GODZILLA: THE PLANET EATER Debuts Worldwide on Netflix January 9th

Source: Netflix, Toho Co., Ltd. Official Site: godzilla-anime.com (Japan), netflix.com/godzilla-anime-3 (US) Twitter: @GODZILLA_ANIME Special Thanks to Ami Yamaguchi

Toho and Polygon Pictures` anime film GODZILLA: THE PLANET EATER (GODZILLA ?????, Gojira Hoshi wo Kuu Mono, 2018) will launch worldwide (excluding Japan) on Netflix on January 9, 2019. Netflix will be offering the movie with Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian audio tracks and optional English, Spanish, French, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles just two months after it opened in Japanese cinemas. THE PLANET EATER is the final chapter in the three-part, fully animated movie series, GODZILLA (aka “Anigoji,” a portmanteau of “anime” and “gojira”). Chapter 1, GODZILLA: PLANET OF THE MONSTERS (GODZILLA ????, Gojira Kaij? Wakusei), was the first-ever 3DCG animation in Godzilla franchise history, released theatrically in Japan on November 3, 2017 and worldwide by Netflix on January 18, 2018. Chapter 2, GODZILLA: CITY ON THE EDGE OF BATTLE (GODZILLA ????????, Gojira Kessen Kid? Z?shoku Toshi) was released in Japan on May 18, 2018 and worldwide by Netflix on July 18. The “Anigoji” trilogy is an epic re-imagining of the Godzilla world, set some 20,000 years into the future and depicts an Earth that has been ruled by Godzilla. Humanity finds itself on the verge of extinction, and is fighting for its survival. GODZILLA: THE PLANET EATER pits humans and aliens against the biggest Godzilla ever seen in an interplanetary struggle to the death. With the earth alliance weakened and infighting consuming humanity`s survivors, Haruo Sakaki weighs working with the alien Exif. The Exif give him a choice: side with their death cult in summoning a monster to destroy the world -- or side with Godzilla. STORY A door opens and a golden seal shatters a star... In the early 21st century, Mankind lost the battle for planet Earth to Godzilla, and has taken to the stars aboard the migrant ship, Aratrum, in search of a new home. Unfortunately, the search ends in vain, forcing them and their alien allies back to Earth. But, due to a distortion in space-time caused by the long-distance sub-space jump, 20,000 years have passed in their absence, and the Earth is a wholly different place. The planet’s flora and fauna now embody and serve Godzilla. Earth is a monster’s planet, ruled by the largest Godzilla ever at 300 meters in height... Godzilla Earth. The human protagonist, Captain Haruo Sakaki, yearns to defeat Godzilla and retake the planet for mankind. There, he meets the Houtua tribe, aboriginal descendants of the human race. The Houtua twin sisters, Maina and Miana, lead him to the skeletal remains of Mechagodzilla, an old anti-Godzilla weapon, which to everyone’s surprise is still alive in the form of self-generating nanometal. Taken from the Mechagodzilla debris, the nanometals have gradually been rebuilding a “Mechagodzilla City,” a potential weapon capable of destroying Godzilla Earth. As the strategy develops, a rift forms between the humans and the Bilusaludo, one of two alien races that had joined the humans on their exodus from Earth. Their leader, Mulu-Elu Galu-Gu, believes that the secret to defeating Godzilla lies in the use of superhuman powers -- namely, the nanometal integration -- but Haruo resists, fearing that in defeating monsters, they must not become monsters themselves. Haruo ultimately uses his means for defeating Godzilla Earth to destroy the Mechagodzilla city so as to prevent nanometal assimilation, killing Galu-gu. However, his childhood friend, Yuko Tani, has been absorbed by the nanometal integration and fallen into a coma. Once again, the human race is lost. Metphies, the archbishop of the religious Exif alien race, marvels that Haruo once again survived the battle with Godzilla. He espouses that Haruo’s life is a “miracle”, and begins to attract a stronger following to the Exif faith. The aliens have secretly harbored this outcome as their ultimate goal. Miana and Maina issue warnings against Metphies, while Haruo begins to question mankind’s next move. With no means for defeating Godzilla Earth, mankind watches as King Ghidorah, clad in a golden light, descends on the planet. The heavens and earth shake once again as the war moves to a higher dimension. What is Godzilla, exactly? Does mankind stand a chance? Is there a future vision in Haruo’s eyes? Find out in the finale, when it all becomes clear...

