| Godzilla | |
|---|---|
 Current official English brand logo[1] | |
| Created by | |
| Original work | Godzilla (1954)[6] |
| Owner | Toho Co., Ltd.[7] |
| Years | 1954–present |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | |
| Comics | Full list |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Television series | Full list |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Full list |
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Godzilla (2014) Shin Godzilla (2016) Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) Godzilla Minus One (2023) Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| American series | Monsterverse |
| Official website | |
| godzilla | |
Godzilla (Japanese:ゴジラ,Hepburn:Gojira) is a Japanesemonster, orkaiju, franchise centering on thetitular character, a prehistoric reptilian monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. The films series are recognized by theGuinness World Records as the "longest continuously running film series", having been in ongoing production since 1954, with several hiatuses of varying lengths.[9] There are 38Godzilla films: 33 Japanese films produced and distributed byToho Co., Ltd., and five American films; one byTriStar Pictures and four films (part of theMonsterverse franchise) byLegendary Pictures.
The original film,Godzilla, was directed by and co-written byIshirō Honda and released by Toho in 1954.[10] It became an influential classic of the genre. It featured political and social undertones relevant to Japan at the time. The 1954 film and its special effects directorEiji Tsuburaya are largely credited for establishing the template fortokusatsu, a technique of practical special effects filmmaking that would become essential in Japan's film industry since the release ofGodzilla (1954).[11] For its North American release, the film was localized in 1956 asGodzilla, King of the Monsters! and featured new footage withRaymond Burr edited together with the original Japanese footage.
The popularity of the films has led to the film series expanding to other media, such astelevision, music, literature andvideo games. Godzilla has become one of the most recognizable symbols in Japanese pop culture worldwide and a well-known facet ofJapanese cinema. It is also considered one of the first examples of the popularkaiju andtokusatsu subgenres in Japanese entertainment.
Godzilla films vary in the complexity of themes and targeted audience. Several of the films have political themes, others have dark tones,complex internal mythology, or are simple action films featuring aliens or other monsters, while others have simpler themes accessible to children.[12] Godzilla's role varies from purely a destructive force to an ally of humans, or a protector of Japanese values, or a hero to children.
The name Godzilla is a romanization of the original Japanese name Gojira (ゴジラ)—which is a combination of two Japanese words:gorira (ゴリラ), "gorilla", andkujira (クジラ), "whale". The word alludes to the size, power and aquatic origin of Godzilla. As developed by Toho, the monster is an offshoot of the combination of radioactivity and ancientdinosaur-like creatures, indestructible and possessing special powers (seeGodzilla characteristics).
TheGodzilla film series is broken into several different eras reflecting a characteristic style and corresponding to the same eras used to classify allkaiju eiga (monster movies) in Japan. The first, second, and fourth eras refer to theJapanese emperor during production: theShōwa era, theHeisei era, and theReiwa era. The third is called the Millennium era, as the emperor (Heisei) is the same, but these films are considered to have a different style and storyline than the Heisei era.
Over the series' history, the films have reflectedthe social and political climate in Japan.[13] In the original film, Godzilla was anallegory for the effects ofnuclear weapons, and the consequences that such weapons might have on Earth.[14][15][16][17] The radioactive contamination of the Japanese fishing boatLucky Dragon No. 5 through the United States'Castle Bravothermonuclear device test atBikini Atoll on March 1, 1954, led to much press coverage in Japan preceding the release of the first film in 1954.[18] The Heisei and Millennium series have largely continued this concept. Toho was inspired to make the originalGodzilla film after the commercial success of the 1952 re-release ofKing Kong and the success ofThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), the first live-action film to feature a giant monster awakened following an atomic bomb detonation.[19] The success of theGodzilla franchise itself would go on to inspire other giant monster films worldwide.
The initial series of films are named after theShōwa era (as all of these films were produced duringEmperor Shōwa's reign).[20][21] This Shōwa timeline spanned from 1954, withGodzilla, to 1975, withTerror of Mechagodzilla.
The firstGodzilla film initially began as a Japanese-Indonesian co-production titledIn the Shadow of Glory (栄光のかげに,Eikō no Kage ni).[b] However, the project was cancelled after the Indonesian government denied visas to Toho's crew due to anti-Japanese sentiments and political pressure.[24] On his flight back to Japan after a failed attempt to renegotiate with the Indonesian government, film producerTomoyuki Tanaka conceived an idea for a giant monster film inspired byThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and the then-recentDaigo Fukuryū Maru incident.[2] Tanaka then succeeded in convincing executive producer Iwao Mori to replaceIn the Shadow of Glory with his monster idea, after special effects directorEiji Tsuburaya agreed to do the film.[25]
Tsuburaya initially proposed a giant octopus-like monster,[2] and later a gorilla-like or whale-like monster to reflect the creature's nameGojira, a combination of the Japanese words for gorilla (ゴリラ,gorira) and whale (クジラ,kujira). But Tsuburaya settled on a dinosaur-like monster designed by Teizō Toshimitsu andAkira Watanabe under his supervision.[26] Tanaka handpickedIshirō Honda to direct and co-write the film, feeling that his wartime experience was ideal for the film's anti-nuclear themes, despite Honda not being Toho's first choice.[2][27] Principal photography ran 51 days, and special effects photography ran 71 days.[28]
Godzilla was first released inNagoya on October 27, 1954,[29] and released nationwide on November 3, 1954.[30] Despite mixed reviews,[31] it was a box office success. It became the eighth best-attended film in Japan that year,[32] and earned¥183 million (just under $510,000) indistributor rentals during its initial run,[33] with total lifetime gross receipts of$2.25 million.[32][34] The film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Special Effects at the Japanese Movie Association Awards, where it won the latter.[35]
Starting withGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla began evolving into a friendlier, more playfulantihero (this transition was complete bySon of Godzilla, where Godzilla is depicted as a more virtuous character) and, as years went by, it evolved into ananthropomorphicsuperhero.Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster was also significant for introducing Godzilla's archenemy and the main antagonist of the film series,King Ghidorah.
