The ever-growing ensemble cast of the upcoming creature feature Kaiju: Island of Fire continues to amaze us with the sheer amount of genre alumni taking part in the film. First, there was news of Linda Miller and Carl Craig joining the film, to which they both shared great excitement with KU during our time interviewing them ahead of their new roles. Next, we were thrilled to exclusively reveal that the very first “Friend of Gamera” from the franchise’s original entry, child actor Yoshiro Uchida, was cast in the film. Now, it appears that we’re getting some more updates, as Collider exclusively revealed four new stars that will be embarking to the island of fire with beloved kaiju alumni.
The six new actors are Philip Granger (Tucker And Dale vs Evil), Yuki Morita (Godzilla), Jason Schombing (Timecop), Jerry Tremble (Heat), Dylan Schombing (Warcraft), and Seth Whittaker (Batwoman). Of the new faces joining the production, Yuki Morita is the most seasoned kaiju star, having a small, but memorable role in the first entry of the MonsterVerse, Godzilla (2014), portraying Akio’s Mother. She has also starred in two episodes of the critically acclaimed series Shogun and made an appearance in The Great Buddha Arrival (2019), and is also credited for English subtitle work on Nezura 1964 (2020). Fans of Philip Granger can see his latest role on the big screen, as he has a memorable role in the breakout hit The Backrooms, which is now playing in cinemas.
These seasoned genre actors join the already massive roster of actors to take part in Kaiju: Island of Fire, which include Wes Wing (Godzilla Minus Zero), Tom Constantine (Snake Eyes), Robert Scott Field (Hoshi 35), Tomoko Ai (Terror of Mechagodzilla), Chuck Wilson (Two Homelands), Masaaki Neguchi (Made in Vancouver), Yoshiro Uchida (Gamera, The Giant Monster), Linda Miller (King Kong Escapes), Carl Craig (Gamera vs. Viras), Kent Gilbert (Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah), and Inge Murata (Shin Godzilla). It’s also worth noting that three of these actors also appeared in the same film together, with Robert Scott Field, Kent Gilbert, and Chuck Wilson all starring in 1991’s Heisei era Godzilla flick Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.
The official synopsis for Kaiju: Island of Fire sets the scene:
A construction crew is set to a remote and ancient Japanese island to begin building a new military base. When that team disappears, a multinational joint military and scientific task force is sent to retrieve them. Once there, however, the team finds that the island is a fiery hellscape. Soon, they’ll have to fight to survive against the enormous creature that calls the island home. Can any of them escape, or will they all fall prey to the massive, merciless monster? Either way, the movie is the first film in a planned franchise, so don’t be surprised if the beast doesn’t come to a permanent end by the time the credits roll.
Kaiju: Island of Fire is written and directed by veteran Hollywood stuntman turned filmmaker Andrew L. Phillips (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Dark Knight Rises), with James H. Christy and Avery Guerra serving as producers. Additionally, Nicholas Hatfield will be joining the film as their Scenic Artist, having Art Department credits in two entries in the Godzilla franchise: 2016’s Shin Godzilla and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Northstar Pictures serves as the production company for the film, which has several more installments in the works. No current word on distribution has been revealed at this time, but kaiju fans can expect to see the film later this year. Stay tuned for further updates on this upcoming creature feature on Kaiju United.
