Photos courtesy of X-Plus. Mechagodzilla TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Kamen Rider Den-O © Ishimori Pro・Toei. Ultraman Neos,
Re-Sabotendar and Black End ©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS. Mothra (2019) ©2019 Legendary, All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary

Product Info and Exclusive GIANT High-Res Photos, Direct from X-Plus!
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: X-Plus Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks to Shingo Fujimoto

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

The Japanese collectibles company X-Plus Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with information and nearly 100 daikaiju-sized photos of their giant monster figures scheduled for release in May 2020.
Continued…

Source: Diamond Select Toys
Special Thanks to Zach Oat

Photo courtesy of Diamond Select. TM & © TOHO
CO., LTD.

Diamond Select Toys is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a Godzilla 1974 Figural Bank. Sculpted by Gentle Giant, this full-figure vinyl bank depicts Godzilla, exactly as he appeared in 1974’s GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (ゴジラ対メカゴジラ, Gojira Tai Mekagojira). The 12-inch rendition of the King of All Monsters in his full 1970s glory features a coin slot on his back and a removable tail that reveals an access door. Measuring 18 inches long from nose to tail, he is the perfect addition to any Godzilla collection!
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Photo courtesy of NECA. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

Source: NECA press release
Special Thanks to Peter de Leon

NECA has announced that restocks of their Godzilla (2001) Atomic Blast 12” Head-to-Tail Action Figure are rolling out from their warehouse this week and will soon be available from retailers. This version of the beloved monster is based on Godzilla’s “Atomic Blast” attack in the 2001 movie GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃, Gojira, Mosura, Kingughidora: Daikaiju Soshingeki), a spectacular battle between Godzilla and some of his most famous foes.
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The Masterline Premium Statue: King Ghidorah Deluxe Edition is now available for pre-order from Spiral Studio.
Photo courtesy of Spiral Studio. © 2019 Legendary, All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary

Source: Spiral Studio Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks to Ash S

The collectibles company Spiral Studio Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with information and large, high-res photos of their long-awaited and highly-anticipated Ultimate Masterline Premium Statue: King Ghidorah Deluxe Edition. Equipped with LED light-up functions, King Ghidorah Deluxe Edition is exclusively crafted with remarkable movie-accuracy to depict the iconic scene of the final battle in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ 2019 Kaiju blockbuster GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS.
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NECA’s Godzilla (1985) 12” Head-to-Tail Action Figure returns to stores soon. Photo courtesy of NECA. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

Source: NECA
Special Thanks to Peter de Leon

NECA has announced that restocks of their Godzilla (1985) 12” Head-to-Tail Action Figure are rolling out from their warehouse this week and will soon be available from retailers.
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PROMARE will now be available on digital on April 21, with the Blu-ray + DVD combo pack, DVD and Best Buy exclusive SteelBook Blu-ray
following on May 19. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. ©TRIGGER, Kazuki Nakashima/XFLAG

Source: Shout! Factory press release
Official Site: promare-movie.com (Japan), PromareMovie.com (US)
Special Thanks to Shannon Meehan

The top-grossing original anime feature of 2019, PROMARE (プロメア, Puromea), will be available for digital download from GKIDS and Shout! Factory on April 21, earlier than previously announced. Fans can pre-order the hyperkinetic, candy-colored visual masterpiece on iTunes now.
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Key art courtesy of Toho. ©”All About March” Film Partners

Source: Toho Co., Ltd.
Official Site: yayoi-movie.jp (Japan)

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Toho Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with press notes and high-res photos from their new romance film, ALL ABOUT MARCH (弥生、三月 -君を愛した３０年-, Yayoi, Sangatsu: Kimi o Ai Shita Sanjunen). Kazuhiko Yukawa, director of A LOVING HUSBAND (恋妻家宮本, Koisaika Miyamoto, 2017) and screenwriter for the popular television dramas I’M MITA, YOUR HOUSEKEEPER (家政婦のミタ, Kaseifu no Mita, 2011), OVERPROTECTED KAHOKO (過保護のカホコ, Kahogo no Kahoko, 2017) and OUR DEAREST SAKURA (同期のサクラ, Doki no Sakura, 2019), makes the month of March the focus of this love story spanning 30 years in the lives of a man and woman bound by fate.
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Win a Godzilla Gallery: Godzilla 1991 Deluxe PVC Figure from Diamond Select Toys and SciFi Japan! Photo courtesy of Diamond Select.
TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