Son of Godzilla andAll Monsters Attack were aimed at youthful audiences, featuring the appearance of Godzilla's son,Minilla.Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was notable for introducingMechagodzilla, Godzilla's robot duplicate and the secondary antagonist of the film series. The Shōwa period loosely tied in a number of Toho-produced films in which Godzilla himself did not appear and consequently saw the addition of many monsters into theGodzilla continuity, three of which (Rodan,Varan, andMothra) originated in their own solo films and another five (Anguirus,Manda,Baragon,Gorosaurus andKumonga) appeared in their first films as either secondary antagonists or secondary kaiju.
Haruo Nakajima mainly portrayed Godzilla since 1954 until his retirement in 1972. However, other stunt actors have portrayed the character in his absence, such asKatsumi Tezuka, Yū Sekida, Ryosaku Takasugi, Seiji Onaka, Shinji Takagi, Isao Zushi, andToru Kawai.[36][37]Eiji Tsuburaya directed the special effects for the first six films of the series. His protege Sadamasa Arikawa took over the effects work for the next three films (with Tsuburaya supervising), whileTeruyoshi Nakano directed the special effects for the last six films of the series.
The Criterion Collection released the Shōwa era films as part of a Blu-ray box set in the United States and Canada on October 29, 2019.[38]
Toho rebooted the series in 1984 withThe Return of Godzilla, starting the second era ofGodzilla films, known as the Heisei series.[39]The Return of Godzilla serves as a direct sequel to the original 1954 film and ignores the subsequent events of the Shōwa series. Despite being released withinJapan's political Shōwa era five years before thenew Emperor'sreign,The Return of Godzilla is considered part of the Heisei series because it is a direct predecessor toGodzilla vs. Biollante (1989), which came out in the first year of the new Emperor's reign.[40]
The Heisei films are set in a single, continuous timeline that brings Godzilla back as a destructive force of nature that is feared by humans.[39] The biological nature and science behind Godzilla became more discussed in the films, showing an increased focus on the moral aspects of genetics.Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah gave Godzilla's first concrete birth story, featuring a dinosaur namedGodzillasaurus that was mutated by nuclear radiation into Godzilla. Godzilla was portrayed byKenpachiro Satsuma for the Heisei films while the special effects were directed byKoichi Kawakita, with the exception ofThe Return of Godzilla, for which the effects were directed by Teruyoshi Nakano.
Toho rebooted the franchise for a second time with the 1999 filmGodzilla 2000: Millennium, starting the third era ofGodzilla films, known as the Millennium series.[41][42] The Millennium series is treated similarly to ananthology series where each film is a standalone story, with the 1954 film serving as the only previous point of reference.Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla andGodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. are the only films in the Millennium era to share continuity with each other and are also connected to 1961'sMothra and to 1966'sThe War of the Gargantuas.
After the release of 2004'sGodzilla: Final Wars, marking the 50th anniversary of theGodzilla film franchise, Toho decided to put the series on hiatus for another 10 years. Toho also demolished the water stage on its lot used in numerousGodzilla, kaiju and tokusatsu films.[43]Yoshimitsu Banno, who had directed 1971'sGodzilla vs. Hedorah, secured the rights from Toho to make anIMAX 3D short film production, based on a story similar to hisHedorah film. This project eventually led to the development ofLegendary'sGodzilla.Tsutomu Kitagawa portrayed Godzilla for the majority of the Millennium films, with the exception ofGodzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, in which Godzilla was portrayed byMizuho Yoshida. Unlike the Shōwa and later Heisei films, the special effects for the Millennium films were directed by multiple effects directors such asKenji Suzuki (Godzilla 2000,Godzilla vs. Megaguirus), Makoto Kamiya (Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack), Yuichi Kikuchi (Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla), and Eiichi Asada (Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.,Godzilla: Final Wars).
