8 Things Godzilla’s Director Did to Make Sure His Reboot Doesn’t Suck
Use the Original as an Inspiration, Not a Template
Edwards is a fan of the original 1954 Godzilla, but he didn’t see it until it was released a few years ago by the British Film Institute. Prior to that he hadn’t realized just how “hardcore” the original was. “I think the Japanese at that time, if they could’ve made a film about Hiroshima, they would’ve, and we would’ve gotten that movie instead,” he says. “But there was so much censorship at the time and they couldn’t make films about World War II, so they wrapped it in this monster-movie scenario. It still has the weight and somberness as it would have if it was just about Hiroshima, and that’s what makes it so timeless.” It wouldn’t make sense to make a Godzilla with that same message, but he tried to keep the same emotional weight.
“It’s that thing of wanting to give a lot of nods to the original and all the history of Godzilla, but not be restricted in terms of the story we could tell,” Edwards says. “The whole point of this kind of film is that it appeals to everybody. As much as you want to make this for the fans, I think the fans would agree that the best outcome is it turns people who wouldn’t normally care about Godzilla into fans.”
To Make It Modern, Godzilla Is Nature’s Revenge
It’s now 60 years past the original Godzilla and its postwar undertones, but they’re still in Max Borenstein’s script and Edwards’ film—they’re just more subtle. “Something that’s under the surface of our film but not necessarily what our film is about, is that these creatures are attracted to radiation,” Edwards says. “For years we’ve been saying, ‘Well you’re not allowed to have it, but we can have it, and we can develop weapons, but you can’t,’” Edwards says. “What if suddenly there were these creatures that were attracted to radiation and suddenly the tables would be turned and we’d be desperately trying to get rid of this stuff?”
“Hopefully people can come to this film and not think about anything and just enjoy it as a monster movie and have a lot of fun,” he says. “But for me, what I love about good science fiction and fantasy and my favorite monster movies is that they’ve usually got some weight to them. There’s something more truthful. We were certainly trying to find that and put that as a layer in this movie.”
More: 8 Things Godzilla’s Director Did to Make Sure His Reboot Doesn’t Suck