Source: Diamond Select Toys
Special Thanks to Zach Oat

Diamond Select Toys is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their Godzilla Gallery: Godzilla 1991 Deluxe PVC Figure, the first in a new line of Gallery PVC Dioramas starring Godzilla, his allies and his enemies.
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SHIN GODZILLA production assistant Yoko Higuchi at Toho Studios. Photo courtesy of Yoko Higuchi. ©TOHO CO., LTD.

Author: Benjamin Chaffins

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

The 7 Japanese Academy Award-winning film SHIN GODZILLA (シン・ゴジラ, Shin Gojira) continues to be hailed by critics in both east and west after its release in 2016. The film received awards such as Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Lighting, Best Film, Best Director and Best Picture. While some continue to have issues with this film, it’s important to look further into the production aspects.

Who better to talk about the film than someone who was there during production? Yoko Higuchi is an up-and-coming American filmmaker residing in New York who became a Production Assistant for SHIN GODZILLA.
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Toho Classics in High-Definition on June 9, 2020
Source: Mill Creek Entertainment press release

Photo courtesy of Mill Creek. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

Travel back to the days before CGI, when special effects were real and the results were spectacular! Director Ishirô Honda and special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya bring thee wildly colorful tokusatsu eiga THE H-MAN (美女と液体人間, Bijo to Ekitai-ningen, 1958) and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (宇宙大戦争, Uchū Daisensō, 1959) to life in this high-definition double feature presentation.

Following their SteelBook edition of MOTHRA (モスラ, Mosura), Mill Creek brings the Toho/Columbia movies THE H-MAN and BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE to Blur0ay. The films are presented in the 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio for both English and Japanese tracks and English subtitles.
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Photo courtesy of NECA. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

Source: NECA press release
Special Thanks to Peter de Leon

NECA continues to celebrate Godzilla, the most famous kaiju in the world, in action figure form with two new classic Toho figures this June.
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The books The Lost Films: Mutated Edition and Writing Japanese Monsters are now on sale. Photos courtesy of John LeMay. ©John LeMay

Source: John LeMay

Author John LeMay (Roswell, USA: Towns That Celebrate UFOs, Lake Monsters, Bigfoot, and Other Weirdness) has recently added two new volumes to his The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies series… The Lost Films: Mutated Edition and Writing Japanese Monsters.

The Lost Films was first released in the summer of 2017 as 386 page, 5.5 x 8.5″ book. The newly released second edition is a 470 page, 7 x 10″ book by comparison, and sports a great deal of new information about movies that went uncompleted. The companion book, Writing Japanese Monsters, charts the developmental process of finished films.
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Photos courtesy of X-Plus. Orga and Godzilla TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Ultrama © TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS. Gamera (1999) © 1999 KADOKAWA TNHN

Product Info and Exclusive GIANT High-Res Photos, Direct from X-Plus!
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: X-Plus Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks to Shingo Fujimoto

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

The Japanese collectibles company X-Plus Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with information and nearly 100 daikaiju-sized photos of their giant monster figures scheduled for release in April 2020.
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The #1 Hero Anime Is Back
Source: Funimation Films
Official Movie Site: heroaca-movie.com (Japan), funimationfilms.com/myheroacademia (US)
Special Thanks to Scott Barretto

Poster. Image courtesy of Funimation. © 2019 “My Hero
Accademia THE MOVIE” Project © Kohei Horikoshi /
Shueisha

Funimation Films, the theatrical division of Sony Pictures Television’s Funimation will release the new Toho Co Ltd. feature film MY HERO ACADEMIA: HEROES RISING (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE　ヒーローズ：ライジング, Boku no Hīrō Akademia THE MOVI Hīrōzu: Raijingu, 2019) as a limited theatrical engagement in both Japanese (English subtitles) and English dub.

