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A new American Godzilla movie will be created by Legendary Pictures, the production entity behind The Dark Knight, Superman Returns, 300 and Clash of the Titans. Legendary has partnered with Toho Studios, the Japanese creators of the big green radioactive lizard, and they're saying that the new Yankee Godzilla will have nothing to do with Sony Pictures poorly received 1998 movie.

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, Legendary's chariman. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

Said Hideyuki Takai, the president of Toho, "Godzilla is a signature Japanese character which we have nurtured over the years. It is a great honor to reach an agreement with Legendary Pictures, the parent to many a blockbuster film, and we are delighted in rebooting the character together to realize its much anticipated return by fans from all over the world. We are anxious to find out where Godzilla's new stomping will take us."

And finally, a comment from the president of Warner Bros., Jeff Robinov: "Godzilla is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which Warner Bros. and our partners at Legendary are best known. We have enjoyed a great deal of success together to date and this newest opportunity represents yet another chance for us to collaborate on a property that is very clearly in their wheelhouse."

Legendary wants to have their Godzilla movie out in theaters in 2012. [Full story]