Note: If you want to be absolutely spoiler-free, you might want to wait to watch this press conference as minor spoilers were discussed.
Last week I got to do something incredibly cool: I attended a private screening ofGodzilla: King of the Monstersalong with a number of reporters from around the world at Toho Studios in Tokyo. While everything about the movie is under embargo (for now), after the screening ended, directorMichael DoughertyandKen Watanabesat down at the front of the theater and participated in a group press conference for about thirty minutes.
During the interview, Dougherty talked about how they decided which monsters were included in the film, the three-hour version of the film and why it didn’t work, how he decided how much to modernize the mythology, Easter eggs, the future of the franchise, how theGodzillafranchise has been doing a shared universe since the 50s, the balance of making this a strong film that stands on its own but is also part of the larger incredible history ofGodzilla, which Kaiju Dougherty would want to include in a futureGodzillamovie, what it was like working with Toho Studios, and so much more.
As most of you knowfrom the trailers,Godzilla: King of the Monstersis the sequel to the 2014 film and starsMillie Bobby Brown,Vera Farmiga,Kyle Chandler, Bradley Whitford,Ken Watanabe,O’Shea Jackson Jr.,Thomas Middleditch,Sally Hawkins, Mothra, the three-headed beast King Ghidorah, and the titanic Pteranodon Rodan. The film is in theaters May 31st.
Finally, as someone that grew up watchingGodzillamovies,Akira Kurosawafilms, and Toho Studio movies, getting to walk around their studio was incredibly cool and something I’ll treasure forever.
Check out what Michael Dougherty and Ken Watanabe had to say in the player above and below is a list of everything that was talked about and the official synopsis.
Michael Dougherty and Ken Watanabe:
Here’s the official synopsis forGodzilla: King of the Monsters:
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.
