Godzilla
Short description
Godzilla is a 1998 science fiction action film about a giant reptilian creature that emerges after French nuclear testing in the Pacific. The monster attacks ships at sea before making its way to New York City, leaving destruction in its path. A biologist, Dr. Niko Tatopoulos, is pulled into the investigation, and he works alongside a French secret agent and a television journalist to understand what the creature wants. The military struggles to stop the beast as it moves through Manhattan, and the team uncovers a threat greater than the creature itself.
Roland Emmerich directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Dean Devlin, who also produced. It was Emmerich's fifth film as director, following Independence Day and preceding The Patriot. The cast includes Matthew Broderick as Tatopoulos, Jean Reno as Philippe Roaché, Maria Pitillo as Audrey Timmonds, Hank Azaria as Victor Palotti, Kevin Dunn as Colonel Hicks and Michael Lerner as Mayor Ebert. The production involved 95 credited cast members and 232 credited crew, with a budget of 130 million US dollars and a worldwide box office of 379 million US dollars.
Audience reception was mixed. On IMDb the film holds a rating of 5.5 out of 10 from around 213,000 votes, and on TMDB it has 5.7 out of 10 from over 4,300 votes. A film critics' rating stands at 4.5 out of 10 from 148 reviews, lower than the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- On May 6, 1997, a tornado raged in Jersey City. The film crew was forced to halt filming and revise the schedule. However, even in this situation, the crew managed to capture a small fragment of the disaster, and some footage made it into the final cut of the film.
- 321,000 cubic meters of water were used to film the downpour.
- Matthew Broderick's character is named Dr. Niko Tatopoulos. He owes this surname to the designer and builder of Godzilla – Patrick Tatopoulos.
- At the 51st minute of the film, you can notice the film “It Came from the Sea” (1955) playing on television in a video rental store.
- Tomoyuki Tanaka produced all the Japanese films dedicated to Godzilla. He died a month before filming began. As a result, it was decided to dedicate the film to this legendary Japanese film producer.
- Actor Kenpachiro Satsuma, who played Godzilla from 1985 to 1995, walked out mid-screening, saying, "This isn't Godzilla. I don't see the soul here."
- Director Roland Emmerich admitted that he didn't like any of the films from the original Japanese series. He agreed to participate in the project only because he was given complete freedom on set.
- The first drafts of the project appeared back in 1990. At that time, James Cameron was considered the main candidate for the director's chair. Later, the project was linked to Tim Burton and Joe Johnston, until Roland Emmerich came on board in 1997.
- The Godzilla from this film was later renamed “Zilla.” Under that name, the monster appears in the film “Godzilla: Final Wars” (2004). The name wasn't mentioned in the film, but was used during filming.
- Godzilla's fiery breath was not included in the original script. The film crew was prompted to make changes to the script by communicating with fans of the franchise.
- According to the producers' plans, two more sequels to the film were supposed to appear after some time. However, after scathing critical articles and a weak box office performance, these plans remained just plans.
- An incredible amount of wood was used to build the sets. This amount would be sufficient to build 50 houses. Approximately 35 tons of steel structures were also used for the sets.
- Sony acquired the rights to film “Godzilla” from Toho studio, which filmed the first Godzilla movie back in November 1954.
- A soundtrack was recorded for the Godzilla movie, including several dozen instrumental compositions and songs, with composer David Arnold, rapper Puff Daddy, the band Jamiroquai, and others participating in its creation. It was released on audio cassettes and CDs some time after the film's theatrical release. A remix, Come With Me (Morello Mix), was also released separately.
- When Godzilla walked through the city streets, cars bounced in the frame. Approximately 20 special devices were used for this.
- The initial script drafts and the portrayal of Godzilla on screen were intended to closely resemble the Japanese original. In particular, Godzilla was supposed to fight a monster named Griffin.
- The first teaser appeared in cinemas a year before the official release. The trailer featured footage of a paleontological museum and, in the finale, showed Godzilla’s foot destroying a dinosaur skeleton. This scene was ultimately decided against for the final version of the film.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