The number one hero anime is back in theaters for a battle beyond anything fans have ever seen! Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do some real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it’s more like a vacation… until they’re attacked by a villain with an unfathomable Quirk! His power is eerily familiar, and it looks like Shigaraki had a hand in the plan. But with All Might retired and citizens’ lives on the line, there’s no time for questions. Deku and his friends are the next generation of heroes, and they’re the island’s only hope.
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PROMARE will be available in multiple editions, including a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and a Best Buy exclusive SteelBook Blu-ray.
Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. ©TRIGGER, Kazuki Nakashima/XFLAG

Source: Shout! Factory press release
Official Site: promare-movie.com (Japan), PromareMovie.com (US)
Special Thanks to Shannon Meehan

The top-grossing original anime feature of 2019, PROMARE (プロメア, Puromea) makes its way to home entertainment this spring following a phenomenally successful North American theatrical run. The hyperkinetic, candy-colored visual masterpiece will be released on digital download and On Demand on May 5, 2020 and on Blu-ray + DVD combo pack and as a standalone DVD on May 19, 2020 from GKIDS and Shout! Factory. Bonus features include an interview with director Hiroyuki Imaishi, a round table with Studio TRIGGER, and SIDE: GALO and SIDE: LIO short films with new English dubs featuring the original dub cast.
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The epic blockbuster GODZILLA VS KONG’s retail and merchandise partnerships to provide fans a robust offering of products and experiences
in time for the November 20, 2020 release. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. © 2020 WARNER BROS. ENT. © LEGENDARY 2020

Two Iconic Titans to Clash On-Screen and at Retail with Exciting Global Programs
Source: Toho Co., Ltd. press release
Official Site: godzilla.com
Special Thanks to Chris Mowry and Jacara Jenkins
#GodzillavsKong

In anticipation of Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures’ feature film GODZILLA VS KONG, rumbling into theaters on November 20, 2020, Legendary and Toho Co. Ltd. announced an exciting slate of licensees that will deliver a diverse offering of merchandise and experiences to fans timed to the release of the blockbuster film.
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GKIDS and Fathom Events Continue Partnership to Bring New Animated Feature Film From STUDIO4°C to Big Screens Nationwide
Source: GKIDS Inc., Fathom Events, Scoop Marketing press release
Official Site: kaijunokodomo.com (Japan), ChildrenOfTheSeaMovie.com (US)
Special Thanks to Jessica Nelson, Katherine Schwappach, Erik Stein and Lucy Rubin

Image courtesy of GKIDS. ©️2019 Daisuke Igarashi,
Shogakukan/”Children of the Sea” Committee

GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events have announced that the latest feature from Japan’s STUDIO4°C (known for TEKKONKINKREET, MFKZ, MIND GAME, ANIMATRIX, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT and others), CHILDREN OF THE SEA (海獣の子供, Kaiju no Kodomo, 2019) is coming to select U.S. cinemas this spring. Directed by Ayumu Watanabe (SPACE BROTHERS), featuring a score by award-winning composer and longtime Studio Ghibli collaborator Joe Hisaishi (SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO). The gorgeously-animated CHILDREN OF THE SEA is adapted from Daisuke Igarashi’s manga of the same name, which won the Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival.

GKIDS and Fathom Events will present CHILDREN OF THE SEA on Monday, April 20 (English subtitled) and Wednesday, April 22 (dubbed in English), and will be followed by a limited theatrical release by GKIDS starting April 24. In addition to the full feature, audiences will view a special interview with director Ayumu Watanabe and CGI director Kenichiro Akimoto.
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Source: Crunchyroll
Special Thanks to Amanda Geraldo

Anime of the year winner, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Crunchyroll, the world’s most popular anime brand, has announced the winners from the fourth annual Anime Awards, a celebration of the best and brightest in Japanese animation from last year.

Anime’s popularity has continued to soar over the last year with the industry valued at more than $10 billion. Fans also have more ways to enjoy anime than ever before, through streaming, fan events, theatrical screenings, celebrity and athlete endorsements, and video games, just to name a few.

