Godzilla stomping back to theaters

[Tribal Warfare]

Godzilla stomping back to theaters via Legendary

By Ace Fernandez
Well, well, well ... look who's getting back in fighting shape.

Everyone's favorite gigantic, havoc-wreaking lizard, Godzilla, is on his way back to the big screen via Legendary Pictures, which has acquired the rights to develop and produce a new feature based on the iconic Toho Co. character. Warner Bros. will co-produce, co-finance and distribute through its deal with Legendary, and Toho will roll out the film in Japan.

Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers are also producing; Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison will be executive producers on the project.

The last major Godzilla outing, an American, New York-set version from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, grossed $376 million worldwide in 1998 despite fielding equally major criticism. Toho quickly produced "Godzilla 2000," in which the big beast took on an evil UFO, the following year.

But the Godzilla franchise juggernaut has survived decades of permutations (he first appeared in 1954), dozens of films, books, video games and merchandising tie-ins and seems perpetually ready to rear up again for new audiences.

The new film is shooting for a 2012 release.

"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, chairman and CEO of Legendary. "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."

Added Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, "Godzilla is emblematic of the kind of branded, event films for which Warner Bros. and our partners at Legendary are best known."

The two companies have partnered on such global properties as "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," "Superman Returns" and "The Hangover," which have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. Together, they have a remake of "Clash of the Titans" stomping into theaters Friday.

[KC native]

And saw it on Friday night. The movie was bad ass.

[Rausch]

I have yet to see it for a 2nd time (plan to tomorrow) but there were some huge inconsistencies I noticed the first go round.

Spoiler!

1) I was pretty geeked up (and up about 36 hours at this point) but it seems like once we hit present day (first MUTO appears) there's only 3 to 4 days until the end of the film. I'm not sure the speed Godzilla would have to travel but Japan to Vegas seems like a long distance.

Plus, then back to Cali. All in under a week.

2) Godzilla is shown leaving Hawaii pretty much under naval escort. There are ships flanking him. All the way from Hawaii the navy is all around him and never does he attack. As soon as he hits land what does the military do?

That's right, attack him for no reason. It makes no sense.

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by Rausch

I have yet to see it for a 2nd time (plan to tomorrow) but there were some huge inconsistencies I noticed the first go round.

Spoiler!

1) I was pretty geeked up (and up about 36 hours at this point) but it seems like once we hit present day (first MUTO appears) there's only 3 to 4 days until the end of the film. I'm not sure the speed Godzilla would have to travel but Japan to Vegas seems like a long distance.

Plus, then back to Cali. All in under a week.

2) Godzilla is shown leaving Hawaii pretty much under naval escort. There are ships flanking him. All the way from Hawaii the navy is all around him and never does he attack. As soon as he hits land what does the military do?

That's right, attack him for no reason. It makes no sense.

Spoiler!

2) There was nothing he could damage in the middle of the ocean, and the bulk of his body was under water. Why attack him then?

[Jerm]

Maybe because...

Spoiler!

The MUTO went apeshit and they freaked and just started firing on anything?

I dunno lol...

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by unlurking

Spoiler!

2) There was nothing he could damage in the middle of the ocean, and the bulk of his body was under water. Why attack him then?

Spoiler!

I think at that point in the movie they were still unsure if he was friendly or not. He did come ashore in Hawaii and killed hundreds or thousands. Not on purpose, but just because of his massive size. I think the Navy guys in that scene just sort of panicked.

Posted via Mobile Device

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Spoiler!

I thought it was that he went deep into the earth's crust to feed off the radiation down below, or somesuch thing, no?

They said the monsters were from a period when the surface of the Earth was much more radioactive. Apparently they adapted to the lack of radiation by going underground (MUTOs) and deep below the sea (Godzilla) to get closer to the Earth's core where they could feed off the more abundant radiation.. Or at least that's how I heard it.

I just thought it was kind of strange that Godzilla followed the MUTOs from Hawaii to San Fran and never bothered to stop and feed off some of the nukes or power plants along the way. There's no way he could eat other living creatures; he'd literally wipe out entire ecosystems in one meal.

[ThaVirus]

They also didn't explain what the large fossilized creature that died with the MUTO egg sacs in it or how the MUTOs were able to lie dormant for apparently thousands of years, at least..

But that's the kind of stuff that is probably best not to try and explain.

[KcMizzou]

You can pick it apart, if you want. This kinda movie doesn't need to completely make sense. It needs to be EPIC... Awesome. And on that, it delivered.

There's something to be said for suspension of disbelief.

[ThaVirus]

I know. I'm not picking it apart at all; I thought the movie was great.

I'm just a weird Sci-Fi nerd when it comes to origins and what not. I want to know everything.

[KcMizzou]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I know. I'm not picking it apart at all; I thought the movie was great.

I'm just a weird Sci-Fi nerd when it comes to origins and what not. I want to know everything.

Heheh, fair enough.

[Mother****erJones]

Movie was kick ass! Loved it

[unlurking]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

They also didn't explain what the large fossilized creature that died with the MUTO egg sacs in it or how the MUTOs were able to lie dormant for apparently thousands of years, at least..

But that's the kind of stuff that is probably best not to try and explain.

Didn't they say that originally they thought the dormant MUTOs were a parasite on another creature. And my guess for the other stuff is, they just don't know. They're not supposed know everything. I thought it was made pretty clear that they were was a lot they hadn't figure out yet, and were in the middle of trying to. They even stated they thought all the research from the first accident was lost.

[Rausch]

These are the total numbers so far for 214 films. After just the opening weekend it's already no 10 and the second biggest opening of the year (beaten only by Cap'Murica.)

And a sequel is already green lit!

Even if there's a huge drop off after opening weekend finishing in the #7-5 range is very likely...

http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2014&p=.htm

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Other than the ending, it sounds like a plot ripoff of My Fair Lady. Was he teaching the creature to function in high society?

. Not really, and it definitely did NOT look anything like Audrey Hepburn (my favorite actress of all time).

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Rausch

These are the total numbers so far for 214 films. After just the opening weekend it's already no 10 and the second biggest opening of the year (beaten only by Cap'Murica.)

And a sequel is already green lit!

Even if there's a huge drop off after opening weekend finishing in the #7-5 range is very likely...

http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=2014&p=.htm

This movie will make a ton of money overseas too. That's basically why a Pacific Rim sequel will get made as well.