In December 2014, Toho announced plans for a newGodzilla film of its own for a 2016 release.[44] The film was Toho's reboot of theGodzilla franchise, afterLegendary Pictures' reboot in 2014, and was co-directed byHideaki Anno andShinji Higuchi (both of whom collaborated on theanimeNeon Genesis Evangelion), with the screenplay written by Anno and the visual effects directed by Higuchi.[45][46][47] Principal photography began in September of 2015 and ended in October of the same year, with the special effects work following in November.[48][49]Shin Godzilla was released in Japan on July 29, 2016, in IMAX, 4DX, and MX4D to positive reviews and was a box office success.[50]
After the release of Shin Godzilla, Toho established a "Godzilla Room", a group consisting of 14 individuals that were tasked with studying all the previous films that involved the character and to ensure that further movies would avoid damaging the brand. The group wrote up a new set of mandated guidelines that all feature films and merchandise had to follow, which involved the prohibition of permanently killing off the character and keeping him from preying on "people or things" to ensure that every appearance remained authentic.[51][52]
In August 2016, Toho announced plans for a trilogy of animeGodzilla films withPolygon Pictures animating the films andNetflix distributing the trilogy worldwide, except in Japan where each film will be given a theatrical release by Toho.[53][54] The first film, titledGodzilla: Planet of the Monsters, was released on November 17, 2017.[55] The second film, titledGodzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, was released on May 18, 2018.[56] The third and final film in the trilogy, titledGodzilla: The Planet Eater, was released on November 9, 2018.[57]
In January 2018, Toho announced its plans to invest¥15 billion (US$135 million) for the next three years beginning in 2019 to co-produce content with Hollywood and Chinese studios who have licensed Toho's properties, such asGodzilla,Your Name andPokémon. Toho would invest 25% in production costs and would earn a higher share in revenue and manage creators rights, so its creative input would be reflected in each work.[58] In May 2018, Toho's Chief Godzilla Officer Keiji Ota revealed that a sequel toShin Godzilla would not happen, but expressed interest in a potential shared cinematic series between Godzilla and other Toho monsters akin to theMarvel Cinematic Universe.[59]
In 2019, Toho invested¥15.4 billion (US$140 million) into its Los Angeles-based subsidiaryToho International Inc. as part of its "Toho Vision 2021 Medium-term Management Strategy", a strategy to increase content, platform, real-estate, surpass¥50 billion in profits, and increase character businesses on Toho intellectual properties such asGodzilla. Hiroyasu Matsuoka was named the representative director of the project.[60] In 2019, Toho launched the first official English-language website and the first official English-language Twitter and Instagram accounts for the franchise.[61][62]
In June 2019, Toho revealed plans to present the Toho Godzilla atSan Diego Comic-Con for the first time to commemorate the franchise's 65th anniversary, as well as being part of its plan to expand the franchise in the United States.[63] At San Diego Comic-Con, Akito Takahashi, the project manager of Toho's Godzilla Strategic Conference, revealed Toho's intentions to have the Toho and LegendaryGodzilla films expand together. He also revealed that the option to reintroduce political themes and old or new monsters would be available to filmmakers, should they choose to pursue it. Akito also expressed interest in re-introducing Mechagodzilla and Jet Jaguar in the future.[64][65]
In October 2020, Toho announced plans for an anime series titledGodzilla Singular Point released on Netflix in 2021, revealing artwork for Godzilla and its principal characters. The project was directed by Atsushi Takahashi, with music by Kan Sawada, written by Toh Enjoe, character designs byKazue Kato, and animations by Eiji Yamamori. The series was produced byBones Inc. in partnership withOrange Co., Ltd., featured hand-drawn and CG animation, and had no relation to Polygon's anime film trilogy.[66]
On November 3, 2022, during the franchise's 68th anniversary known as "Godzilla Day", Toho announced plans to release a new live-actionGodzilla film,Godzilla Minus One, on November 3, 2023, to commemorate the franchise's 70th anniversary. Toho also stated thatTakashi Yamazaki was the director, writer, and visual effects supervisor for this new film and that it had entered post-production after recently completed filming.[67] According toCollider,Minus One became the most commercially successful Japanese film in the series and "helped theGodzilla series become more popular than ever before".[68] In 2024,Minus One won theAcademy Award for Best Visual Effects, becoming the firstGodzilla film to win anAcademy Award, as well as the first Japanese film to win Best Visual Effects.[69]
On November 1, 2024, Toho announced plans to move forward with a new Godzilla film with Yamazaki returning to direct, write, and handle visual effects.[70]
The producers ofGodzilla, King of the Monsters! – Harry Rybnick, Richard Kay, Edward Barison, Paul Schreibman, and Edmund Goldman – purchased the North American rights to the 1955 sequelGodzilla Raids Again but rather than localize or dub the film in English, they chose to produce a new film that would repurpose the effects footage fromGodzilla Raids Again; filming was expected to begin in June 1957. Rybnick hiredIb Melchior and Edwin Watson to write a script, titledThe Volcano Monsters, that focused on a new story with American characters centered around the effects footage. Toho approved of the idea in early 1957 and shipped the Godzilla and Anguirus suits for additional photography to be shot at Howard A. Anderson's special effects studio. Rybnick and Barison originally made a deal with AB-PT Pictures Corp. to co-finance the film but plans forThe Volcano Monsters were cancelled after AB-PT Pictures folded. Schreibman, Goldman, and new financier Newton P. Jacobs, decided to dubGodzilla Raids Again into English instead.[71][72]
In 1983, directorSteve Miner pitched his idea for an American 3D production ofGodzilla to Toho, with storyboards by William Stout and a script written byFred Dekker, titledGodzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D, which would have featured Godzilla rampaging through San Francisco in an attempt to find its offspring.[74] Various studios and producers expressed interest but passed it over due to high budget concerns.[75] The film would have featured a full scale animatronic Godzilla head built byRick Baker, stop motion animation executed byDavid W. Allen, an articulated stop motion Godzilla figure created by Stephen Czerkas, and additional storyboards by Doug Wildey.[76][77] The production design would have been overseen by William Stout.[78]
.jpg)
In October 1992,TriStar Pictures acquired the rights from Toho with plans to produce a trilogy.[81] DirectorJan de Bont and writersTerry Rossio andTed Eliott developed a script that had Godzilla battling a shape-shifting alien called "the Gryphon". De Bont later left the project after budget disagreements with the studio.[82]Roland Emmerich was hired to direct and co-write a new script with producerDean Devlin.