This year, over 11 million global votes were cast across 18 categories from fans celebrating their favorite characters, series, and creators, eclipsing the 5 million votes cast in 2019. The top five countries that voted this year were the United States, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Winners of the Anime Awards were announced during a live event at the Crunchyroll HQ in San Francisco, hosted by WWE® Superstar Xavier Woods™ (AKA Austin Creed) and streamed on the Crunchyroll homepage and across Crunchyroll social media platforms.
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Photos courtesy of X-Plus. Godzilla TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Zanika and Doragory © TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS. KONG: SKULL ISLAND © Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Product Info and Exclusive GIANT High-Res Photos, Direct from X-Plus!
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: X-Plus Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks to Shingo Fujimoto

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

The Japanese collectibles company X-Plus Co., Ltd. has provided SciFi Japan with information and daikaiju-sized photos of their monster figures scheduled for release in March 2020.
Continued…

Photos courtesy of GKIDS. HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE ©2004 Studio Ghibli • NDDMT. PONYO ©2008 Nibariki • GNDHDDT

Source: Shout! Factory press release
Special Thanks to Shannon Meehan

Studio Ghibli and GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Factory, will release HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and PONYO, from the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, on May 12 in limited edition SteelBook packaging with striking new art. The HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and PONYO SteelBooks will house Blu-ray & DVD combo packs, presenting the films alongside hours of bonus features and a booklet with stunning art and statements from the filmmakers.
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Source: Section23 Films
Special Thanks to Mike Bailiff

Photo courtesy of Section23 Films. ©Kayodo/
Tokuma Shoten・”Monmisu” Partners

Section23 Films is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new SteelBook Blu-ray edition of MONSTER MUSUME: EVERYDAY LIFE WITH MONSTER GIRLS!

No one expected the government to suddenly acknowledge the existence of demi-human species like harpies and centaurs, but when a careless Integration Agent shows up on Kimihito Kurusu’s doorstep with an attractive Lamia in tow, he suddenly finds himself designated as a “Host Family”.

This might not be so bad, except that while Miia’s top half is all girl and quickly develops a crush on her new human host, her snakelike bottom half makes that crush literal with a tendency to squeeze the life out of him! Plus, there’s also the little problem that it’s illegal for humans and non-humans to have THOSE kinds of relationships. With woman-in-black Agent Smith always sniffing about for improprieties, things only get more hectic in the Kurusu household when bird-brained Papi the harpy and master-seeking centaur Centorea need places to roost and stable.
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The two legendary movie monsters fight in a black and white still from KING KONG VS GODZILLA, screening in 35mm at the
Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon. TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD.

Source: Hollywood Theatre
Special Thanks to Michael Calhoun

The Grindhouse Film Festival presents a rare 35mm print of the Kaiju classic KING KONG VS GODZILLA (American version, 1963) at the Hollywood Theatre, showing February 25 at 7:30PM!
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Photo courtesy of Toho. ©1935, 2020 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.

Source: Toho Co., Ltd. press release
Official Site: godzilla.com
Special Thanks to Shadie Williams

usaopoly (The Op), a leading games publisher, has partnered with Toho International to produce two new exciting Godzilla games: MONOPOLY® and JENGA®.
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Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group press release
Special Thanks to Clint Weiler

Photo courtesy of MVD Entertainment. © Chakushin Ari Film
Partners

Arrow Video US is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win their new ONE MISSED CALL Trilogy Blu-ray set. This lavish collection gathers together the original films and a swathe of in-depth bonus features for the ultimate spine-tingling experience.

In the first installment, Takashi Miike’s ONE MISSED CALL (着信アリ, Chakushin Ari, 2003), student Yoko (Anna Nagata, BATTLE ROYALE) receives a phone message from her future self, ending with her own death scream. Two days later, she dies in a horrific rail collision. As the mysterious phone curse spreads, claiming more young lives, Yoko’s friend Yumi (Ko Shibasaki, BATTLE ROYALE, 47 RONIN) joins forces with detective Hiroshi (Shinichi Tsutsumi, SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO), whose sister met the same gruesome fate. But can they unravel the mystery before the clock runs out on the next victim — Yumi herself?
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© 2019 Legendary, All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary.

