Zilla (Godzilla) Explained

Zilla
Franchise:Godzilla film series
First:Godzilla (1998)
Last: (2004)
Creator:Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich and Patrick Tatopoulos
Portrayer:Kurt Carley
(suit actor)[1]
Voice:Gary A. Hecker and Frank Welker
(vocal effects)[2]
Species:Mutated marine iguana[3]

is a fictional monster, or kaiju, in Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla media franchise. The character first appeared in Godzilla (1998), released by TriStar Pictures. It was initially created as a reimagining of Godzilla but was later re-branded as a separate character appearing alongside Toho's Godzilla. Patrick Tatopoulos designed it after iguanas with a slim theropod appearance rather than the thick, bipedal designs of Toho's Godzilla. TriStar's Godzilla, both the film and character, were negatively received by fans and critics. In 2004, it was featured in Toho's as "Zilla". Afterwards, Toho trademarked new incarnations as Zilla, with only the iterations from the 1998 film and animated series retaining the Godzilla copyright and trademark.

Overview

Name

Initially, during production of , director Ryuhei Kitamura asked producer Shōgo Tomiyama whether or not they were allowed to include TriStar's Godzilla in the film; whereupon Tomiyama checked Toho's contract with Sony and saw they were allowed to use it, Tomiyama stated: "Kitamura asked me if it was possible for us to use the American Godzilla in Final Wars, so I checked our contract with Sony Pictures and found out we could use it. Since this was the 50th anniversary film, I thought ‘Why not include the American Godzilla?'" This incarnation of TriStar's Godzilla was named "Zilla".[4] This decision was made because they also felt that Emmerich's film had taken the "God" out of "Godzilla" by portraying the character as a mere animal.[5] The name "Zilla" was chosen for the character by Tomiyama as a satirical take on counterfeit Godzilla products that use "Zilla" as a suffix.[6]

Toho had filed the "Zilla" name on July 21, 2006, and it was registered on April 20, 2007.[7] [8] This name change has been reflected in subsequent official products featuring the character since 2004, though "Godzilla" continues to be used on products that predate the name change, such as home media re-releases of the 1998 film and . Matt Frank (co-writer and illustrator of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth) further clarified the name change, stating, "Toho makes zero distinction between "Zilla" and "Godzilla 1998" with the exception of title alone. Ever since 2004, Toho's official stance has been that any future incarnations of the character be referred to hereafter as 'Zilla'."[4] [9] Keith Aiken (co-editor of SciFi Japan) also clarified that "Zilla is a variation of the 1998 Godzilla" but stressed that only the incarnations from the 1998 film and the animated series retain the Godzilla copyright and trademark.[10] [4]

Toho had renewed the trademark on April 4, 2017, and is set to expire on April 20, 2027.[7] [8] In 2023, Spiral Studios licensed the character from Toho as "Zilla" for a 124 cm statue.[11]

Development

During the production of the 1998 film, special effects artist Patrick Tatopoulos was contacted by director Roland Emmerich and asked to create a new design for the Godzilla character. According to Tatopoulos, the only specific instructions Emmerich gave him was that it should be able to run incredibly fast. Emmerich intended to depict the character as an animal rather than a monster. Godzilla was originally conceived by special effects director Eiji Tsubaraya, special effects designers Akira Wantanabe and Teizo Toshimitsu and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka as a robust, erect-standing, plantigrade reptilian sea monster, played by an actor in a rubber-latex full-body suit. Based on the instructions Emmerich gave him, Tatopoulos reimagined it as a lean, digitigrade bipedal iguana that stood with its back and tail parallel to the ground, rendered via computer animation.[12] The monster's distinctive facial features include a prominent lantern jaw, inspired by the fictional tiger Shere Khan from Disney's animated adaptation of The Jungle Book.[13]

TriStar's Godzilla color scheme was designed to reflect and blend in with the urban environment. At one point, it was planned to use motion capture to create the movements of the computer-generated monster, but it ended up looking too much like a man in a suit. The Baby Godzilla scenes utilized a combination of CGI and purpose built costumes donned by actors.[14] Kurt Carley portrayed the suitmation sequences for the adult Godzilla in the 1998 film[1] while Frank Welker provided the sound effects for both the adult Godzilla as well as the Baby Godzillas.[2] Upon pending approval for the design, at the time, Shōgo Tomiyama commented on the new look, saying "It was so different we realized we couldn't make small adjustments. That left the major question of whether to approve it or not."[15] Though TriStar's Godzilla was referred to by the film's characters as a "he", Patrick Tatopoulos stated on a DVD audio commentary that the effects crew sculpted female genitalia into the CG model of the creature.[16]

