Godzilla (2014 film)

Godzilla
A giant prehistoric dinosaur-like monster towering over a blazing cityscape engulfed in an inferno.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGareth Edwards
Screenplay byMax Borenstein
Story byDavid Callaham
Based onGodzilla
by Toho Co., Ltd
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySeamus McGarvey
Edited byBob Ducsay
Music byAlexandre Desplat
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 8, 2014 (2014-05-08) (Dolby Theatre)
  • May 16, 2014 (2014-05-16) (United States)
Running time
123 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[2][3][4]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$160 million[5]
Box office$529 million[2][6][7]

Godzilla is a 2014 American monster film directed by Gareth Edwards. Produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a reboot of Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla franchise,[8] and the first film in the MonsterVerse. It is also the 30th film in the Godzilla franchise, and the second Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio.[a] The film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, and Bryan Cranston. In the film, an American soldier attempts to return to his family while caught in the crossfire of an ancient rivalry between Godzilla and two parasitic monsters known as MUTOs.

The project began as an IMAX short film in 2004 but was transferred to Legendary in 2009 to be redeveloped as a feature film. The film was officially announced in March 2010 and Edwards was announced as the director in January 2011. Principal photography began in March 2013 in the United States and Canada and ended in July 2013.

Godzilla was theatrically released on May 16, 2014, to generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the direction, visual effects, music, cinematography, respect to the source material, and Cranston's performance, but criticized the script, characters, and Godzilla's insufficient screen time.[12] The film was a box office success, grossing $529 million worldwide against a production budget of $160 million, print and advertisement costs of $100 million,[13] and a break-even point of $380 million.[14] The film's success prompted Toho to produce a reboot of their own and Legendary to proceed with sequels and a shared cinematic franchise. A sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, was released on May 31, 2019.

  1. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (May 11, 2014). "Film Review: 'Godzilla'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Godzilla (2014)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  3. ^ "AFI Catalogue - Godzilla (2014)". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Adams, Mark (May 10, 2014). "Godzilla (2014) Reviews Screen". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (March 10, 2015). "Godzilla's Profit in 2014: Legendary Dinged By Distribution Fee". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  6. ^ McNary, Dave (May 31, 2019). "Box Office: 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Stomps to $6.3 Million on Thursday Night". Variety. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Mendelson, Scott (April 4, 2021). "'Godzilla Vs. Kong' Resurrects Box Office With $49 Million Debut". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Saperstein, Pat (May 6, 2014). "60 Years of Godzilla: Highlights From Monster's 29-Film Career". Variety. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  9. ^ Kalat 2010, p. 25.
  10. ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 121.
  11. ^ Kalat 2010, p. 84.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference P&A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference break even was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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