'Shin Godzilla' to play in North American theaters Oct. 11-18

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Shin Godzilla will have a limited theatrical release in North America Oct. 11-18, Funimation Films announced Friday.

The latest creature feature in Japan's Toho Company canon is scheduled to screen in more than 440 theaters in the United States and Canada.

"We are thrilled to bring Shin Godzilla to theaters across North America this October," Gen Fukunaga, chief executive officer and president of Funimation, said in a statement. "Toho established Godzilla as one of the most iconic monsters in science-fiction history and we're honored to now be a part of that history with the theatrical release of this new movie. Fans will not want to miss this limited, theatrical event."

The movie was co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. It is the 29th Godzilla film produced by Toho and stars Hiroki Hasegawa and Satomi Ishihara – both also from the Attack on Titan, live-action movies -- as well as Yutaka Takenouchi.

"Movie audiences can look forward to a great time watching Shin Godzilla this October," added Mike DuBoise, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Funimation. "A larger-than-life monster like Godzilla has to be experienced on the big screen. And we expect this movie to sell out in numerous theaters, so we encourage fans to purchase tickets in advance."

Shin Godzilla -- which is named Godzilla Resurgence in some territories -- has been a big hit in Japan since its opening July 29.