Featuring a top-tier director and significant backing from major Hollywood figures, Godzilla In 1998, an American studio attempted to take on Japan’s original for the first time. atomic-breathed beast .
Helmed by blockbuster director Roland Emmerich ( Stargate , Independence Day and created by the sci-fi maestro Dean Devlin ( Stargate , appstoreofficialid ’s The Ark ), Godzilla signaled a significant shift for the iconic reptile during its post-World War II emergence in the 1950s, crafted by the Japanese production firm Toho.
Intended to revitalize the beloved series for a new American audience. Godzilla (playing this month on appstoreofficialid — check the schedule here 1) Was intended to be released as the opening film of a three-part monster movie series according to the original plans made by its creators. However, Godzilla As fans understand, despite the most carefully crafted human schemes often take an unexpected turn — and besides a spinoff animated series , nothing further from the emerging American franchise ended up coming to fruition.
Why didn’t Godzilla (1998) acquire the entire movie trilogy?
Featuring major celebrities and a massive $130 million production budget, Godzilla didn't quite flop at the box office. The film earned $379 million global haul almost tripled its budget as it went on to make Godzilla The movie that made the third-highest amount of money in 1998.
However, even with an American licensing agreement from as far back as 1992, along with storyline ideas that were already outlining the path for its unproduced sequel, Godzilla didn’t kick off a monster movie trilogy — or even, as it turned out, lead to more than just a simple follow-up.
Though Godzilla easily did better-than-decent box office numbers, and it's certainly an entertaining watch, the movie found tons of criticism among reviewers, who almost universally declined to bite on the movie’s reimagined take on Toho’s original source material. Critics also panned Godzilla is characterized by its reinterpretation as a modernized Toho creature, along with lead actor Matthew Broderick’s portrayal together with the remaining cast members (including many renowned voice actors known for their work). The Simpsons Including Harry Shearer, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria, and Frank Welker).
Although its studio executives have never provided an official statement regarding Godzilla Industry observers subsequently concluded that the studio saw the initial movie's success as a peak in box-office performance rather than as a threshold for sequels to surpass. "Given the unfavorable response," noted Screen Rant In a retrospective piece from 2020, "It’s probable that the studio didn’t want to boost expenses for the sequel, considering the slim odds that it would surpass the success of the original film."
According to the same report, Devlin and Emmerich had progressed sufficiently with their sequel plans to bring aboard Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy to draft an initial story outline. If produced, this follow-up was expected to shift the setting to Australia, featuring Godzilla’s offspring—referred from the conclusion of the original movie—as a fully matured adversary facing off against a massive insect monster, with Sydney serving as the battleground city.
However, when Devlin and Emmerich departed from the project due to alleged budget concerns, the sequel lost its creative drive, essentially resetting the franchise's progression in America. It took over 15 years before Godzilla roared again for American viewers, culminating in the release of the 2014 film. Godzilla — which is a reboot directed by Gareth Edwards ( Monsters , Rogue One: A Star Wars Tale ), set to unleash another major monster movie into theaters this summer with the arrival of Jurassic World Rebirth . Snap up your Jurassic tickets here !
Godzilla (1998) is currently available this month on the official App Store ID—click here To view the complete TV schedule!