEI series of GODZILLA soundtracks with the classic RETURN OF GODZILLA the 16th film of the series and a direct sequel to the original 1954 GOJIRA. It’s one of our favourite movies of this era and features a darker and more sombre tone than previous films and an incredible score by Reijiro Koroku. The artwork is by Henry Abrams, whose stunning and intricate pencil drawings capture the majesty and beauty of GODZILLA perfectly. The package features a pop-up gatefold and is a numbered edition of 2500. We have a bunch of incredible Godzilla titles in the pipeline that all features fantastic original art and stunning package design,” said Mondo Creative Director Music Spencer Hickman
COLLECTIBLES
Godzilla has had many looks through the years — at this point, a new costume or aesthetic is anticipated with each new appearance. Mondo is commemorating The King of Monsters’ varied designs through his decades-long reign with Mondo’s latest collectible line: GODZILLA MUSEUM. The GODZILLA MUSEUM line of small-scale collectible statues celebrates all iterations of Godzilla’s history, from the most iconic looks to new artist interpretations. These roto vinyl/PVC statues come with a museum-style base and plaque, allowing you to display the figures on or off the base. Ideally sized at 7.5″ tall (8.25″ when on its base), these statues can fit on any display case, big or small. The ’54 Gojira collectible is the third statue in the Godzilla Museum series. The previous releases in the series have included the very first official release of a collectible based on the killer 1970s animated series, and a physical rendering of the King of Monsters from a look created in a stunning Mondo Godzilla poster by artist Attack Peter.
GODZILLA MUSEUM: ’54 Gojira
$120
Edition of 2000
7.5″ high (8.25″ with base)
Sculpt by Tufan Sezer, Paint Design by Hilary Arce, Packaging Design by Damian DeMartino
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The next iterations of the soft vinyl series featuring Godzilla and Hedorah:
Hedorah Soft Vinyl – Oil Slick Variant
$85
Edition of 200
6″ high
Figure Design, Sculpt and Paint Design by Hector Arce
Godzilla 84 Soft Vinyl – Imperial Variant
$95
Edition of 150
7.5″ high
Figure Design, Sculpt and Paint Design by Hector Arce
POSTERS
GODZILLA VS HEDORAH
Artwork by Tom Whalen
24″x36″ Screenprint, 7-color screenprint on Domtar Lynx Opaque 100# cover
Edition of 220
$55
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GODZILLA VS HEDORAH (Variant)
Artwork by Tom Whalen
24″x36″, 7-color screenprint on Domtar Lynx Opaque 100# cover
Edition of 120
$75
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SHIN GODZILLA
Artwork by Florian Bertmer
36″x24″, 4-color screenprint on French Glo-tone Shocking Green
Edition of 220
$60
Kinokuniya Bookstores of America
Continuing their successful “Godzilla Invasion” campaign nationwide, Kinokuniya Bookstores of America will once again offer fans access to a myriad of Godzilla merchandise, including items available exclusively from the official Godzilla Store in Japan. Originally established in Japan, Kinokuniya USA has been considered the prime location for enthusiasts of “otaku” culture in America since the US branch’s founding in 1969. Whether shopping for premium Godzilla products or comparable franchises, Kinokuniya USA offers a great selection of English and Japanese books, manga, gift items, and high-quality stationery since the branch’s founding in 1969.
Fans can head to the Godzilla YouTube Channel now to watch episodes of the “Godzilla” 1978 series, with new episodes dropping weekly on Mondays, along with “Godziban” episodes dropping weekly on Fridays.
For regular brand updates, stay tuned on the official Godzilla website Godzilla.com, Instagram@godzilla_toho, Twitter @toho_godzilla and YouTube Channel GodzillaToho. #GodzillaDay
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About Toho
Toho Company, Limited, is a Japanese entertainment studio focused on the development, production, exhibition, and distribution of powerful live action and animated content including motion pictures, television and theater. Founded in 1932, Toho remains a prominent force in bringing brands and original storytelling with versatile talents to audiences worldwide. Its subsidiaries include Toho Cinemas, the highest grossing exhibition company in Japan, and Toho International, Inc., a U.S. established incorporated company that manages and commercializes Toho’s intellectual property portfolio. To learn more about Toho, visit: www.toho.co.jp/en/.
About Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded in 1997 as a single-screen mom and pop repertory theater in Austin, TX. Twenty-four years later, with 38 locations and counting, Alamo Drafthouse has been called “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly and “the best theater in the world” by Wired. Alamo Drafthouse has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high profile, star-studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse created Fantastic Fest, a world-renowned film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety. Fantastic Fest showcases eight days of genre cinema from independents, international filmmakers, and major Hollywood studios. Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art gallery, Mondo, offers breathtaking, original products featuring designs from world-famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and movie properties including Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters. Alamo Drafthouse continues to expand its brand in new and exciting ways, including the American Genre Film Archive, a non-profit film archive dedicated to preserving, restoring and sharing film, andAlamo On Demand, a new VOD platform boasting a growing and carefully curated library of entertainment for rental or purchase.
About Janus Films
Founded in 1956, Janus Films was the first theatrical distribution company dedicated to bringing international art-house films to U.S. audiences. Janus handles rights in all media to an extensive library that includes the work of Michelangelo Antonioni, Věra Chytilová, Sergei Eisenstein, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Abbas Kiarostami, Akira Kurosawa, Ousmane Sembène, Andrei Tarkovsky, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, and Yasujiro Ozu. Janus handles rights in all media, and its library has grown to more than 1200 films.
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