Akira Kubo flanked by (from left to right) THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL director Hiroto Yokokawa, Takashi Yasuda, and actors Yuma and Kazuma Yoneyama. Photo courtesy of Avery Guerra. THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL ©2018 3Y Films.

Source: Avery Guerra Official Site: daibutsukaikoku.com

A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Photo courtesy of Avery Guerra. THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL ©2018 3Y Films.

Last year, a team of independent filmmakers led by director Hiroto Yokokawa began production on THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL (????, Daibutsu Kokaiku), a remake of a long-lost 1934 film that was quite possibly the first ever daikaiju film from Japan. The new movie, which incorporates both traditional suitmation and CG effects, features an all-star cast that includes legendary actor Akira Takarada (star of six Godzilla films, including the original), Peggy Neal (THE X FROM OUTER SPACE), Yukijiro Hotaru (The Heisei Gamera Trilogy, GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK), Philip Granger (TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL), Ippei Ohsako (SHIN GODZILLA) and Inge Murata (SHIN GODZILLA), Shelley Sweeney (four Godzilla films), Yuki Morita (Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Entertainment’s GODZILLA), Toshi Toda (Sony Pictures’ GODZILLA) Norman England (two Godzilla films), Robert Scott Field (GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH), Masanori Kikuzawa, J-Pop superstar Momoka Iwata, rapper Yuma, Kazuma Yoneyama, Jun’ichiro Nirasawa (GODZILLA: FINAL WARS), Yoshihiko Ohtsuki (GODZILLA: FINAL WARS) and Takashi Yasuda. A 50 minute cut of the film was screened in Japan in December 2018. Yokokawa and his team are now reworking the story and shooting additional scenes to bring THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL`s running time to feature length for international distribution. These scenes will include some new cast members who are familiar faces to fans of kaiju movies. The first new actor announced is yet another Toho legend... Akira Kubo. Beginning his career as a child actor in short movies, Kubo made his feature film debut in 1948. His early credits include some well-known works as Senkichi Taniguchi`s THE SOUND OF THE WAVES (??, Shiosai, 1954), Ishiro Honda`s ADOLESCENCE PART II (???? Zoku Shishunki, 1953) and FAREWELL RABAUL (Farewell Rabaul (???????, Saraba Rabauru, 1954), and Akira Kurosawa`s THRONE OF BLOOD (????, Kumonosu-j?, 1957). Kubo was part of the ensemble cast of the Ishiro Honda/Eiji Tsuburaya sci-fi films GORATH (????? Y?sei Gorasu, 1962) and MATANGO/ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE (????, 1963). He then starred in a trio of Godzilla movies; INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER/MONSTER ZERO (?????, Kaij? Daisens?, 1965), SON OF GODZILLA (?????? ??????, Kaij?-t? no Kessen: Gojira no Musuko, 1967) and DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (????? Kaij? S?shingeki, 1968), followed by the non-Godzilla kaiju film SPACE AMOEBA/YOG: MONSTER FROM SPACE (???????????? ??! ??????, Gezora, Ganime, Kam?ba: Kessen! Nankai no Daikaij?). In 1995, he returned to the genre with a cameo role in GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (??? ???????, Gamera Daikaij? K?ch? Kessen). Akira Kubo began filming his scenes for THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL this Tuesday, and the filmmakers have shared some photos to celebrate the event. For further information and updates on THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL, be sure to follow the film on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.