A co-production betweenCentropolis Entertainment,Fried Films, Independent Pictures, and TriStar Pictures,[8] Godzilla was theatrically released on May 20, 1998, to negative reviews[83][84] and grossed $379 million worldwide against a production budget between $130–150 million.[85][86] Despite grossing nearly three times its budget,[87] it was considered a box office disappointment.[88][89] Two planned sequels were cancelled and ananimated TV series was produced instead.[90] TriStar let the license expire in 2003. In 2004, Toho began trademarking new iterations of TriStar's Godzilla as "Zilla", with only the incarnations from the 1998 film and animated TV series retaining the Godzilla copyright/trademark.[84][91]
In 2004, directorYoshimitsu Banno acquired permission from Toho to produce a short IMAXGodzilla film. In 2009, the project was turned over toLegendary Pictures to be redeveloped as a feature film.[92] Announced in March 2010, the film was co-produced withWarner Bros. Pictures and was directed byGareth Edwards.[93][94]
Godzilla was theatrically released on May 16, 2014, to positive reviews[95][96] and was a box office success, grossing $529 million worldwide against a production budget of $160 million.[97] The film's success prompted Toho to produce areboot of their own and Legendary to proceed with sequels and a shared cinematic franchise dubbed theMonsterverse:[98] withGodzilla: King of the Monsters released on May 31, 2019;[99]Godzilla vs. Kong released on March 24, 2021;[100][101] the TV seriesMonarch: Legacy of Monsters released on November 17, 2023, onApple TV+; andGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire released on March 29, 2024.[102]
| # | Title | Year | Director(s) | Effects director(s) | Monster co-star(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shōwa era (1954–1975) | |||||
| 1 | 1954 | Ishirō Honda | Eiji Tsuburaya | — | |
| 2 | 1955 | Motoyoshi Oda | Anguirus | ||
| 3 | King Kong vs. Godzilla | 1962 | Ishirō Honda | King Kong, the Oodako[c] | |
| 4 | 1964 | Mothra | |||
| 5 | King Ghidorah,Rodan, Mothra | ||||
| 6 | 1965 | King Ghidorah, Rodan | |||
| 7 | 1966 | Jun Fukuda | Sadamasa Arikawa [ja] | Ebirah, Mothra, the Ookondoru[d] | |
| 8 | Son of Godzilla | 1967 | Minilla, Kumonga, Kamacuras | ||
| 9 | Destroy All Monsters | 1968 | Ishirō Honda | King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mothra, Anguirus, Minilla, Kumonga, Manda, Gorosaurus,Baragon,Varan | |
| 10 | 1969 | Ishirō Honda Teruyoshi Nakano | Gabara, Minilla | ||
| 11 | 1971 | Yoshimitsu Banno | Teruyoshi Nakano | Hedorah | |
| 12 | 1972 | Jun Fukuda | Gigan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus[e] | ||
| 13 | Godzilla vs. Megalon | 1973 | Megalon, Jet Jaguar, Gigan | ||
| 14 | 1974 | Mechagodzilla, King Caesar, Anguirus | |||
| 15 | 1975 | Ishirō Honda | Mechagodzilla 2, Titanosaurus | ||
| Heisei era (1984–1995) | |||||
| 16 | 1984 | Kōji Hashimoto | Teruyoshi Nakano | Shockirus[f] (Giant Sea Lice)[107] | |
| 17 | Godzilla vs. Biollante | 1989 | Kazuki Ōmori | Kōichi Kawakita | Biollante |
| 18 | Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah | 1991 | King Ghidorah, Mecha-King Ghidorah, the Dorats, Godzillasaurus | ||
| 19 | 1992 | Takao Ōkawara | Mothra, Battra | ||
| 20 | 1993 | Mechagodzilla, Super Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Fire Rodan,Baby Godzilla, Mecha-King Ghidorah | |||
| 21 | Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla | 1994 | Kenshō Yamashita [ja] | SpaceGodzilla, Moguera, Fairy Mothra, Little Godzilla | |
| 22 | 1995 | Takao Ōkawara | Destoroyah, Godzilla Junior | ||
| Millennium era (1999–2004) | |||||
| 23 | 1999 | Takao Ōkawara | Kenji Suzuki | Orga, the Millennian | |
| 24 | 2000 | Masaaki Tezuka [ja] | Megaguirus, the Meganulons, the Meganulas | ||
| 25 | Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack | 2001 | Shūsuke Kaneko | Makoto Kamiya [ja] | King Ghidorah, Mothra, Baragon |
| 26 | 2002 | Masaaki Tezuka | Yūichi Kikuchi [ja] | Mechagodzilla[g] | |
| 27 | 2003 | Eiichi Asada [ja] | Mechagodzilla,[g] Mothra, Kamoebas | ||
| 28 | Godzilla: Final Wars | 2004 | Ryūhei Kitamura | Monster X, Keizer Ghidorah,Zilla, Rodan, Mothra, Gigan, King Caesar, Anguirus, Minilla, Kumonga, Kamacuras, Manda, Hedorah, Ebirah | |
| Reiwa era (2016–present)[h] | |||||
| 29 | Shin Godzilla | 2016 | Hideaki Anno Shinji Higuchi | Shinji Higuchi Katsuro Onoue | — |
| 30 | Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters | 2017 | Kōbun Shizuno Hiroyuki Seshita [ja] | — | Servum,Dogora, Dagahra, Orga, Kamacuras, Anguirus, Rodan, Mechagodzilla |
| 31 | Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle | 2018 | Mechagodzilla City, Servum, Vulture | ||
| 32 | Godzilla: The Planet Eater | King Ghidorah, Mothra, Servum | |||
| 33 | Godzilla Minus One | 2023 | Takashi Yamazaki | Takashi Yamazaki Kiyoko Shibuya[i] | — |
