The Japanese filmmaker behind Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995), Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996), and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999), believes it's time for a new live-action movie starring the turtle kaiju.
Shusuke Kaneko was a recent special guest at the Gamera Expo Event, a specialized exhibition and merchandise event celebrating the Japanese giant monster's 60th Anniversary. While appearing on stage, Kaneko said it's time for a new Gamera film and he wants to be the director.
Award-winning Japanese actress Shinobu Nakayama was the moderator during a special panel, and she stated, “I asked fans to submit questions in advance, and then I received a message from a fan saying, “I want Nagamine Mayumi to strongly convey this to the director and KADOKAWA."
"Enough is enough! How long are we going to keep this up? How many years do you think it’s been since the Reiwa era began? Please make a new ‘Reiwa Gamera’ already!” The audience agreed with her passionate feelings and erupted in applause."
Kaneko then replied, “The appeal of Gamera is that you never give up… so I’ll do my best."
However, after walking around the exhibit and seeing his old Gamera costumes, Kaneko reportedly grew more inspired and declared his intentions to direct the next film.
"It didn’t feel like they were very old. They felt like they were alive again. It really gave me a sense of mission: I have to do the next one."
Although Gamera has enjoyed a small resurgence through several animated projects in recent years, it’s easy to forget that the last time the giant turtle appeared in a live-action film was all the way back in 2006 with Gamera the Brave. Nearly two decades have passed since then.
With the kaiju genre thriving once again, now might be the perfect moment for the fire-breathing, prehistoric guardian to get a full Reiwa-era overhaul.
Godzilla has already demonstrated how well a bold reimagining can work, first with the politically charged Shin Godzilla in 2016, and more recently with the critically acclaimed Godzilla Minus One in 2023.
It definitely feels like the right time for the giant turtle to rise from the ashes and reclaim a spot in the current kaiju renaissance.