Wikipedia

Godzilla (Monsterverse)

This article is about the Monsterverse iteration. For other media with the same title, see Godzilla (disambiguation).

Godzilla (/ɡɒdˈzɪlə/ ɡod-ZIL-ə)[a] is a fictional monster, or kaiju, based on Toho Co., Ltd.'s character of the same name, and one of the protagonists in Legendary Pictures' Monsterverse franchise.

Godzilla
Monsterverse character
Godzilla's 2014 design revealed via Empire
First appearanceGodzilla (2014)
Based onGodzilla
by Toho Co., Ltd.
Adapted byGareth Edwards[1]
David Callaham[2]
Max Borenstein[3]
Designed byMatt Allsopp[4][5]
Motion captureT. J. Storm[6][7]
In-universe information
AliasGojira[8]
Hollywood Godzilla[9]
Titanus Gojira[10]
Legendary Godzilla
Monsterverse Godzilla
King of the Monsters
SpeciesPrehistoric amphibious reptile
GenderMale[11]

The character first appeared in Godzilla (2014), directed by Gareth Edwards. This incarnation of Godzilla is depicted as the sole survivor of a prehistoric superspecies, theorized by Dr. Ishirō Serizawa, acting as a force of nature that maintains balance. The character was initially designed by Matt Allsopp, modeled after the Toho iteration.[12]

It is the third incarnation of Godzilla to be created by an American studio, after Hanna-Barbera's 1978 animated series Godzilla and TriStar Pictures' 1998 film Godzilla, and overall the tenth onscreen incarnation of the iconic character.[13]

Overview

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Name

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Godzilla is referred to by Ishirō Serizawa, played by Ken Watanabe, as "Gojira" (ゴジラ) though later on he would be referred to by other characters as "Godzilla". Watanabe argued with the producer to have his character refer to Godzilla by his Japanese name, stating, "the important thing is where the icon comes from. The first movie it was very important for me to call him Gojira, and I explained that his name was the really correct version I needed to say."[8] In the 2014 video game Godzilla, he is labeled as "Hollywood Godzilla" to distinguish him from other iterations present in the game.[9]

In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla is given the scientific name "Titanus Gojira",[10] after the designation for the monsters was changed from "MUTO" (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) to "Titans."[14]

Design

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For Godzilla (2014), producer Thomas Tull was adamant about keeping Godzilla's design consistent with the Toho version, stating, "We had to make triply sure we got it right. Godzilla had to look like Godzilla. Period."[12] In February 2014, Legendary debuted the final design of their Godzilla on the cover of Empire.[15] Director Gareth Edwards and the design group reviewed all previous incarnations of Godzilla's design for inspiration. Gareth Edwards stated, "The way I tried to view it was to imagine Godzilla was a real creature and someone from Toho saw him in the 1950s and ran back to the studio to make a movie about the creature and was trying their best to remember it and draw it. And in our film you get to see him for real." He went on to say that his Godzilla remains true to the original in all aspects.[1] Gareth Edwards also stressed that, "It was important to me that this felt like a Toho Godzilla" and concluded by wishing, "I'd love ours (Godzilla) to be considered as part of the Toho group."[16]

Gareth Edwards feared that a rounded appearance would make Godzilla look "cutesy" like a Muppet, and had the design team sharpen and straighten Godzilla's face and body to avert rounded proportions. Various sources inspired Godzilla's design: the eyes were modeled after the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal, komodo dragons and birds of prey influenced the hands and regal bearings, and gills were added to explain Godzilla's underwater capabilities. Filmmaker and Motion capture expert Andy Serkis provided consultation on the film's motion capture sequences in order to "control the souls" of the creatures. Serkis stated that the film's performance capture had already been filmed before he was approached.[17][18][19]

For Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), director and co-writer Michael Dougherty made tweaks to Edwards' design by shaping the dorsal plates closer to the the original 1954 plates and increasing their size. Dougherty also made the feet and claws "a bit bigger" to reflect Godzilla's predatory nature when attacking prey.[20] During the film's climax, Godzilla briefly transforms into Burning Godzilla. The Burning form was introduced in Toho's Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) and was treated as an impending doomsday trigger, however, King of the Monsters reinterprets it as a temporary power-up due to Godzilla's increased radiation levels after being directly blasted with a nuclear warhead.[21]

For Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), director Adam Wingard chose not to alter the 2019 design in order to retain consistency; Wingard wanted audiences to experience the iterations of Godzilla and Kong they were already familiar with. Despite this, Wingard was tempted to make alterations to Godzilla, stating, "I probably would have liked to, for instance, made Godzilla's head a little bit bigger, his head's a little small."[22]

For Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023), VFX supervisor Sean Konrad tried to tie his design and animation to the look established in the feature films. The show presents two designs for Godzilla, one from the 1950s timeline with spikier dorsal fins similar to the 2014 design and one from the 2015 timeline with curvier dorsal fins after the damage he sustained from the 2014 battle.[23]

For Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), Godzilla's design remains the same until he transforms into his "Evolved" state after defeating Tiamat. In this new form he exhibits a number of physical differences. Some of which include a slimmer physical build, pink dorsal plates, the growth of spikes across his face as well as spike protrusions grown from his forearms and a set of thagomizers from his tail's tip.[24]

Personality

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For the 2014 version, Gareth Edwards designed Godzilla to have a personality that would evoke the "last samurai" archetype, calling him "a lone, ancient warrior who prefers to be left alone until world events force him to resurface."[25]

Size

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In Godzilla (2014), Godzilla is 354 ft (108 m) tall. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and then on, his height is increased to 393 ft (120 m) tall.[26]

Reception

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IndieWire called Godzilla's design "more classic than groundbreaking", with praise for the size, scale, fins, sound design, and visual effects, stating, "The visuals are really impressive and perhaps more importantly, feel realistic to the world of the movie around it."[27] Screenwriter Kazuki Nakajima criticized the 2014 film for turning Godzilla into a "good guy", stating it is "the sort of Godzilla aimed at kids in the late Showa Era."[28] Illustrator Yuji Kaida praised the 2014 film for treating Godzilla like "a force beyond human understanding that maintained the Earth's natural balance," as well as praising the physique of the design and how Gareth Edwards conveyed the mass.[28]

Appearances

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A post-credits scene in Kong: Skull Island featured cave paintings of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah.[29] Godzilla, along with the MUTO and the creatures from Edwards' debut film Monsters, were briefly seen in cave paintings in Rogue One (2016), also directed by Gareth Edwards. Gareth Edwards stated that the characters were added by the crew as a joke.[30]

Films

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Television

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Comics

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  • Godzilla: Awakening (2014)
  • Godzilla: Aftershock (2019)
  • Godzilla Dominion (2021)
  • Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong (2023)[32]
  • Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted (2024)[33]

Novels

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  • Godzilla: The Official Movie Novelization (2014)
  • Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization (2019)
  • Godzilla vs. Kong - The Official Movie Novelization (2021)
  • Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - The Official Movie Novelization (2024)[34]

Games

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Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: ゴジラ, Hepburn: Gojira, IPA: [ɡoꜜʑiɾa] ⓘ

