Editing Gamera (section)

===Distributions and releases===
One of factors restricting revenues from Daiei Film productions was the company's weak distribution system including limited theater chains; releases of Daiei Film productions relied on movie theatres by [[Toho]], [[Shochiku]], and [[Toei Company]]. Daiei Film later launched the {{Nihongo|Daiei Industrial Enterprise Co.,Ltd.|大映興業株式会社|Daiei Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha|lead=yes}} to gain directly managing movie theaters, however the attempt failed as feasible properties were already acquired by other companies, further accelerating financial difficulties of Daiei Film. The deterioration of the company including its distribution system was partially caused by rather prodigal operations by [[Masaichi Nagata]]; his extensive achievements granted him the title '''''"Father of Japanese film industry"''''', however his career ironically formed a dictatorial company culture which even restricted executives, and [[Noriaki Yuasa]] described [[Hidemasa Nagata]] being "too artistic" to run a company. On the other hand, it was also Masaichi who pushed ahead to produce ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'', and Masaichi's authority rather compulsively overturned overall negative pre-release reviews of the 1965 film within Daiei Film as he complimented it, and the first Gamera film indeed succussed where even Yuasa anticipated it to fail since the beginning and couldn't understand why it didn't flop.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=YuasaInterview />

Ever since ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'', the last film by Daiei Film, was distributed by [[Dainichi Eihai]] for financial reasons,<ref name=OFS1995 /> Daiei Film productions by [[Tokuma Shoten]] and [[Kadokawa Corporation]] have always relied on other companies to distribute, restricting revenues.<ref name=IGN2022 /> The Heisei trilogy was distributed by [[Toho]] as Daiei Film lost its theater chains after its bankruptcy. However, the trilogy was distributed by Toho Western Films unlike ''Godzilla'' films, and the number of movie theatres for the trilogy was much smaller than ''Godzilla'' films, further reducing potential box office results.{{refn|As aforementioned, the Heisei Gamera trilogy was presumably aimed to avoid a direct competition against the Heisei Godzilla continuity, which was originally supposed to end with ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]''.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Gakken93 />|group="note"}}<ref name=Shiraishi>[[:ja:白石雅彦|Masahiko Shiraishi]], [[Shōgo Tomiyama]], 20 January 2003, ''Heisei Godzilla Encyclopedia'', "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla: close encounter Godzilla vs. Gamera !?", pp.256-257, [[Futabasha]]</ref> However, [[Shōgo Tomiyama]] noted that he did not perceive the ''Gamera'' franchise as a rival, but was instead happy to see its revival along with the ''Godzilla'' franchise which was the sole support the kaiju genre received for years.<ref>[[Hobby Japan]], 19 December 2017, ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Completion'', "Staff interview - Shōgo Tomiyama", p.86,</ref> Filming of ''Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' was also affected by the 1994 film ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' as both films were filmed in [[Fukuoka]].<ref name=Shiraishi />

Global distributions of videos of the franchise was also affected by the ''Godzilla'' franchise. [[Daiei Film]] avoided the market in the [[United States]] and instead focused more on [[Europe|European countries]] to decrease competition with Toho productions. Foreign cast members became increasingly well-represented due to requests from European buyers; however, these buyers also requested to avoid hiring [[black people|black]] cast members. Daiei Film obliged, though some criticized Daiei Film for this decision.<ref name=Karasawa /> On the other hand, its increasingly childish direction along with involving foreign cast members were also prompted by the Japanese Film Export Promotion Association under the Japanese government where Daiei Film's [[Masaichi Nagata]] contributed in its establishment, and governmental policy to export tokusatsu films to the global market also boosted serializations of ''Gamera'' and ''[[Daimajin]]'' franchises.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku /> ''Gamera'' franchise's child-friendly directions, limited productions, and much smaller global expansions than the ''Godzilla'' franchise, presumably restricted public recognition of the Daiei franchise and established inferior public impressions on it globally to the Toho productions.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

After the bankruptcy of Daiei Film, the franchise increased its efforts avoid direct competition against the ''Godzilla'' franchise, including the Heisei trilogy,{{refn|The Heisei Godzilla continuity was originally scheduled to end with ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' in 1993,<ref name=Gakken93>ゴジラ大百科, 1993, p. 96, "Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama - Future of Godzilla films", [[Gakken]]</ref> corresponding with the timing of launch of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''.<ref name=Perfection /> The Godzilla continuity was further continued up to ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995) due to the postponement of the [[Godzilla (1998 film)|American film]] by [[TriStar Pictures]].<ref>[[Hobby Japan]], 31 March 2021, ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]] Completion'', pp. 76–77, "Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama", ISBN 9784798624631</ref>|group="note"}} and ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' by [[Tokuma Shoten]] and ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' by [[Kadokawa Corporation|Kadokawa]] were released in 1980 and 2006 respectively because Toho temporary ceased producing Godzilla films due to declined box office results.{{refn|Box office results of ''Gamera: Super Monster'' and ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' and ''Gamera the Brave'' might have been negatively affected by the timings of their releases when the popularity of kaiju genre itself stagnated.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Vanishing />|group="note"}}<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /> While the franchise was not rebooted after the 1980 film,<ref name=Ui /> there also existed scrapped projects in early 1990s prior to the Heisei trilogy{{refn|A [[Direct-to-video#OVA and V-Cinema in Japan|V-cinema]] project in 1991, and [[Niisan Takahashi]]'s script which was later redeveloped as the 1995 novelization ''Gamera vs. Phoenix''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /><ref name=DaieiScripts />|group="note"}}, where the Heisei Godzilla continuity had been continuously developed since ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' (1989).<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> After the commercial failure of the 2006 film, which was originally launched as a proposal for a crossover with Godzilla in 2002,<ref name=Aiken /> Kadokawa [[#Influences of the Heisei Trilogy|cancelled various projects]], including reboot attempt(s) in 2010s,<ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=ANN /><ref name=Nezura1964>{{cite web|author=Keith Aiken |url=https://www.scifijapan.com/kaiju-monsters/nezura-1964-exclusive-first-look-at-concept-art-for-new-kaiju-movie|title=NEZURA 1964 -- Exclusive First Look At Concept Art For New Kaiju Movie!|website=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |access-date=2024-12-09}}</ref> and instead released a short film for the 50th anniversary of the franchise in 2015;<ref name=WebNewType /> [[MonsterVerse]] by [[Legendary Pictures]] (which was at one point a Gamera project ''Gamera 3D''<ref name=THKingdom />) began in 2014, and subsequent Godzilla productions were continuously developed among theatrical releases and [[streaming media]]. ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'' and [[Godzilla (franchise)#Reiwa era (2016–present)|anime Godzilla trilogy]] were directed by filmmakers who have either previously or subsequently participated in Gamera productions.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=ScifiJapan /> ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' was released on [[Netflix]] in 2023 after ''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]'' in 2021. ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'', ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', and ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' were also released during "winters" of the kaiju genre when the popularity of ''Godzilla'' productions were also declining.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide />