Today, May 16th, 2016 marks exactly 2 years since Legendary and Warner Brothers brought Godzilla back to Hollywood. With the trust and praise from Gojira creators at Toho, Godzilla (2014) breathed new life into a dormant franchise, proving that there still was a very prominent appreciation for the King of all Kaiju, all over the globe. Today, we celebrate its second anniversary as well as appreciate the efforts made by Legendary and Warner Bros. for bringing this beloved icon back to the silver screen.
Directed by (at the time) newcomer Gareth Edwards, who has since gone on to direct the Star Wars spin-off, Rogue One and written by Max Borenstein, Godzilla earned nearly $530 Million at the box office, roughly $200 Million of that being domestic earnings.
Having fared decently domestically and internationally, Legendary and Warner Brothers were quick to announce a sequel, which was originally slated for a 2018 summer release date, going as far as to tease appearances by other Toho monster icons Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah at Comic-Con in 2015. Unfortunately as of late, we learned that Godzilla's sequel would not only be releasing a year later, but that it would no longer be directed by Gareth Edwards as well. Max Borenstein remained on board however, penning the first draft of the film's screenplay. A director has yet to be selected.
Nonetheless, following next year's release of Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla will return in March of 2019 to face off against Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah and the Destroy All Monsters style sequel Edwards had always envisioned and the fun won't stop there. Shortly following Godzilla 2 in 2020, the full extent of Nature's fury will be witnessed as Godzilla comes face-to-face with Legendary's new King Kong in a monstrous battle of truly epic proportions.
But with all the hype surrounding Legendary and Warner Brothers' plans for the big G, we can't forget that Toho themselves have stepped back into the spotlight, ringing in a new era of their own Godzilla films! This summer, Godzilla will resurge and wreck havoc on those who created, mutated and attempted to destroy him. Shin-Gojira will introduce the physically largest Godzilla, ever recorded in film history. Featuring a rather grotesque, yet intriguing new design, along with severely improved visual effects, Shin-Gojira / Godzilla Resurgence will undoubtedly keep Western audiences satiated while they await the King's return in 2019.
All in all, now is a great time to be a fan of Godzilla and we have Legendary and Warner Brothers to thank for that. Without Godzilla (2014)'s success, we may not have seen a new Toho Godzilla film for 10 more years. The fans are many, the interest is high and the hype is real. Here's to the next 4 years of Godzilla and whatever else that may bring! Happy 2nd anniversary Godzilla 2014!
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