| 34 | UntitledGodzilla film | TBA | Takashi Yamazaki | TBA | |
| # | Title | Year | Director(s) | Effects supervisor | Monster co-star(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TriStar Pictures (1998) | |||||
| 1 | Godzilla | 1998 | Roland Emmerich | Volker Engel | Baby Godzillas |
| Legendary Pictures /Monsterverse (2014–present) | |||||
| 2 | Godzilla | 2014 | Gareth Edwards | Jim Rygiel | MUTOs (male and female) |
| 3 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | 2019 | Michael Dougherty | Guillaume Rocheron | King Ghidorah,Mothra,Rodan, Queen MUTO, Behemoth, Methuselah, Scylla[113] |
| 4 | Godzilla vs. Kong | 2021 | Adam Wingard | John "DJ" DesJardin | Kong,Mechagodzilla,[114] Skullcrawler, Warbat,[115] Hell Hawk,[116] Titanus Doug |
| 5 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | 2024 | Alessandro Ongaro[117] | Kong, Skar King,Tiamat, Shimo, Suko, Mothra, Titanus Doug, Wart Dog, Scylla, Vertacine, Drownviper, Great Apes | |
| 6 | Godzilla x Kong: Supernova | 2027 | Grant Sputore | Kelly Port[118] | Kong |
In 2007, aCGI Godzilla appeared in the Tohoslice of life filmAlways: Sunset on Third Street 2.[119] In an imaginary sequence, Godzilla destroys part of 1959 Tokyo, with one of the main protagonists getting angry that Godzilla damaged his car showroom. The making of the sequence was kept a secret. Godzilla has been referenced in, and has briefly appeared in, several other films.[120][121] Godzilla guest starred in the showCrayon Shin-chan as an antagonist.[122] Godzilla also appears in cave paintings (alongside Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah) in apost-credits scene inKong: Skull Island. In 2019, Godzilla made an appearance in the anime filmShinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion the Movie: Mirai Kara Kita Shinsoku no ALFA-X.[123]
In 1956, Jewell Enterprises Inc., releasedGodzilla, King of the Monsters!, an American localization ofGodzilla (1954). This version removed most of the political themes and social commentaries, resulting in 30 minutes of footage from the Japanese version replaced with new footage featuringRaymond Burr interacting with Japanese actors and look-alikes to make it seem like Burr was a part of the original Japanese production. In addition, the soundtrack and sound effects were slightly altered and some dialogue was dubbed into English. This release is referred to as an "Americanization" or the "Americanized" version by some sources.[124][125][126] Similar localizations (or Americanizations) occurred for the U.S. releases ofThe Return of Godzilla, released in the U.S. asGodzilla 1985, the latter which had Burr reprising the role of Steve Martin fromGodzilla, King of the Monsters!.
In 1957, the same American producers ofGodzilla, King of the Monsters! attempted to produceThe Volcano Monsters, a new film that would have repurposed the effects footage ofGodzilla Raids Again around a new story with American characters. However, funding from AB-PT Pictures collapsed after the company closed down andGodzilla Raids Again was instead re-cut, dubbed in English, and released in 1959 byWarner Bros. asGigantis, the Fire Monster.[127]
In 1976, Italian directorLuigi Cozzi intended to re-releaseGodzilla in Italy (known by fans as "Cozzilla"). Facing resistance from exhibitors to showing a black-and-white film, Cozzi instead licensed a negative ofGodzilla, King of the Monsters from Toho and created a new film in color, adding much stock footage of graphic death and destruction and short scenes from newsreel footage from World War II, which he released asGodzilla in 1977. The film was colorized using a process called Spectrorama 70, where color gels are put on the original black-and-white film, becoming one of the first black-and-white films to be colorized. Dialogue was dubbed into Italian and new music was added. After the initial Italian run, the negative became Toho's property and prints have only been exhibited in Italy from that time onward. Italian firm Yamato Video at one time intended to release the colorized version on a two-disc DVD along with the originalGodzilla.[128]
| Year | Title | Notes | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Godzilla, King of the Monsters! | Re-edited U.S. version ofGodzilla (1954) with additional footage | Ishirō Honda Terry O. Morse |
| 1959 | Gigantis, the Fire Monster | Re-edited U.S. version ofGodzilla Raids Again (1955) | Motoyoshi Oda Hugo Grimaldi |
| 1977 | Godzilla | Re-edited Italian version ofGodzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) | Ishirō Honda Luigi Cozzi |
| 1985 | Godzilla 1985 | Re-edited U.S. version ofThe Return of Godzilla (1984) with additional footage | Koji Hashimoto R.J. Kizer |
This list includes American versions of Toho originals. There are no critic scores forReturn of Godzilla, however the recut American version of the filmGodzilla 1985 does.
