Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D

Last updated

Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D [1] was an unproduced American film project that was developed in 1983 by Steve Miner, with Miner attached to direct the film. Miner shopped the project around Hollywood and generated some interest, but was unable to secure funding and let the rights revert to Toho. The project was the first attempt to produce a Godzilla film at an American film studio.

Contents

Plot

A meteorite collides with an American defense satellite which triggers a nuclear missile to launch towards the Earth. The missile detonates in the middle of the South Pacific, which awakens a giant reptilian creature on the ocean floor. A Japanese fishing vessel is towed to San Francisco for examination after it recently disappeared. Journalist Dana Martin sneaks onto the ship and finds a perfectly preserved trilobite. She finds a burnt survivor whose last words are "Gojira".

Martin takes the trilobite to paleobiologist and dinosaur expert, Gerald Balinger, who seems skeptical about the fossil's authenticity. On Oto Island in Tahiti, an American Special Forces squad come into contact with a giant reptilian monster, who lays waste to nearby villages. Navy Colonel Peter Daxton leads an investigation off the coast of Mexico for a mysteriously sunken Russian submarine. The investigation is secretly being observed by Russian spies and Daxton's old enemy, Boris Kruschov, who wishes to retrieve the sub's two nuclear missiles.

Daxton finds a video onboard which reveals that the sub fired one of the missiles on a giant reptilian creature. The missiles are then taken into military custody pending negotiations with Russia. Daxton returns home to San Francisco and his son, Kevin, only to be called back for another mission. Daxton, Kevin, and Balinger are taken to Baja, Mexico where the carcass of a reptile "the size of a house" has washed ashore. Daxton recognizes it as the same creature from the video.

Balinger theorizes that the creature is a dinosaur, however, the military disregard his theories and assume it came from another planet. As Balinger and Kevin watch the military transport the body, Balinger names the creature "Godzilla", based on an old Japanese myth about a dragon. Off the coast of California, the adult Godzilla surfaces and destroys an oil derrick and a tanker. The dead Baby Godzilla is stored at a warehouse at the Embarcadero for studying purposes.

Balinger becomes alarmed when researchers who came into contact with the body begin suffering from radiation poisoning. Balinger deduces that the Baby is a living atomic reactor with regenerative properties. Since the sea disasters continued even after the Baby's death, Balinger concludes that the adult Godzilla is coming to the city, but the military disregard his ideas again. Kruschov kidnaps Kevin and demands that Daxton exchange the missiles as ransom. Kevin manages to escape just as Godzilla rises from San Francisco Bay.

The military attack the beast but to no effect, which angers Godzilla into a rampage. Daxton, Balinger, and Martin plan to lure Godzilla out of the city with a recording of the Baby taken from the submarine video and kill it with the Russian missiles. As Daxton flies the helicopter carrying the missiles, Kruschov appears onboard with Kevin and demands the missiles be returned. After a brief fight, the helicopter crashes and Kruschov lands in Godzilla's hand, where he is incinerated by Godzilla's atomic breath.

Godzilla finds the warehouse holding its offspring and unleashes a mournful roar after discovering the Baby dead. Balinger and Martin turn on the Baby's recording at Alcatraz Island, which attracts Godzilla's attention. Daxton drags the remaining missile onto the Scorpion-78, a high-tech prototype battle helicopter. The co-pilot falls off as the Scorpion-78 lifts off and Kevin takes the co-pilot's place. As Daxton flies the chopper, Kevin reluctantly fires the missile into Godzilla's throat, which successfully kills the monster. Kevin falls off the Scorpion-78, but is saved by Godzilla. Kevin weeps as Godzilla takes its last breath. [2]

Development

Conception

"I had always been a fan [of Godzilla] since I was a kid. Once seeing it as an adult, I realized that this could be remade as a good movie. My original idea was to do it in 3-D. I had just done Friday the 13th in 3D , and wanted to do a good movie in 3D, and I thought the miniatures would lend themselves to doing good 3-D effects. So it was a combination of trying to do a really good monster movie and doing it in 3-D. I had to get the rights, so I went to Japan and made a deal with the Toho people to co-finance the development of the project, myself and Toho."

