We’ve been waiting so very patiently for Godzilla. Legendary Pictures formally announced the project way back in March 2010, having acquired the rights to make a Godzilla film from Japanese production company Toho Co Ltd. A year later, Gareth Edwards (Monsters) committed to helm it, and the cast was announced, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche and Bryan Cranston. In September 2012, the project rolled into production and finally, a release date was set for the 60th anniversary of Godzilla’s first on-screen appearance.
Godzilla is a Kaiju – a “strange creature” or “monster” – who made his debut in Ishiro Honda’s 1954 feature film, Godzilla. He went on to star in 28 films made by Toho Co Ltd, and quickly became the most beloved of a group of Kaijus that included King Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodam, and Mechagodzilla. He was originally conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons, and during the course of his movie career, he has appeared as the hero as often as he has the destructor. Such has been his impact on popular culture, he has appeared in novels, comic books, video games, and even TV series, as well as an ill-advised 1998 attempt at a big-budget Hollywood “re-imagining” by Roland Emmerich. All was forgiven by 2004, however, when Godzilla received his very own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
The anticipation for this new cinematic appearance by the ‘King Of Monsters’ recently reached fever pitch with the arrival of an astonishing new trailer. Filled with a palpable sense of dread and menace from the very first moment, this is a trailer that packs a real dramatic and emotional punch, as well as delivering top-notch action and impressive special effects. Additionally, it is no surprise that, although the hero of the film is played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, it is Bryan Cranston that dominates the trailer – showcasing what looks to be another powerful and masterful performance.
But, these are not the details that fans want to hear. Fans want to scour the trailer for clues of what is about to stomp across their big screens, and who better to provide that guide than the director himself – in a shot-by-shot breakdown that is admirably non-spoilery in nature. Did you miss the foreshadowing origami? He’ll tell you where to look. Did you ever wonder how they created Godzilla’s roar? He’ll fill you in. Did you wonder why the back-drop of the Statue Of Liberty wasn’t Manhattan? He’ll…. well, actually, he’ll just leave you hanging.
Yes, here’s what happened when Gareth Edwards sat down with Empire to go through the trailer for Godzilla. Incidentally, that thing with the suckers on it is, apparently, not quite a “tentacle holding a bomb.”
Check it out below and let us know your best guesses in the comments section below.
Godzilla crashes into cinemas on May 16 2014
