Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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MONSTER MANIC
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

Post by MONSTER MANIC »

[quote=goji1986 post_id=1845941 time=1626200068 user_id=305]
[quote="MONSTER MANIC" post_id=1845914 time=1626188757 user_id=11241]
A little off topic but it's worth mentioning that news has recently come out that criterion is joining the 4K market.
Could we possibly see king Kong vs Godzilla in 4K from them??
[/quote]

You have a higher likelihood of a new Gamera movie being made in the next 10 years before Toho allows their 4k releases to make it to the North American market. KKvsG may be owned by Universal stateside - and yes, a 4K version of the John Beck would be more likely to happen - but they're still at Toho's mercy for whatever materials come their way for the Japanese version.
[/quote]
Knowing toho they're probably not gonna ship any film materials out to universal.
It's more likely that they're just going to licensed one of their pre-made transfers of the Japanese version to them instead.

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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MONSTER MANIC wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:01 pm It's more likely that they're just going to licensed one of their pre-made transfers of the Japanese version to them instead.
I believe this is exactly what goji was saying (except, that in his opinion, the odds of this occurring are effectively zero).

And I think we've seen the last new transfer of the Beck version. Those elements are purported to be in fairly bad shape, and I don't think King Kong vs. Godzilla (especially the version largely considered a bastardization) is on Universal's or Criterion's radar as a potential 4K release.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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Terasawa wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 6:40 pm
MONSTER MANIC wrote: Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:01 pm It's more likely that they're just going to licensed one of their pre-made transfers of the Japanese version to them instead.
I believe this is exactly what goji was saying (except, that in his opinion, the odds of this occurring are effectively zero).

And I think we've seen the last new transfer of the Beck version. Those elements are purported to be in fairly bad shape, and I don't think King Kong vs. Godzilla (especially the version largely considered a bastardization) is on Universal's or Criterion's radar as a potential 4K release.
We will have to just wait and see.
Even though it is extremely unlikely

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

Post by goji1986 »

I don’t think we’ll never see them, I just don’t think we’re gonna see these transfers make it stateside for the next several years, hence the likelihood of a new Gamera movie over that. While Toho did allow Media Blasters to put out the HiVision transfer for DAM a mere 3 years after it was made, the mishandling of that entire release is what caused them to go all Fort Knox on getting approvals and what precisely they’ll allow other companies to use.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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We can only hope. Unless Toho all of a sudden has some grand vision of seeing US releases of their Godzilla films reach some new 'definitive' height of quality, and they feel a responsibility to allow it to happen/make it happen....I won't hold my breath.

2024 and the 70 year anniversary seems like the last/only meaningful time on the horizon where a promotional/marketing department would see the occasion as something that could be capitalized on for profit.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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Chrispy_G wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 5:52 am We can only hope. Unless Toho all of a sudden has some grand vision of seeing US releases of their Godzilla films reach some new 'definitive' height of quality, and they feel a responsibility to allow it to happen/make it happen....I won't hold my breath.

2024 and the 70 year anniversary seems like the last/only meaningful time on the horizon where a promotional/marketing department would see the occasion as something that could be capitalized on for profit.
I'm hoping we get something in the UK
as well, we get diddly-squat over here.

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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Any updates?

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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There will be nothing to report until after August 5, when DAM is due for broadcast.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

Post by canofhumdingers »

Has anyone heard or seen anything about the other films besides KKvsG getting 4K disc releases? Are we still totally in the dark about that so far?

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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canofhumdingers wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 12:36 pm Has anyone heard or seen anything about the other films besides KKvsG getting 4K disc releases? Are we still totally in the dark about that so far?
Nothing new announced, likely not for some time. I think KKVG only got announced because of GVK's theatrical release.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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I will be patient and wait for the video releases..

But I can't stop looking at those screenshots
They are PURE PERFECTION.

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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I'll always burn a small candle for the hope that a US distributor and Toho make some kind of massive deal for as many of the films as possible...to drop them all on 4K in 2024...and while they are at it, brand spanking new English dubs for every film, because why not? Criterion would be a glorious choice if they are truly finally getting into the 4K game. The 4K upgrade, the 70th anniversary, and having many more Godzilla titles to release would be the perfect reason to 'Double Dip' on the Godzilla catalog 5 years after the initial set.