CREDITS GODZILLA A Netflix Film Part 3: THE PLANET EATER Streaming Date: Wednesday, January 9, 2019 (Worldwide) Production Year: 2018 Rating: TV-14 Genres: Action & Adventure, Anime, Adult Animation, Anime Action, Anime Features, Anime Sci-Fi, Japanese Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy Running Time: 91 Minutes Staff Directors: Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita Executive Producers: Yoshihiro Furusawa, Akito Takahashi Producer: Takashi Yoshizawa Original Story: Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus) Screenplay: Gen Urobuchi Series Composition: Gen Urobuchi, Sadayuki Murai Character Design: Yusuke Kozaki Assistant Directors: Naohiro “Tady” Yoshihira, Hiroaki Ando Production Design: Naoya Tanaka, Ferdinando Patulli CG Character Design: Yuki Moriyama Modeling Director: Mitsunori Kataama Art Director: Yukihiro Shibutani Color Design: Hironori Nochi Sound Director: Satoshi Motoyama Music: Takayuki Hattori Theme Song: “live and die” by XAI (TOHO Animation RECORDS) Japanese Voice Cast Haruo Sakaki: Mamoru Miyano Metphies: Takahiro Sakurai Yuko Tani: Kana Hanazawa Martin Lazzari: Tomokazu Sugita Adam Bindewald: Yuki Kaji Maina: Reina Ueda Miana: Ari Ozawa Eliott Leland: Daisuke Ono Unberto Mori: Kenyu Horiuchi Halu-Elu Dolu-do: Kazuya Nakai Endurph: Kazuhiro Yamaji Josh Emerson: Kanehira Yamamoto Takeshi J. Hamamoto: Kanehira Yamamoto Mulu-Elu Galu-Gu: Junichi Suwabe Rilu-Elu Belu-be: Kenta Miyake Haruka Sakaki: Saori Hayami Akira Sakaki: Kenichi Suzumura Daichi Tani: Tomisaburo Horikoshi English Dub Staff Artistic Director: Tyler Rhoads Adapter: Rachelle Heger Production Manager: Mary Kay De Guzman Production Coordinator: Kristine de los Santos ADR Engineer: Manuele Pepe Dubbing Studio: Post Haste Digital English Voice Cast Haruo Sakaki: Chris Niosi Metphies: Lucien Dodge Yuko Tani: Cristina Vee Martin Lazzari: Edward Bosco Adam Bindewald: Robbie Daymond Maina: Kendall Gimbi Miana: Rachelle Heger Eliott Leland: Danny Boston Unberto Mori: Keith Silverstein Halu-Elu Dolu-do: Doug Stone Endurph: Joe Ochman Josh Emerson: Bill Rogers Takeshi J. Hamamoto: Paul St. Peter Mulu-Elu Galu-Gu: Taylor Henry Rilu-Elu Belu-be: Rich Brown Haruka Sakaki: Laura Post Akira Sakaki: Danny Boston Daichi Tani: Paul St. Peter Flame Priestess: Laura Post Controller A: Laura Post Controller B: Rachelle Heger Soldier A: Danny Boston Soldier C: Danny Boston Child A: Laura Post Child B: Kendall Gimbi Child C: Cristina Vee Child D: Kristine de los Santos Children: Laura Post Production Company: Toho Co., Ltd. Production Studio: Polygon Pictures Distributor: Toho (Japan), Netflix (Worldwide) © 2018 TOHO CO., LTD. © 2018 “GODZILLA” Film Partners. All Rights Reserved.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world’s leading Internet television network with over 93 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

About Toho Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1932 and headquartered in Tokyo, Toho Company, Ltd. is one of the leading entertainment conglomerates in Japan. Toho is best known worldwide as the producer of the Godzilla films, as well as most of the films by the world-renowned director, Akira Kurosawa. Besides film production, Toho also distributes Japanese films (earning the highest box office receipts for decades in Japan) as well as foreign films through its subsidiary, owns first class movie theaters throughout Japan, produces legitimate plays and musicals, and has more than 100 entertainment-related subsidiaries.

About Polygon Pictures

Founded in July 1983, PPI is one of the largest digital animation studios in Japan and produces cutting-edge entertainment content in keeping with their mission to "do what no other has done, in unparalleled quality, for all the world to see and enjoy." Including their Malaysian subsidiary studio, Silver Ant PPI Sdn. Bhd., and visual software development company, J Cube Inc., they have brought together over 400 creators from around the world. Together as the Polygon Family, they devote their days to producing digital content for all types of media. Polygon`s notable works include TRANSFORMERS PRIME and STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (both Daytime Emmy award winners), Tron: Uprising (Annie award winner), KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA (Director: Kobun Shizuno), RONJA, THE ROBBER’S DAUGHTER (Director: Goro Miyazaki), AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN (Supervising Director: Hiroyuki Seshita, Director: Hiroaki Ando) and more. By fusing unrivaled technical and production planning know-how with the internationally recognized quality of Japanese animation, PPI aims to become a leading company in the content business.

For more information on the Anigoji Trilogy, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: