Netflix has officially announced Gamera: Rebirth, the first film to star the classic Japanese monster since 2006.
Not much is known about the upcoming anime project, with the only official information being that the film will be animated and released globally on Netflix in 2023. Gamera first appeared in 1965’s Gamera, the Giant Monster. The giant, fire-breathing, prehistoric turtle monster, who was mutated by exposure to nuclear weapons, was created by Daiei Film to compete with Toho’s successful Godzilla franchise. Similar to Godzilla, Gamera has evolved from an aggressive and destructive kaiju into a protector, keeping humanity safe from extraterrestrial races and other giant monsters.
GAMERA IS BACK! The new work “Gamera Rebirth” is coming soon to Netflix. pic.twitter.com/g4CuWv4J4q
— Kaiju News Outlet (@KaijuNewsOutlet) November 17, 2022
Gamera has appeared in 12 films since 1965, with eight released during the Shōwa era and four released during the Heisei era. Following the release of the last Gamera film, 2006’s Gamera the Brave, there were several failed reboot attempts. A new Gamera production was reported to be in development in March 2014, but nothing ever materialized after the announcement. At the 2015 New York Comic Con, Kadokawa Daiei Studio screened a full proof-of-concept Gamera film in honor of the franchise’s 50th anniversary. Directed by Katsuhito Ishii, the CGI short featured a newly designed Gamera, a swarm of newly designed Gyaos and a new, unnamed monster. However, while fans were excited about seeing the proof-of-concept turned into a full-length feature, Kadokawa Daiei stated that the 50th anniversary film had always been intended as a short and nothing more.
Kaiju on Netflix
Gamera: Rebirth will be the latest animated kaiju film to come to Netflix. The streamer has previously released three computer-animated Godzilla films, beginning with Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters. The film, which was released worldwide on Netflix in 2018, follows a group of human refugees who attempt to recolonize Earth 20,000 years after the planet was taken over by Godzilla. Despite earning mixed reviews from critics, the film was followed by two sequels — Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle and Godzilla: The Planet Eater.
Netflix will also be the exclusive streaming home of Skull Island, an upcoming anime-styled series that will follow shipwrecked characters as they try to escape from the titular monster-filled island. Skull Island will be set in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, a multimedia franchise existing in a shared universe that features Godzilla, King Kong and other Toho monster characters. An Apple TV+ live-action series, Godzilla and the Titans, and a new theatrical blockbuster film, Godzilla and Kong, are also in the works.
Gamera: Rebirth will release globally on Netflix in 2023.
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