I'm well aware it is essentially a statistical impossibility.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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Definitely not considering only like what, seven Godzilla films (of Toho's) even have 4K masters completed at this point. :( That's just the beginning of reasons why it won't happen any time soon sadly.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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Tohosaurus wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:07 pm Definitely not considering only like what, seven Godzilla films (of Toho's) even have 4K masters completed at this point. :( That's just the beginning of reasons why it won't happen any time soon sadly.
Shin Godzilla would require zero 'restoration' and has already had a 4K release in Japan. The Anime films need no restoration. The 98 film has been given a 4K release and isn't Toho's. We're talking about Toho's original 28 films.

7 films a year for 4 years starting in 2021 seems perfectly on pace to me. That is assuming that it is 100% impossible for them to do more than 7 films a year. That is also assuming that films of the 90s and 2000s will require 100% equal time/effort to restore as films of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I'm not sure either of those things are fact.

I'm fully aware of it being a long-shot, but as of now, it is feasible based on what we've seen so far. If 2021 had gone by with zero progress being made on further 4K restorations...it would feel like more of a dream than a slim possibility. Something tells me that internally, at least for Toho themselves, they want all of the films restored for the 70th anniversary.

Wanting that to translate to new US releases is more of the fairy-dust sprinkled on top.
Last edited by Chrispy_G on Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

Post by Legion1979 »

Just want to point out that it took 2 years for the 4k KKvsG to make on bluray after it aired on TV. Who knows when Toho plans to put the other films out. And they've barely aired more than a handful so far.

Keep your expectations in check, Crisp.

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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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Chrispy_G wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:50 pm
Tohosaurus wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:07 pm Definitely not considering only like what, seven Godzilla films (of Toho's) even have 4K masters completed at this point. :( That's just the beginning of reasons why it won't happen any time soon sadly.
Shin Godzilla would require zero 'restoration' and has already had a 4K release in Japan. The Anime films need no restoration. The 98 film has been given a 4K release and isn't Toho's. We're talking about Toho's original 28 films.

7 films a year for 4 years starting in 2021 seems perfectly on pace to me. That is assuming that it is 100% impossible for them to do more than 7 films a year. That is also assuming that films of the 90s and 2000s will require 100% equal time/effort to restore as films of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I'm not sure either of those things are fact.

I'm fully aware of it being a long-shot, but as of now, it is feasible based on what we've seen so far. If 2021 had gone by with zero progress being made on further 4K restorations...it would feel like more of a dream than a slim possibility. Something tells me that internally, at least for Toho themselves, they want all of the films restored for the 70th anniversary.

Wanting that to translate to new US releases is more of the fairy-dust sprinkled on top.
I specified Toho's films, which is why the 1998 film (or the Legendary films) do not apply. Similarly I specified what is available at this point, which applies to Shin (regardless of whether or not it would require more work - which obviously it doesn't and Toho has for years had a 4K Blu-ray already available in Japan).

The thing is that Toho hasn't (from what I've seen around here) announced anything beyond the select Showa titles and Biollante, so it's not like Toho is planning (that we know of) work on Godzilla Raids Again, Gigan, Battle for Earth, etc. As such we can dream and all (which is what I think you're saying) but the chance would be basically zero that any time soon we'd have even the technical possibility of 4K Blu-rays (with an actual 4K restoration) of the vast majority of Toho Godzilla films.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

Post by Terasawa »

DAM aired a few hours ago, so we should probably be seeing screenshots today or tomorrow.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah is scheduled for September 2; Biollante is set for October, but the exact date is TBA.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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So, I'm sure this is an incredibly naïve question, but I haven't been keeping up with this thread simply because I neither own a UHD TV, nor a 4K payer but... I know most of this talk is centered around Toho themselves. Has there been any talk at all about releasing ay of the Toho Godzilla films in North America for a 4K release? I mean I know 1998, and all the Legendary films have them, but getting a 4K release of any Toho G film might get me to invest in upgrading my home media viewing experience.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

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o.supreme wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 9:21 am Has there been any talk at all about releasing ay of the Toho Godzilla films in North America for a 4K release?
Nope, none at all.
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Re: Toho's Godzilla 4K Restoration Project

Post by MONSTER MANIC »

Can't wait for the screenshots to roll in.

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