Godzilla is a 2014 American science fiction monster film directed by Gareth Edwards. It is a reboot of the Godzilla film franchise and retells the origins of Godzilla in contemporary times as a "terrifying force of nature".[5] The film is set in the present day, fifteen years after the unearthing of two chrysalises in a mine in the Philippines. From the pods come two giant radiation-eating creatures, known as "MUTOs", which cause great damage in Japan, Hawaiiand the western United States. Their awakening also stirs a much larger and more destructive, ancient alpha predator known as "Godzilla", whose existence has been kept secret by the U.S. government since 1954. It starsAaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, and Bryan Cranston. The screenplay is credited toMax Borenstein but includes contributions from David Callaham, David S. Goyer, Drew Pearce, and Frank Darabont.
The film is a co-production between Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.Pictures. It was distributed by Warner Bros. worldwide, except in Japan where it was distributed by Toho. It is the second Godzilla film to be completely filmed and produced by an American studio, the first being the 1998 film of the same name.[a] The project initially began in 2004 and was originally intended to be an IMAX short film titled, Godzilla 3D: To the Max, to be directed by Yoshimitsu Banno, director of Godzilla vs. Hedorah. After several years in development, the production was transferred to Legendary for development as a feature film. Producers Kenji Okuhira, Brian Rogers and director Banno were retained by Legendary. Shortly before filming began, several producers were dismissed from the production and a court case is ongoing between themselves and Legendary. Principal photography took place in the United States and Canada in 2013.
Godzilla was released worldwide in 2D, 3D and IMAX on May 15, 2014; inNorth America on May 16; with releases in China on June 13 and Japan on July 25, 2014. Critical reception for the film has been positive, with some praising the film for its slow pace and dramatic build-up, while others criticized the underwritten script, thinly developed characters, the length of time before Godzilla's appearance, as well as his on-screen duration and the fact that the film does not focus primarily on him; however Gareth Edwards' directing and the film's visual effects, music, and creature designs were positively received. Critics and fans have also praised director Edwards for honoring the spirit and legacy of the Godzilla character and franchise.[6]
Godzilla was an immediate box office success upon its release, earning $93.2 million on its initial North American opening release and a worldwide estimate of $200 million on its opening weekend, finishing with a worldwide total of $524.9 million at the end of its theatrical run. The film's success prompted Legendary to proceed with sequels with Edwards confirmed to return as director for a planned trilogy, with the first sequel targeted for a June 8, 2018 release.[7]