—Miner on the origins of the project. [3]

In 1983, American filmmaker Steve Miner approached Toho, the owners of Godzilla, about a Hollywood-produced Godzilla film with a big budget, A-list actors, and high-priced special effects. [4] Miner had stated to have "always been a fan of Godzilla" and found that the character could be remade into a potentially "good movie". Miner struck a co-financing deal with Toho for the development of the project. [3]

Writing

Miner hired Fred Dekker to write the screenplay, who completed the first draft in a few weeks. [4] Miner would later admit that he hired Dekker "on a fluke". Dekker had stated the reason why Miner hired him was because Dekker was not a Godzilla fan, finding the original films to be "cheesy", stating, "He did not want to make a cheesy film, and I wasn't interested in just special effects and knocking buildings down. The first thing I said to Steve was, 'If all this movie is about is this big monster destroying buildings, we're screwed.'" [3]

Dekker was not influenced by the original Toho films, having never seen a Godzilla film all the way through. Dekker instead took inspiration from Steven Spielberg films and James Bond films. Dekker wanted to write an action adventure with an Irwin Allen quality that would have been interesting even without Godzilla in it. [3] Dekker gave the character "Peter Daxton" an eyepatch as an homage to Dr. Serizawa from the original Godzilla film. Dekker also wrote a character named "Dana Martin" ("Dana Kryer" in the first draft), who was to be based on Steve Martin originally played by Raymond Burr in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! . Burr was also considered for a cameo. Powers Boothe and Demi Moore were considered for Daxton and Martin. [5]

Storyboards

Miner hired William Stout to provide storyboards and concept art. [3] Stout later convinced Miner to hire him as the film's production designer. [6] Stout was excited about doing a state-of-the-art Godzilla film, feeling that their version would be executed better than the original. Stout created hundreds of storyboards, completing 80% of the special effects sequences. [3] Stout convinced Miner to hire Doug Wildey, Dave Stevens, and several other artists to help him complete the storyboards. Stout offered Alex Toth to join the project but turned it down. On how he approached the new design of Godzilla, Stout stated, "I designed him as a cross between the classic Godzilla and a Tyrannosaurus". [6]

Special effects

A special subtitled screening of the Japanese version of the original Godzilla film was held at Century City to generate interest for the project amongst special effects artists. [1] Miner intended to use miniatures, stop-motion animation, and suitmation, as there were no computer effects available at the time. [3] David W. Allen was hired to provide the stop-motion effects. [7] Allen managed to build a stop-motion prototype [8] while Stephen Czerkas created an articulated stop-motion animation figure. [6] Rick Baker was hired to build a full scale animatronic Godzilla head, but never got around to building it. [8]

Cancellation

The project was shopped to several studios until Miner "ran out of studios", according to Stout. Miner had considered asking Dekker to write a more budget-friendly version of the script, feeling that the original vision was too expensive and "too big". Dekker partially attributed the project's demise due to the fact that Miner was not a big-name director at the time, stating, "If Steven Spielberg or Sidney Pollack or Jim Cameron said, 'I want to make Godzilla,' they'd give it a green light in a minute. I just think that he [Miner] just wasn't enough a player at the time." Miner verified that most studios were interested and nearly struck a deal with Warner Bros. but the project was deemed too expensive due to the budget reaching $25 million to $30 million. [1] Jon Peters and Keith Barish had also shown interest in the project. [1] Miner let the rights revert to Toho due to being unable to secure financing. Miner stated that the production of The Return of Godzilla put a "big hold" on the project. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godzilla</span> Fictional monster

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and cowritten by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho Co., Ltd., five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the King of the Monsters, an epithet first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film.

<i>King Kong vs. Godzilla</i> 1962 film directed by Ishirō Honda

King Kong vs. Godzilla is a 1962 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the third film in both the Godzilla and King Kong franchises, as well as the first Toho-produced film featuring King Kong. It is also the first time that each character appeared on film in color and widescreen. The film stars Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yū Fujiki, Ichirō Arishima, and Mie Hama, with Shoichi Hirose as King Kong and Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla. In the film, Godzilla is reawakened by an American submarine and a pharmaceutical company captures King Kong for promotional uses, which culminate in a battle with Godzilla on Mount Fuji.