| Title | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|
| Godzilla (1998) | 20% (150 reviews)[170] | 32 (23 reviews)[171] |
| Godzilla (2014) | 76% (330 reviews)[172] | 62 (48 reviews)[173] |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) | 42% (354 reviews)[174] | 48 (46 reviews)[175] |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | 76% (392 reviews)[176] | 59 (57 reviews)[177] |
| Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | 89% (84 reviews)[178] | 68 (26 reviews)[179] |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | 54% (235 reviews)[180] | 47 (51 reviews)[181] |
| Film | Year | Box office gross revenue (est.) | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | |||
| Toho productions | |||
| Godzilla | 1954 | $2,250,000 | ¥63 million ($900,000) |
| Godzilla Raids Again | 1955 | ≈¥170 million (Japan rentals) | ¥32 million |
| Godzilla, King of the Monsters! | 1956 | ≈$2,000,000 | $100,000 |
| King Kong vs. Godzilla | 1962 | ≈$8,700,000 | ¥150 million ($420,000) |
| Mothra vs. Godzilla | 1964 | ≈ ¥3,200,000,000 | ¥123 million |
| Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster | 1964 | ≈ $2,300,000 (US/Japan rentals) | ¥133 million |
| Invasion of Astro-Monster | 1965 | ≈ $4,200,000 (US/Japan rentals) | ¥132 million |
| Ebirah, Horror of the Deep | 1966 | ≈ ¥330,000,000 (Japan rentals) | — |
| Son of Godzilla | 1967 | ≈ ¥260,000,000 (Japan rentals) | |
| Destroy All Monsters | 1968 | ≈ ¥230,000,000 | ¥200 million |
| All Monsters Attack | 1969 | ≈ ¥260,000,000 (Japan rentals) | — |
| Godzilla vs. Hedorah | 1971 | ≈ ¥300,000,000 (Japan rentals) | ¥100 million |
| Godzilla vs. Gigan | 1972 | ≈ $20,000,000 | $1.2 million |
| Godzilla vs. Megalon | 1973 | ≈ $20,000,000 | $1.2 million |
| Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla | 1974 | ≈ $20,000,000 | $1.2 million |
| Terror of Mechagodzilla | 1975 | ≈ $20,000,000 | $1.2 million |
| The Return of Godzilla | 1984 | ≈ $14,000,000 | $6.25 million |
| Godzilla 1985 | 1985 | ≈ $4,120,000 | $2 million |
| Godzilla vs. Biollante | 1989 | ≈ ¥1,040,000,000 | ¥700 million |
| Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah | 1991 | ≈ ¥1,450,000,000 | ¥1.5 billion |
| Godzilla vs. Mothra | 1992 | ≈ ¥3,770,000,000 | ¥1 billion |
| Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II | 1993 | ≈ $36,000,000 | $9.5 million |
| Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla | 1994 | ≈ ¥1,650,000,000 | ¥1 billion |
| Godzilla vs. Destoroyah | 1995 | ≈ $34,500,000 | ¥1 billion |
| Godzilla 2000: Millennium | 1999 | ≈ $12,900,000 | ¥1.65 billion |
| Godzilla vs. Megaguirus | 2000 | ≈ ¥1,200,000,000 | ¥700-800 million ($7–9 million) |
| Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack | 2001 | ≈ $20,000,000 | ¥700-800 million ($7–9 million) |
| Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla | 2002 | $14,122,958 | ¥1 billion |
| Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. | 2003 | $10,724,345 | — |
| Godzilla: Final Wars | 2004 | $9,167,302 | ¥1.9 billion |
| Shin Godzilla | 2016 | $78,053,145 | ¥1.3 billion |
| Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters | 2017 | $3,285,291 | — |
| Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle | 2018 | ≈ ¥100,000,000 | |
| Godzilla: The Planet Eater | 2018 | $1,523,168 | |
| Godzilla Minus One | 2023 | $115,857,413 | $10–12 million |
| American productions | |||
| Godzilla | 1998 | $379,014,294 | $130–150 million |
| Godzilla | 2014 | $529,076,069 | $160 million |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | 2019 | $387,300,138 | $170–200 million |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | 2021 | $470,116,094 | $155–200 million |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | 2024 | $571,850,016 | $135–150 million |
In 1973, Godzilla was featured in Toho'stokusatsu seriesZone Fighter, which also featured King Ghidorah and Gigan in a few episodes. Several filmmakers who had worked on previous Godzilla films participated in the series;Tomoyuki Tanaka produced the series, directorsIshirō Honda andJun Fukuda directed a few episodes – Fukuda also wrote episode four, effects directorTeruyoshi Nakano contributed to the special effects, whileKōichi Kawakita (who would direct the effects for Toho'sHeisei era films) served as assistant effects director.[182] In 1992, Toho produced a children's educational animated series titledGodzilland which featured live-action segments mixed withchibi-styled animation.[183] In 1997, Toho produced a children's series titledGodzilla Island, centered on Godzilla toys. Toho made the series available worldwide on their official YouTube channel in November 2022.[184] In 2018, GEMSTONE, a web content subsidiary of Toho, held a competition for filmmakers to produce short films based on the Godzilla franchise with finalists receiving a cash prize and the opportunity to work with Toho in an official capacity.[185] One of these finalists, the puppet shortGodziban, would become an ongoingYouTube web series in August 2019, with a selection of 20 episodes being offered onAmazon Prime Video andHulu in Japan in 2024.[186] In October 2020, Toho announcedGodzilla Singular Point; ananime series directed by Atsushi Takahashi, written byToh EnJoe, and animated by Japanese studiosBones andOrange.[187]Godzilla Singular Point aired on Japanese television in April 2021 and released worldwide onNetflix in June 2021.[188]Chibi Godzilla Raids Again, a short anime series produced by Toho and Pie in the sky, aired in 2023.[189]
Godzilla and its likeness has appeared in various television-related media, includingRobot Chicken,Roseanne,Animaniacs,South Park,Malcolm In The Middle,Chappelle's Show,Rugrats, aNike commercial withCharles Barkley battling Godzilla, and multiple appearances onThe Simpsons, including a Halloween spoof titledHomerzilla.[190][191]
