What might the clearest, or at least the fullest, reveal of Toho’s newest iteration of the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, has come from a toy advert.

Banpresto’s Big Sofubi figure advertises the “13.4” vinyl beauty by Yuji Sakai (the foremost Big G sculptor in the world), to be released in late July, and sold as a lottery prize in “bookstores, hobby shops, game centers, movie theaters, etc” as translated from the original press release by noted Godzilla and Japanese film expert, August Ragone.

As is usually the case, many Godzilla fans are up in arms about the new design, despite only being given a few glimpses of the creature in the just released trailer for Toho’s new film, which will be released in Japan on July 29th.

Shin Gojira (which can be read as New, True or God Godzilla) will be titled Godzilla Resurgence in the west, is directed by Neon Genesis Evangelion creator, Hideaki Anno and  Shinji Higuchi, who directed the special effects for the wonderful 1990s Gamera series (and if you haven’t seen those films yet, you should drop whatever you’re doing and seek them out at once).

It’s not yet clear whether we’ll get to see this film released theatrically outside of Japan, as its status in regards to the recent Legendary/Warner Bros film (about to spin off into its own Godzilla-verse, courtesy of both the forthcoming Kong: Skull Island and indeed Godzilla 2) is yet to be clarified, but I doubt lawyers and licensing deals will stop the Big Guy trampling his way here eventually, if only on home video.

Source: August Ragone