ABANDONED(lost interest)[]
Godzilla vs Gamera (Japanese: ゴジラVSガメラ, Hepburn: Gojira tai Gamera) is a 2022 Japanese kaiju action film produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the film marks the first official crossover between the Godzilla and Gamera franchises.
Plot[]
The film opens in a tense United Nations emergency session. World leaders and scientists reveal the grim truth: Godzilla, a mysterious and unstoppable kaiju awakened by nuclear testing, has defeated Mothra—Earth’s last known guardian monster. With no protectors left, the world descends into fear and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, in rural Japan, a middle-aged man named Takahiro, grieving the loss of his wife and daughter in a recent kaiju attack, aimlessly wanders through life in deep depression. While traveling through the countryside, he stumbles upon a group of monks conducting a quiet ritual near an ancient stone tablet. Moments later, the earth trembles, and from the sea rises Gamera, a gigantic turtle-like creature wreathed in blue fire. Takahiro witnesses the summoning in shock and awe.
To his surprise, Gamera does not attack. Instead, the creature moves inland with deliberate purpose. However, the military misinterprets his arrival as a threat and opens fire. Gamera ignores the attacks and continues toward a nearby nuclear power plant, seemingly drawn by its energy.
Suddenly, tremors crack the ground open, and an ancient beast awakens from beneath the earth—Gyaos, a monstrous flying predator from a forgotten age. Gyaos attacks with piercing sonic beams, spreading chaos in its wake. Gamera confronts the creature, and after a destructive battle across the countryside, he incinerates Gyaos with a concentrated blast of fire breath, reducing the winged terror to ashes.
Watching the news from a small inn, Takahiro sees footage of Gamera protecting civilians during the battle. Slowly, he begins to realize that Gamera is not a threat, but a guardian.
As fear of Godzilla continues to grow, seismic activity begins tracking the monster’s path across the Pacific. Gamera, sensing the threat, alters his course. The two titans—one born of mankind’s arrogance, the other a remnant of Earth’s ancient balance—inevitably draw closer.
In a devastated coastal city, Godzilla and Gamera finally clash. Their battle is cataclysmic: skyscrapers crumble, the ground fractures, and shockwaves ripple for miles. Gamera fights valiantly but is overwhelmed by Godzilla’s raw power and atomic breath. As Godzilla prepares to deliver a final blow, Gamera falls to one knee, seemingly defeated.
But in a moment of silent resolve, Gamera channels energy from deep within the Earth. Glowing with renewed power, he unleashes a massive spiral fire blast, infused with the life force of the planet itself. The beam strikes Godzilla with tremendous force, engulfing him in a fiery explosion that levels the surrounding ruins.
As the dust settles, Godzilla lies motionless. Gamera, battered but victorious, turns away and slowly walks back toward the sea. Takahiro watches from a distance, tears in his eyes—not from fear, but from hope. For the first time since the tragedies that broke his life, he sees a future worth believing in.
Gamera disappears beneath the waves, and the world breathes a shaky sigh of relief. A new guardian has risen—not to conquer, but to protect.
Production[]
Following the unexpected critical and commercial success of Godzilla 1957, directed by Hideaki Anno, there was strong interest from Toho in continuing the grounded, character-driven tone in a sequel.
However, Anno initially refused to return, expressing creative exhaustion and a desire to avoid repeating himself. Toho began development regardless, commissioning early storyboards and tapping Gen Urobuchi to draft a more mythic, philosophical script with themes of death, sacrifice, and hope.
Anno eventually left the project entirely, citing creative differences over the tone and direction of the film.
Then, in early 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed pre-production further, and momentum stalled. Just when the film seemed doomed, Kazuya Murata joined as director. Murata embraced Urobuchi’s script and leaned into its spiritual and tragic tone, aiming for a standalone epic in the kaiju genre.
Toho also made a historic licensing agreement with Kadokawa to officially include Gamera—marking the first-ever crossover between the Godzilla and Gamera franchises in a fully authorized, live-action production.
Filming resumed in late 2023, with heavy use of miniatures, practical effects, and hand-painted backdrops, blended with selective CGI to evoke a traditional, anime-inspired visual style
Release[]
TBA
Box office[]
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Reception[]
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