Topic summary

Godzilla Raids Again

Godzilla Raids Again
Directed byMotoyoshi OdaSpecial effects byEiji TsuburayaScreenplay by
  • Takeo Murata
  • Shigeaki Hidaka
Story byProduced byTomoyuki TanakaStarringCinematographySeiichi EndoEdited byKazuji TairaMusic byMasaru Satō
Production
company
Distributed byToho
Release date
  • April 24, 1955 (1955-04-24) (Japan)
Running time
81 minutesCountryJapanLanguageJapaneseBudget¥32 millionBox office¥170 million
(Japan rentals)

Godzilla Raids Again (Japanese: ゴジラの逆襲, Hepburn: Gojira no Gyakushū; lit.'Godzilla's Counterattack') is a 1955 Japanese kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the second film in the Godzilla franchise, and a sequel to Godzilla (1954). The film stars Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus. In the film, Japan struggles to survive the attack of the second Godzilla, as well as its destructive battle against its ancient foe Anguirus.

Executive producer Iwao Mori instructed producer Tomoyuki Tanaka to immediately commence production on a second Godzilla film, fearing to lose the momentum of the first film's success. Oda was chosen to direct the film as Ishirō Honda was busy directing Lovetide.

Godzilla Raids Again was released theatrically in Japan on April 24, 1955. A re-edited, English dubbed version was released theatrically in the United States on June 2, 1959, by Warner Bros. Pictures, under the title Gigantis, the Fire Monster. It played on a double feature with Teenagers from Outer Space.

The film was followed by King Kong vs. Godzilla, released on August 11, 1962.