Godzilla, the instantly recognizable, radioactive, B-movie monster with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, will be 60 years old when he stomps into theaters in May of 2014. Based on the iconic Japanese film series, Godzilla is being directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Anna Karenina), Elizabeth Olsen (Silent House) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) .
Godzilla has been a culturally relevant anti-hero since he first premiered as Ishiro Honda’s Gojira in 1954. Inspired by the success of King Kong, and reeling from the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Godzilla was meant to be a mutant force of nature, the result of humanity’s scientific arrogance. Born from the sea, half dinosaur, half gorilla, Godzilla is immune to heavy voltages of electrical power, crushes trains with his feet, has an atomic beam that fires from his mouth, a massive roar that can tumble buildings (an effect originally created by rubbing sandpaper over leather gloves), and brings home the message: when you mess with nature, nature always wins.
The final shooting script by Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, The Majestic) has added two additional monsters to help Godzilla kick butt and take names. The film has a gritty, serious nature, going back to his roots, but has added an extra dimension of an emotional character storyline. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a young U.S. Marine trying to save his wife (Elizabeth Olsen, playing a nurse) and child. Brian Cranston plays a PHD. scientist who starts an investigation after he discovers a peculiar pattern on his sonar monitoring device in his Japanese lab. It isn’t long before all hell breaks loose. Juliette Binoche (Cosmopolis, Chocolat), David Strathairn (Linclon), and Ken Watanabe (Batman Begins, Inception) also star.
Five time Oscar nominee Alexandre Desplat (Argo, The Queen, The King’s Speech, Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 and Part 2) is composing the score.
Legendary Pictures is producing with Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Brian Rogers and Thomas Tull. Get ready, May 16, 2014 is almost here!