<i>Ebirah, Horror of the Deep</i> 1966 film by Jun Fukuda

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep is a 1966 Japanese kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. The film stars Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata and Eisei Amamoto, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Mothra, and Ebirah. It is the seventh film in the Godzilla franchise, and features special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa, under the supervision of Eiji Tsuburaya. In the film, Godzilla and Ebirah are portrayed by Haruo Nakajima and Hiroshi Sekita, respectively.

<i>Son of Godzilla</i> 1967 film by Jun Fukuda

Son of Godzilla is a 1967 Japanese kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa, under the supervision of Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the eighth film in the Godzilla franchise. It stars Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Akihiko Hirata, and Beverly Maeda, with Hiroshi Sekita, Seiji Onaka, and Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla, and Marchan the Dwarf as Minilla.

<i>Destroy All Monsters</i> 1968 Japanese science fiction Kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda

Destroy All Monsters is a 1968 Japanese epic kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa and supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film, which was produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, is the ninth film in the Godzilla franchise, and features eleven monster characters, including Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, and Minilla. The film stars Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi and Yoshio Tsuchiya.

<i>Godzilla</i> (1954 film) Japanese monster film

Godzilla is a 1954 Japanese epic kaiju film directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the first film in the Godzilla franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, Japan's authorities deal with the sudden appearance of a giant monster, whose attacks trigger fears of nuclear holocaust in post-war Japan.

<i>The Return of Godzilla</i> 1984 film by Kōji Hashimoto

The Return of Godzilla is a 1984 Japanese kaiju film directed by Koji Hashimoto, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 16th film in the Godzilla franchise, the last film produced in the Shōwa era, and the first film in the Heisei series. In Japan, the film was followed by Godzilla vs. Biollante in 1989.

<i>Kaiju</i> Japanese media genre

Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. A subgenre of science fiction, it was created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda. The term can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Ghidorah</span> Godzilla kaiju

King Ghidorah is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. The monster was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsuburaya and Shinichi Sekizawa as an homage to the eight-headed mythological Japanese dragon Yamata no Orochi. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was originally referred to as Ghidorah or Ghidrah in some English markets.

<i>Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster</i> 1964 film directed by Ishirō Honda

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster is a 1964 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fifth film in the Godzilla franchise, and was the second Godzilla film produced that year, after Mothra vs. Godzilla. The film stars Yosuke Natsuki, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akiko Wakabayashi, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla, Masanori Shinohara as Rodan, and Shoichi Hirose as King Ghidorah. In the film, an extraterrestrial from Venus, possessing the body of a princess, warns humanity of the pending destruction by the alien-dragon King Ghidorah, with Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra being their last hope for survival.

<i>Mothra vs. Godzilla</i> 1964 Japanese kaiju film

Mothra vs. Godzilla is a 1964 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the fourth film in the Godzilla franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara, and Emi and Yumi Itō, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, humans beseech the aid of the insect god Mothra to stop Godzilla from destroying Japan.

<i>Godzilla Raids Again</i> 1955 Japanese kaiju film

Godzilla Raids Again is a 1955 Japanese kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the second film in the Godzilla franchise. The film stars Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus. In the film, Japan struggles to survive Godzilla's return, as well as its destructive battle against its ancient foe Anguirus.

<i>Godzilla vs. Destoroyah</i> 1995 film by Takao Okawara

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is a 1995 Japanese kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara, with special effects by Kōichi Kawakita. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla franchise, and is the seventh and final film in the franchise's Heisei period. The film features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Godzilla Junior and Destoroyah, and stars Takuro Tatsumi, Yōko Ishino, Yasufumi Hayashi, Sayaka Osawa, Megumi Odaka, Masahiro Takashima, Momoko Kōchi and Akira Nakao, with Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla, Hurricane Ryu as Godzilla Junior, and Ryo Hariya as Destoroyah.

