Warner Bros. Releases Mechagodzilla Concept Art

Ready Player One is full of tons of nods to pop culture, and that love extends to Japanese films and pop culture with a notable cameo from Mechagodzilla. Thanks to a new piece of concept art, fans can now get a close look at the film’s version of the famous Kaiju.

This piece of concept art was created by Jared Krichevsky for Ready Player One, and although the book makes reference to the more classic Kiryu design of the Kaiju the new design is striking in its own way.

Filmgoers were introduced to this new version of Mechagodzilla during the film’s final climactic battle. It’s the machine piloted by Nolan Sorrento during the Battle of Castle Anorak, and it’s most notable for being the reason the Iron Giant and the RX-0 Gundam get into the fray.

Featuring a more dinosaur-esque appearance as compared to Toho’s original design, this newer design looks closer to Legendary Pictures’ version of the Kaiju than Toho’s. This certainly was yet another cool Easter Egg in the already easter egg-packed Ready Player One, starring Tye Sheridan, Ben Mendelsohn, Olivia Cooke, Hanna John-Kamen, Lena Waithe, Simon Pegg, T.J. Miller, and Mark Rylance, is now playing.

If you’re interested in more Godzilla and Mechagodzilla, the next available chance to see new content from the two giant monsters comes in the form of Godzilla’s anime trilogy releasing on Netflix.

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters was the first of an animated trilogy from Toho and was released in Japan on November 2017 (and on Netflix domestically in 2018). It is directed by Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, with Toho Animation and Polygon Pictures handling production duties. It also features a strong voice cast for the Japanese version which includes Yuuki Kaji, Takahiro Sakurai, Mamoru Miyano, Junichi Suwabe, Kana Hanazawa, and Tomokazu Sugita.

The anime film brings a whole new anime spin on the monster, named “Godzilla Earth,” and seeing him brought to life in a different level of CG than the films in the West is captivating. The sequel, Godzilla Kessen Kido Zoshoku Toshi (which translates as Godzilla: Battle Mobile Breeding City) will feature a dark future where the last remaining humans must battle Godzilla, who has been wreaking havoc for 20,000 years. It will also feature an appearance of Mecha Godzilla, so not only will fans be treated to an animated version of Godzilla but one of the coolest rival Kaiju, Mecha Godzilla.

Toho and Netflix‘s animated Godzilla film trilogy will definitely be a project standing out among the rest of the storied franchise. For those waiting on more Godzilla, the Western version of Godzillawill be soon be premiering its sequel Godzilla: King of Monsters in March 2019, and Toho’s own Shin Godzilla is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Funimation.