As part of the 60th anniversary project for the monster movie "Gamera" series, it has been announced that the 4K HDR version of "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris," the final chapter of the Heisei Gamera trilogy, will be re-released in Dolby Cinema format from February 20th. The first film of the Heisei Gamera trilogy, "Gamera: Guardian of the Universe," was released in November of last year, and the second film, "Gamera 2: Attack of Legion," is scheduled to be released from January 16th, and the screening date for the final chapter, "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris," has now been announced.
The 4K HDR trailer for "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris," released in 1999, also features Shinobu Nakayama and Ai Maeda. The trailer features Ayana Hirasaka, a young girl in a sailor uniform, played by Maeda.
The exhibition and sales event "Gamera EXPO," held in Yurakucho, Tokyo, will be re-opened as "Gamera EXPO in Namba" at Namba Marui (Chuo-ku, Osaka) from January 17th. It has been announced that the "Flying Gamera" used in the filming of "Space Monster Gamera," the final film in the Showa Gamera series, will be exhibited at the event. This valuable item was produced and preserved by Ex-Production, a modeling company that played a major role in Japanese special effects works such as the Showa Gamera series and the Kamen Rider series, and will be exhibited as a tribute to Isao Yagi, the president of Ex-Production, who passed away last year.
It was also announced that "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris" will be screened at the "Chofu Cinema Festival 2026," a film festival in Chofu City, Tokyo, which will be held from February 6th to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Gamera. Shinobu Nakayama, Jiro Hotaru, and director Shusuke Kaneko will appear at a talk event to be held at Aeon Cinema Theater Chofu on February 7th.
The pamphlet for the "Gamera 55th Anniversary Project: The Heisei Gamera Trilogy" will be resold in limited quantities. It was sold when the Dolby Cinema version of "Gamera 3: The Awakening of Iris" premiered on the occasion of Gamera's 55th anniversary in 2021, and sold out. It includes testimonials from director Kaneko, special effects director Higuchi Shinji, screenwriter Ito Kazunori, and producer Tsutomu Tsuchikawa, as well as an annotated shooting script, documents from the time of release, and special interviews.
Gamera is a monster that appears in the special effects film "Gamera the Giant Monster," released by Daiei in 1965, and is modeled after a turtle. He is a child who protects people from danger to the Earth, a champion of justice, and flies in a circular saucer shape. Since "Gamera the Giant Monster," a total of eight films have been produced as the "Showa Gamera" series, including "Space Monster Gamera." Other series include the "Heisei Gamera" series and "Little Braves: Gamera." In 2023, the anime "GAMERA -Rebirth-" began streaming on Netflix. The series was also broadcast on NHK General TV.
