'Godzilla 2016' Movie News: Toho, the Japanese studio which has been producing Godzilla movies since 1954, announced that Anno Hideaki, who directed the Evangelion anime series and films, will write and direct the 2016 Godzilla reboot.

Tohu Studios announced that the two top Japanese filmmakers Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi will co-direct "Godzilla 2016." Anno and Higuchi previously worked together on "Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo", with Anno writing the script and Higuchi directing.

"Their drive to take on such new challenges was exactly what we all had been inspired by," said Toho in a statement.

Hideaki Anno is writing the screenplay. Higuchi will be in charge of the VFX for the movie. Higuchi is known for directing "Japan Sinks" in 2006. Anno is working on Studio Khara's fourth and final new Evangelion film. Higuchi worked on the "Evangelion" before debuting as a feature director with "Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean" in 2005. He had a hit with the films "The Sinking of Japan."

Hideaki Anno also worked on the animation of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli-produced "Nausicaa in the Valley of Wind." Anno directed anime series including "Gunbuster," "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" and the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" series

Toho's "Godzilla" Final Wars,"was directed by Ryuhei Kitamura in 2014. It earned a disappointing $12 million. The 2014  version of "Godzilla" directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Ken Watanabe and Elizabeth Olsen, earned $525 million worldwide.

Toho's announcement came after Warner Bros' announced that Gareth Edwards will be doing a sequel for his 2014 "Godzilla" which will hit theaters on June 8, 2018.

Higuchi worked on the 1984 Godzilla film as his first film. "Finally, the time has come," he announced. "Playtime is over," and promised "Next year, I will deliver the greatest and worst nightmare to everyone."

Toho has produced 28 Godzilla movies since 1954. The first Godzilla movie was directed by Ishiro Honda.