Could The 2023 Film Be A Prequel?

SasquaDash

I know the movie was just announced and not much information on it has been released, but it's fun to speculate regardless...

One of the few details that was released for the film was the fact that scenes would take place during the late 1940s in Post-War Japan (there's also a currently unconfirmed rumor that the entirety of the film will take place in the 40s), which immediately had me speculating. Could this film be a prequel to the 1954 film, or at the very least something similar? It seems pretty specific to set parts of the film in 1940s Post-War Japan, which leads me to suspect that the setting will play a large role in the plot. Is it possible that this film could show the original Godzilla being awoken by the 1940's nuclear tests, as well as certain events that lead up to the 1954 film? The new film having a connection to the original could also explain why it's specifically being released on November 3rd.

I could be completely wrong, but what do you think? Could the film be a prequel?

Cool Godzilla

Umm, what movie are you talking about? Is it a new Godzilla movie?

Cool Godzilla

OK, Sorry. I forgot to look at the article.

Cool Godzilla

November 3rd? that's almost my dad's birthday.

sonictiger

Interesting idea!

HinikunaGoji

I was thinking that Godzilla might be attacking post war Japan immediately, rather than focusing on the long lasting effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki like 54’ or 84’ or 16’ did. Goji could be a metaphor for the immediate consequences

Xenotaris

I don't think the japanese would do that since they feel it would offend foreigners 

G. H. (Gman)

Xenotaris,
What?

Xenotaris

I could be wrong but bear with me for a second, typically the Japanese don't like talking about world war II stuff from my observation, I know they have World War 2 movies. According to this times magazine (I think, it's in my house somewhere too lazy to look for it) that was dedicated to Godzilla and they said that the original Godzilla was almost never made because they feared any movie using nuclear themes would anger the Americans. But Time magazine has been wrong in the past since they got some things about Jurassic Park wrong.

SasquaDash

Time Magazine probably got that wrong. There have been references to WWII in other Toho kaiju movies (not just the 1954 Godzilla). In Frankenstein vs. Baragon/Frankenstein Conquers the World they actually depict the bombing of Hiroshima during WWII (which ends up becoming a major plot point in that movie), and that was made in 1965, so they probably wouldn't have any issue with referencing WWII in 2023. Why else would they set scenes in this new movie during the 1940s in post-war Japan?

Xenotaris

Oh I don't know, I need to watch all the auxiliary Godzilla/toho movies

HinikunaGoji

i think what times was trying to say it was scared of American censorship in the 50s. 

But ww2 is not like a taboo subject in Japanese art. I think there’s a ghibli film that touches on it.

Xenotaris

Yeah I think thats what they were talking about

G. H. (Gman)

The American occupation had ended before 1954, so they no longer had any say with Japanese media depicting or referencing WWII. At the time though, it was just considered taboo since the occupation had conditioned the Japanese not to talk about it in media.

It's a different world 70 years later. Japan has no issue criticizing American influence. Godzilla vs. Biollante, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla x MechaGodzilla and Shin Godzilla all do it. To an extent so did Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla and Mothra vs. Godzilla. Present day artists have no issue hammering home the tougher issue and Yamazaki, who has been very critical of American influence on Japan over the last several decades in a lot of his films, is probably one of the last filmmakers afraid of offending anyone.

HinikunaGoji

Also worth mentioning the original 54’ film i believe directly talks about the USAs nuclear testing, I guess

XarKhaan

some of Showa era films reference US Nuclear tests Godzilla vs Megalon, and Rodan for example and the Heisei era Godzilla vs King Ghidora specifically references WW2 heck part of it takes place During WW2.