References

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  1. ^ a b Newitz, Annalee (July 25, 2013). "Godzilla director Gareth Edwards explains the symbolism of kaiju". i09. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  2. ^ "Screenwriter Profile: Dave Callaham". Fresh Voices. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Sharareh Drury (April 2, 2021). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Writer Max Borenstein on Crafting Modern Stories for the MonsterVerse". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Cotta Vaz 2014, p. 81.
  5. ^ Cotta Vaz 2014, p. 102–103.
  6. ^ Arce, Sergio (May 29, 2014). "Conozca al actor que da vida a Godzilla, quien habló con crhoy.com". crhoy.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  7. ^ Pockross, Adam (February 28, 2019). "Genre MVP: The Motion Capture Actor Who's Played Groot, Godzilla, and Iron Man". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Manalo, Mike (May 29, 2019). "Preserving Culture with 'Godzilla' Star Ken Watanabe". The Nerds of Color. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Barton, Steve (July 14, 2015). "Godzilla Launches and Lunches on PS3 and PS4". Dread Central. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Moran, Sarah (May 31, 2019). "Every Titan In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Edwards 2014, 00:44:36.
  12. ^ a b Graser, Marc (May 6, 2014). "How 'Godzilla' Roared Again with Director Gareth Edwards, Legendary's Thomas Tull". Variety. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  13. ^ Raymond, Nicholas (June 22, 2020). "All 11 Versions Of Godzilla (& How They're All Different)". Screen Rant. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Orquiola, John (July 21, 2018). "Godzilla 2 Has Renamed The Monsterverse Creatures". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  15. ^ Matt Goldberg (February 26, 2021). "Empire Unleashes the Beast on New Magazine Cover Featuring Godzilla". Collider. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  16. ^ Turek, Ryan (July 19, 2013). "Comic-Con 2013 Interview: Gareth Edwards On Godzilla, Atomic Breath, the Design, Darabont & More!". Comingsoon.net. Archived from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  17. ^ Sacks, Ethan (May 11, 2014). "'Godzilla' director Gareth Edwards and the design team reached back in time to create the new monster". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  18. ^ "Godzilla: Andy Serkis on Mo Cap & Monster's Motives — WonderCon 2014". YouTube. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  19. ^ "Godzilla Director on Making the Monster Scary Again — IGN Conversations". YouTube. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  20. ^ Conover, Stuart (January 14, 2019). "Mike Dougherty Shares What Inspired The Look Of The Creatures In 'Godzilla: King Of The Monsters'". Sciencefiction.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  21. ^ Jasper, Gavin (June 3, 2019). "Godzilla: King of the Monsters – Ending Explained". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  22. ^ Goldberg, Matt (February 22, 2021). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Director Adam Wingard on Avoiding an Issue He Had with 'Batman v Superman'". Collider. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  23. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (December 18, 2023). "'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' VFX Team on Bringing Godzilla, Mother Longlegs and New Titans to Life". Variety. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  24. ^ Dubiel, Bill (July 4, 2024). "Pink Godzilla Explained: New Color, Stronger Powers In Godzilla X Kong". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  25. ^ "Godzilla is like the last samurai". The Pioneer. May 4, 2014. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  26. ^ Raymond, Nicholas (March 30, 2021). "How Tall Godzilla Is In Each Movie (Including MonsterVerse)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  27. ^ "Breaking Down The Monster: The Best & Worst of Godzilla". IndieWire. May 19, 2014. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  28. ^ a b Brasor, Philip (August 9, 2014). "Critics get frank when it comes to Godzilla". Japan Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  29. ^ Goldberg, Matt (March 11, 2017). "'Kong: Skull Island' Post-Credits Scene Explained". Collider. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  30. ^ Holmes, Adam (November 30, 2016). "The Godzilla Easter Egg Star Wars: Rogue One Snuck In For Gareth Edwards". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  31. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 20, 2022). "Apple TV+ Lands Godzilla & Titans Series Based On Legendary's Monsterverse". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  32. ^ Holub, Christian (July 22, 2023). "Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong team teases the epic scale of new comic crossover". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  33. ^ Connor, Casey (October 20, 2023). "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Prequel Could Make YOU Monsterverse Canon". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  34. ^ "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - the Official Movie Novelization".
  35. ^ Tuting, Kristine (March 26, 2021). "Godzilla and King Kong are coming to PUBG Mobile". One Esports. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  36. ^ Austin Slenk (April 2, 2021). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Is Coming to Online Game 'World of Warships' Next Month". Collider. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  37. ^ Wilson, Mike (June 29, 2021). "Kong Invades Toho's 'Godzilla Battle Line' as Part of 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Promotion". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  38. ^ Leone, Matt (April 21, 2022). "Call of Duty: Warzone getting Godzilla and King Kong crossover". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  39. ^ https://gxktitanchasers.com/ [bare URL]

Sources

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