In 1978,Hanna-Barbera produced the animated seriesGodzilla and ran for two seasons onNBC.[192] In 2022, Toho made the complete Hanna-Barbera series available worldwide on their official YouTube channel.[193] In 1991, the English dubbed versions ofEbirah, Horror of the Deep (asGodzilla vs. the Sea Monster) andGodzilla vs. Megalon were riffed onMystery Science Theater 3000.[194] In 1998,Columbia TriStar Television producedGodzilla: The Series; developed by Jeff Kline and Richard Raynis, the series served as a sequel to the 1998 filmGodzilla and ran for two seasons onFox Kids.[195] In January 2022,Legendary Television announced thatApple TV+ had ordered a live-action series set in theMonsterverse titledMonarch: Legacy of Monsters.[196]
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Zone Fighter | The series features Godzilla in five episodes.[182] |
| 1978–1979 | Godzilla | In 2006, Classic Media released the first eight episodes on two volume DVD's asGodzilla: The Original Animated Series.[197] In 2022,Toho International Inc. released the complete series on their official YouTube channel.[193] |
| 1992 | Godzilland | |
| 1993 | Godzilland 2 | |
| 1994-1996 | Get Going! Godzilland | |
| 1997–1998 | Godzilla Island | |
| 1998–2000 | Godzilla: The Series | |
| 2019- | Godziban | |
| 2021 | Godzilla Singular Point | |
| 2023 | Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | |
| 2023-2024 | Chibi Godzilla Raids Again |
A game calledGojira-kun (which was originally going to be titledGojiraland)[198] was released for theMSX in 1985. In 1990,Gojira-kun: Kaijū Daikōshin was released for the Game Boy. In 1993,Super Godzilla was released for the SNES.[199] In 2004,Godzilla: Save the Earth was released by Atari. In 2007,Godzilla: Unleashed was released for theWii and DS. The 2014 video gameGodzilla was released byBandai Namco.[200] In May 2022,Call of Duty: Warzone featured a cross-over event forGodzilla vs. Kong.[201] Godzilla would be confirmed to play in the Kaiju fighting gameGigaBash as a guest character.[202] Godzilla is slated to appear in Chapter 6: Season 1 ofFortnite: Battle Royale.
AGodzilla series of books was published byRandom House during the late 1990s and the first half of 2000. The company created different series for different age groups, theScott Ciencin series being aimed at preteens and theMarc Cerasini series being aimed at teens and young adults. Severalmanga have been derived from specificGodzilla films and bothMarvel andDark Horse have publishedGodzilla comic book series (1977–1979 and 1987–1999, respectively). In 2011, IDW Publishing started a new series,Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters (published in book form under the same title), rebooting the Godzilla story. It was followed by two sequel series,Godzilla (published in book form asGodzilla: History's Greatest Monster) andGodzilla: Rulers of Earth (published in book form asGodzilla: Complete Rulers of Earth Volume 1 andGodzilla: Complete Rulers of Earth Volume 2), as well as seven five-issue miniseries to date.
To tie-in with the 2014 film, three books were published.Titan Books published a novelization of the film in May 2014, written by Greg Cox. The graphic novelGodzilla: Awakening by Max Borenstein, Greg Borenstein and Eric Battle served as a prequel, andGodzilla: The Art of Destruction by Mark Cotta told about the making of the film. Godzilla has been referenced inThe Simpsons comics on three separate occasions. The character is featured inBart Simpson's Guide to Life where it and other kaiju characters such asMinilla andKing Ghidorah can be seen; it is featured in the comic "An Anime Among Us!" andK-Bart. Godzilla is also featured in the comicBart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror 7 where it and other kaiju can be seen referenced on the front cover.
Godzilla: The Album, thesoundtrack album ofGodzilla (1998), sold 2.5 million copies worldwide.[203] The album's lead single, "Come with Me" byPuff Daddy featuringJimmy Page, sold a certified 2.025 million copies worldwide.[204] Its Japan-exclusive single, "Lose Control" byJapanese rock bandL'Arc-en-Ciel, sold 938,401 copies in Japan.[citation needed]Shin Godzilla Ongakushuu, the soundtrack album ofShin Godzilla (2016), sold 43,951 copies in Japan.[citation needed]Mars (1991), an album by the Japanese rock duoB'z featuring a Godzilla-themed song, sold 1,730,500 copies in Japan.[205]
Blue Öyster Cult released the song "Godzilla" in 1977. It was the first track, and the second of four singles, from their fifth studio albumSpectres (also 1977). Artists such asFu Manchu,Racer X andDouble Experience have included cover versions of this song on their albums. American musicianMichale Graves wrote a song titled "Godzilla" for his 2005 albumPunk Rock Is Dead. The lyrics mention Godzilla and several on-screen adversaries such as Mothra, Hedorah, Destoroyah and Gigan.[206] The Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura has a song titled "Biotech is Godzilla" on its 1993 releaseChaos A.D.[207]
ComposerEric Whitacre wrote a piece for wind ensemble titled "Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!" The work was commissioned by Thomas Leslie of theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas and was premiered in 1996 by the university's wind band. Annotations on the score instruct performers to dress in costume and a "script" is provided for the audience. Since the piece's premiere, it has been performed by notable ensembles including theUnited States Marine Band and the Scottish National Wind Symphony.[208]
The French death metal bandGojira named the band after Godzilla's name in Japanese.[209] The song "Simon Says" by Pharoahe Monch is a hip-hop remix of the "Godzilla March" theme song. The instrumental version of this song was notably used in the 2000 filmCharlie's Angels. The British bandLostprophets released a song called "We Are Godzilla, You Are Japan" on its second studio albumStart Something. The American punk bandGroovie Ghoulies released a song called "Hats off to You (Godzilla)" as a tribute to Godzilla. It is featured on the EPFreaks on Parade released in 2002.