<i>Godzilla</i> (1998 film) Film by Roland Emmerich

Godzilla is a 1998 American monster film directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. Produced by Centropolis Entertainment, Fried Films, and Independent Pictures, and distributed by TriStar Pictures, it is a reboot of Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla franchise. It is also the 23rd film in the franchise and the first Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria, Kevin Dunn, Michael Lerner, and Harry Shearer. The film is dedicated to Tomoyuki Tanaka, the co-creator and producer of various Godzilla films, who died in April 1997. In the film, authorities investigate and battle a giant monster who migrates to New York City to nest its young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zilla (Godzilla)</span> Fictional character/Kaiju

Zilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, in Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla media franchise. The character first appeared in Godzilla (1998), released by TriStar Pictures. It was initially created as a reimagining of Godzilla but was later re-branded as a separate character. Patrick Tatopoulos designed it after iguanas with a slim theropod appearance rather than the thick, bipedal designs of Toho's Godzilla. TriStar's Godzilla, both the film and character, were negatively received by fans and critics. In 2004, it was featured in Toho's Godzilla: Final Wars as "Zilla". Afterwards, Toho trademarked new incarnations as Zilla, with only the iterations from the 1998 film and animated series retaining the Godzilla copyright and trademark.

Stephen C. Miner is an American director of film and television, film producer, and a member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is notable for his work in the horror genre, including Friday the 13th Part 2, Friday the 13th Part III, House, Warlock, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Lake Placid, and Day of the Dead. He has also directed numerous comedy and drama films, as well as episodes of notable television series including The Wonder Years, Dawson's Creek, and Smallville.

<i>Godzilla, King of the Monsters!</i> 1956 Japanese-American monster film

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a 1956 kaiju film directed by Terry O. Morse and Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is a heavily re-edited American localization, or "Americanization", of the 1954 Japanese film Godzilla. The film was a Japanese-American co-production, with the original footage produced by Toho Co., Ltd., and the new footage produced by Jewell Enterprises. The film stars Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kōchi, Akira Takarada, and Akihiko Hirata, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, an American reporter covers a giant reptilian monster's attack on Japan.

<i>Varan the Unbelievable</i> 1958 Japanese film

Varan the Unbelievable is a 1958 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it stars Kōzō Nomura, Ayumi Sonoda, and Koreya Senda, with Haruo Nakajima as Varan. In the film, a reporter's investigation into two mysterious deaths in Japan's mountains leads to the discovery of a giant lake monster, wrecking its way towards civilization.

<i>Godzilla</i> (franchise) Japanese media franchise

Godzilla is a Japanese monster, or kaiju, media franchise consisting of films, television series, novels, comic books, video games, and other merchandise. The franchise is centered on the fictional kaiju Godzilla, a prehistoric reptilian monster awakened and powered by nuclear radiation. The franchise is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the "longest continuously running film franchise", having been in ongoing production since 1954, with several hiatuses of varying lengths. The film franchise consists of 38 films: 33 Japanese films produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd.; and five American films, the first of which was produced by TriStar Pictures and the remaining ones by Legendary Pictures, with the latest being set for release in March 2024.

<i>Yongary, Monster from the Deep</i> 1967 kaiju film

Yongary, Monster from the Deep is a 1967 kaiju film directed by Kim Ki-duk, with special effects by Kenichi Nakagawa. The film was a South Korean-Japanese co-production between Keukdong Entertainment Company and Toei Company. The film stars Oh Yeong-il, Kwang Ho Lee, Nam Jeong-im, with Cho Kyoung-min as Yongary. In the film, a giant reptilian monster lays waste to Seoul after being awakened by an earthquake triggered by a nuclear bomb test.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kalat 2010, p. 153.
  2. ↑ Ryfle 1998, p. 227–228.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ryfle 1998, p. 218.
  4. 1 2 Ryfle 1998, p. 217.
  5. ↑ Ryfle 1998, p. 220.
  6. 1 2 3 Stout, William (April 28, 2014). "My Top Ten Dinosaur Films – Part Two". William Stout's Journal. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  7. ↑ Ryfle 1998, p. 219.
  8. 1 2 Quint (September 22, 2014). "Quint reports on William Stout's MondoCon panel about the unmade Fred Dekker-scripted Godzilla film!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  9. ↑ Ryfle 1998, p. 222–223.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.