I can't wait for Godzilla to tear-up Tokyo (or whatever city) for the nth time since this legendary monster first sent Japanese hearts into a screaming panic in 1954.
The 35th episode in this eternal franchise carries the title, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," and is due to hit screens worldwide on May 31, 2019 (or is it March 22?). The only problem with this Godzilla is he'll again be an athletic American monster and not a stodgy Japanese beast.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be the third film in Legendary Picture's MonsterVerse, and the third Godzilla movie to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio. California-based Legendary Pictures is again producing this latest Godzilla incarnation.
It did the last one, Godzilla (2014), which was really bad. The first Made in the USA Godzilla flick (also named Godzilla) hit the screen in 1998 courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
In case you didn't know, Legendary Pictures is owned by Wanda Group (or Dalian Wanda), the Chinese multinational conglomerate, which is the world's biggest private property developer and owner of the world's largest cinema chain, Wanda.
So, you can see Godzilla is now half-Chinese. Or is it? Guess he'll prove that when he trashes Shanghai (which is a seaside city), or better yet, Beijing. But how will it travel all the way from the Pacific Ocean to Beijing? Guess an upcoming sequel will answer that.
But the 35th Godzilla movie will take place in the good old US of A. And the cast will be all-American, as will be the director, Michael Dougherty (who wrote the script for the 2014 version).
The trailer of Godzilla: King of the Monsters first saw the light of day at the three-day San Diego Comic-Con that ended July 22. What Godzilla-philes ogled at were Godzilla's old chums teaming-up to conquer the world once again. The trailer proclaims, "Long live the King," which heralds the battles galore ahead.
There's the three-headed King Ghidorah (Godzilla's arch-enemy); the humungous insect Mothra, and the flying monster, Rodan who can generate hurricane-force winds. Legendary's press release explains the movie's plot:
"The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species - thought to be mere myths - rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance."
Guess this overabundance of super-villains is because Dougherty is a self-confessed Godzilla nut.
"I'm still a kid playing with Godzilla toys," said Dougherty at Comic-Con. "They're just bigger, much more expensive Godzilla toys."
Dougherty promises something more in Godzilla 35. "There might be a few more surprises," he teased. We'll have to wait for either March 22 or May 31, 2019, to find out, won't we?