280+ G:KOTM Products! 800+ Photos!
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Toho, Legendary, Warner Bros. Pictures, and more*
Official Movie Site: Godzillamovie.com

SciFi Japan has updated and expanded our guide to tie-in merchandise and promotions for Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS. With the assistance of Toho, Legendary, Warner Bros. and many of the licensing companies, we now present more than 800 photos of items from the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, China and Taiwan.
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Photos courtesy of X-Plus. Rodan 2019 and King Ghidorah 2019 © 2019 Legendary, All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary.
Moguera, Anguirus, Godzilla and Baragon TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Ultraman Gaia, Gira Doras, Beakon, Ultraman Ace, Alien Baltan Jr. and Billgamo © TSUBURAYA
PRODUCTIONS. Kamen Rider Kuuga and Kamen Rider Build © Ishimori Pro・TV Asahi・ADK EM・Toei.

Product Info and Exclusive GIANT High-Res Photos, Direct from X-Plus!
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: X-Plus Co., Ltd.
Special Thanks to Shingo Fujimoto and Jun Umeji

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Due to circumstances beyond our control, SciFi Japan has fallen behind on our coverage of the latest figures from the Japanese collectibles company X-Plus Co., Ltd. To get back on schedule, we present a look at both the January and February 2020 lineups with information and more than 200 photos — direct from X-Plus!
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Arrow Video presents the ONE MISSED CALL Trilogy of J-Horror films in high definition with a wealth of bonus materials.
Photo courtesy of MVD Entertainment. © Chakushin Ari Film Partners

Source: Arrow Video US, MVD Entertainment Group press release
Special Thanks to Clint Weiler

An iconic trilogy of J-horror films comes to Blu-ray for the first time! Tapping into the same brand of terror as the RING and GRUDGE movies, visionary director Takashi Miike (AUDITION, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL) presents a modern, high-tech twist on that mainstay of Japanese folklore, the yurei or vengeful spirit, in the form of its own iconic antihero — the terrifying Mimiko.
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The New Feature Film from Cult Favorite Director Comes to U.S. Cinemas on February 19
Source: GKIDS Inc., Fathom Events, Scoop Marketing press release
Official Site: kimi-nami.com (Japan), RideYourWaveMovie.com (US)
Special Thanks to Jessica Nelson, Katherine Schwappach, Erik Stein and Lucy Rubin

Image courtesy of GKIDS. © Ride Your Wave Film Partners

GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award-nominated animated features, and Fathom Events will continue their partnership with a special showing of visionary director Masaaki Yuasa’s new film RIDE YOUR WAVE (きみと、波にのれたら, Kimi to Nami ni Noretara, 2019) on Wednesday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. (local time, English subtitled). With RIDE YOUR WAVE, Yuasa (THE NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL,DEVILMAN Crybaby, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF EIZOUKEN applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a deeply emotional tale of romance, grief and self-discovery. In addition to the full feature, audiences will view an exclusive interview with RIDE YOUR WAVE producer and Science SARU animation studio co-founder Eunyoung Choi (THE NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL, DEVILMAN Crybaby, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF EIZOUKEN).

GKIDS and Fathom Events will present RIDE YOUR WAVE in more than 500 select movie theaters on Wednesday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. GKIDS will open the feature theatrically in Los Angeles starting February 21. For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
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Image courtesy of HBO. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. © 2019 WARNER BROS. ENT. © LEGENDARY 2019

Source: Home Box Office, Inc.
Official Movie Site: Godzillamovie.com

Following the theatrical run; 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital release; and Video on Demand screenings; Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019) will make its pay cable debut this Saturday, January 18th. The film will premiere 8:00 PM on Time Warner’s HBO, with additional screenings scheduled on the various HBO channels over the next several weeks. GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS will also be available from HBO on Demand starting January 19th.
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Win a GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS Battle Scene fleece blanket from Surreal Entertainment and SciFi Japan!
Photo courtesy of Surreal Entertainment. © 2019 Legendary, All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO.,LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary

Source: Surreal Entertainment
Special Thanks to Carrie Meyer and Alex Gomez

Surreal Entertainment is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win a GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS Battle Scene fleece blanket. Measuring 60 x 45 inches, the blanket depicts Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra as seen in the 2019 film from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures.
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