The American artistDoctor Steel released a song called 'Atomic Superstar' about Godzilla on his albumPeople of Earth in 2002. In 2003, the British singerSiouxsie Sioux released the albumHái! with her bandThe Creatures; the album had a Japanese theme with a song dedicated to the monster, simply titled "Godzilla!". The record label Shifty issued the compilation albumDestroysall with 15 songs from 15 bands, ranging from hardcore punk to doom-laden death metal. Not all of the songs are dedicated to Godzilla, but all do appear connected to monsters from Toho Studios. Fittingly, the disc was released on August 1, 2003, the 35th anniversary of the Japanese release ofDestroy All Monsters.
King Geedorah (a.k.a.MF DOOM) releasedTake Me to Your Leader, a hip-hop album featuring guests from the groupMonsta Island Czars, another Godzilla-themed hip-hop group. These albums include multiple Godzilla samples throughout the series. Taiwanese American electronic musicianMochipet released the EPGodzilla Rehab Center on August 21, 2012, featuring songs named after monsters in the series including Gigan, King Ghidorah, Moguera and Hedorah.
In 2019, American rock band Think Sanity released their debut album featuring songs based on Godzilla, Mothra, and Hedorah. The songs are titled "Sad Kaiju", "Mothra", and "Sludge", respectively. The monsters are also mentioned by name on the track "News at Six" in which they are comically described by newscaster Chip Bentley as destroying a nearby town. The band has mentioned in interviews that they have also written songs based on Biollante, King Ghidorah, and Rodan as well.
The largestmegamullion, located 600 kilometres to the south-east ofOkinotorishima, the southernmost Japanese island, is named theGodzilla Megamullion. TheJapan Coast Guard played a role in name, reaching an agreement withToho who owns the rights to Godzilla. Toho's Chief Godzilla officer Keiji Ota stated that "I am truly honored that (the megamullion) bears Godzilla's name, the Earth's most powerful monster."[210]
Godzilla is one of the most recognizable symbols ofJapanese popular culture worldwide and is an important facet of Japanese films, embodying thekaiju subset of thetokusatsu genre. It has been considered an allegory of nuclear weapons. The earlierGodzilla films, especially the originalGodzilla, portrayed Godzilla as a frightening, nuclear monster. Godzilla represented the fears that many Japanese held about the nuclear attacks onHiroshima andNagasaki and the possibility of recurrence.[211]
As the series progressed, so did Godzilla, changing into a less destructive and more heroic character.[212][213]Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) was the turning point in Godzilla's transformation from villain to hero, by pitting him against a greater threat to humanity,King Ghidorah.[214] Godzilla has since been viewed as ananti-hero.[212]Roger Ebert cites Godzilla as a notable example of a villain-turned-hero, along with King Kong, theJames Bond films'Jaws, theTerminator, andRambo.[215]
Godzilla is considered "the original radioactivesuperhero" due to his accidental radioactiveorigin story predatingSpider-Man (1962 debut),[212] though Godzilla did not become a hero untilGhidorah in 1964.[214] By the 1970s, Godzilla came to be viewed as a superhero, with the magazineKing of the Monsters in 1977 describing Godzilla as "Superhero of the '70s."[216] In 1973, Godzilla was voted the most popularmovie monster inThe Monster Times poll, beatingCount Dracula,King Kong,Wolf Man,The Mummy,Creature From the Black Lagoon, andFrankenstein's monster.[217]
In 2010, theSea Shepherd Conservation Society named their most recently acquired scout vessel MVGojira. Toho, the people in charge of theGodzilla franchise, served them with a notice to remove the name and in response the boat's name was changed in May 2011 toMVBrigitte Bardot.[218]
Steven Spielberg citedGodzilla as an inspiration forJurassic Park (1993), specificallyGodzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), which he grew up watching.[219] During its production, Spielberg describedGodzilla as "the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening."[220]Godzilla also influenced the Spielberg filmJaws (1975).[221][222]Godzilla has also been cited as an inspiration by actorTim Allen and filmmakersMartin Scorsese andTim Burton.[223]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(January 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(December 2023) |
(*) In 1996 Godzilla received an award for Lifetime Achievement at the MTV Movie Awards. Creator and producer Shōgo Tomiyama accepted on his behalf via satellite and was joined by "Godzilla" himself.
"-zilla" is a well-knownslang suffix, used to imply some form of excess to a person, object or theme;[235] some examples being thereality TV showBridezillas and theNetscape-derivedweb browserMozilla Firefox.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| Characters | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American films |
| ||||
| Japanese films |
| ||||
| Related films |
| ||||
| Television |
| ||||
| Stage |
| ||||
| Attractions |
| ||||
| Video games | |||||
| Related | |||||
| Films |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Related | |||||
| Films |
|
|---|---|
| Television |
|
| Soundtracks | |
| Monsters | |
| Related | |
