Here is a project that should be fun for fans of Japanese daikaiju films. A crowdfunding campaign has started to help fund The Great Buddha Arrivalm, a remake a long lost film from 1934 called Daibutsu Kaikoju. The grandson of Edamasa Yoshiro, the original film's director, and a group of creators are banding together to see this film get made before the end of the year.
"Daibutsu Kaikoku" is the movie about a big Buddha statue. “Daibutsu” means a big Buddha statue, “Kaikoku” means walking around a country. One day it begins to walk and visit around Japan.
As stated earlier The Great Buddha Arrival will be a remake of a long lost 1934 daikaiju film called Daibutsu Kaikoju. The only surviving proof that the original film existed before it was long during WWII are a couple promotional images (see below). The original film was made in 1934 by Edamasa Yoshiro, also known as the master of Tsuburaya Eiji who would himself become a world famous director of special effects for the Godzilla films. So yeah, the legacy of daikaiju cinema can sure get a boost from a special project like this.
The Great Buddha Arrival will be directed by Yokokawa Hiroto and stars Ohtsuki Yoshihiko and Nirasawa Junichiro from Godzilla: Final Wars and Yoneyama Kazuma .
Being Japanese they are decidedly modest about their crowdfunding goals and perks. For as little as $25 (CAD) you will get your names in the credits, an HD copy of the film and the downloadable theme song and concept art. You have to admit that is a relatively inexpensive way to keep the legacy of a long lost daikaiju film alive. You will find the campaign page here.