In the 1998 film and animated series, TriStar's Godzilla is portrayed as a territorial, piscivorous, 180feet tall[17] mutated lizard. Atypical of Toho's giant monster characters, TriStar's Godzilla is not immune to conventional weaponry, and instead relies on its cunning and athleticism to outflank its enemies. It can travel long distances over land and sea, burrow underground and reproduce via parthenogenesis, and is able to lay over 200 eggs,[18] unlike its offspring in the animated series which was unable to reproduce.[17] It possesses an ignitable radioactive breath weapon called "Power Breath", although its offspring could breathe a green atomic Power Breath in the animated series (where also the parent, resurrected as a cyborg called Cyber-Godzilla, possessed a blue version), in which it was pitted against a rogues gallery of original monsters, after the producers were unable to secure the rights to adapt Toho's classic monsters.[19] It was also featured in advertisements alongside the Taco Bell chihuahua.[20]

TriStar's Godzilla was featured in the 2004 Toho film as "Zilla";[5] this name would continue to be used and trademarked for later incarnations. A 3D scan of the Trendmasters "Ultimate Godzilla" toy was used as reference for Zilla.[21] In the film, Zilla engages Toho's Godzilla in a battle intended "to show which Godzilla is stronger".[4] Zilla would fight Godzilla again in a slightly longer battle, and even team up with Godzilla to fight other monsters, in the comic series by IDW Publishing titled Godzilla: Rulers of Earth running between 2013 and 2015.[22]

Reception

The design and characterization of TriStar's Godzilla was negatively received.[23] Film critic Richard Pusateri of G-Fan Magazine coined the acronym GINO ("Godzilla In Name Only") to distinguish it from Toho's Godzilla.[24] while other publications referred to it as the "American Godzilla".[6] [25]

Tom Breihan from Deadspin stated that TriStar's Godzilla "wasn't motherfucking Godzilla at all," elaborating that the character was treated like a "tapped animal", lacked Godzilla's signature blue atomic breath, ran and hid, caused less damage, and that Emmerich and Devlin had "completely missed the entire point" of Godzilla.[26]

These sentiments were echoed by veteran Godzilla suit actors Haruo Nakajima and Kenpachiro Satsuma, and by Shusuke Kaneko, director of the '90s Gamera films. Nakajima ridiculed the character design, stating: "Its face looks like an iguana and its body and limbs look like a frog".[27] Satsuma walked out of the film, saying "it's not Godzilla, it doesn't have his spirit". Kaneko opined "[Americans] seem unable to accept a creature that cannot be put down by their arms",[28] and later alluded to the character in his film as a monster that Americans mistook for Godzilla.[29] Thomas Tull (producer of Legendary's Godzilla series) criticized the design of TriStar's Godzilla, stating, "I’m always puzzled as a fan when you take things so far it’s unrecognizable."[30] Toho publicist Yosuke Ogura later called TriStar's design a "disaster."[31]

The animated version of the character was more positively received than its live-action predecessor, due to being closer in line with the spirit of Toho's Godzilla, possessing the ability to breathe atomic fire, battle monsters, and withstand attacks.[32] [33] However, the negative response to both Emmerich's Godzilla as well as the Disney remake of Mighty Joe Young released that same year, had caused giant monster movies to fall out of vogue for several years after, with films such as Peter Jackson's King Kong remake being postponed until 2005.[34] Poor merchandise sales for the film led to a cancellation of a toy line based on Godzilla: The Series, and resulted in significant financial losses for toy manufacturer Trendmasters.[35] Nicholas Raymond from Screen Rant described Toho's subsequent treatment of TriStar's Godzilla as "a clear sign that Toho doesn't regard the 1998 Godzilla as the King of the Monsters. It would appear that to them, he's just a giant lizard."[31]

Appearances

TriStar's Godzilla has only made two film appearances in Godzilla (1998) and (2004) and was vaguely referenced in (2001). TriStar originally planned to produce a trilogy,[36] and Tab Murphy was commissioned by Emmerich and Devlin to write a story treatment for Godzilla 2. However, the sequels were cancelled due to the 1998 film's poor reception and TriStar let their remake/sequel rights expire on May 20, 2003.[4]

An animated television series, , was produced instead and served as a sequel to the 1998 film.[37] It featured the surviving offspring from the 1998 film as the new Godzilla, as well as a reanimated cyborg version of its parent, named "Cyber-Godzilla".[37] For the video games and , developer Simon Strange decided not to include Zilla due to the character's unpopularity among fans. Strange received criticism from fans for not including Zilla in Godzilla: Unleashed.[38] [39] In 2024, the children's web series Godziban introduced a bright pink female Zilla character named "Zillala" as a co-host for its Go! Godzi Godzi BANBAN segment.

Films

Television

Video games

Literature

Music

Tracks from the 1998 film's soundtrack make references to TriStar's Godzilla and even feature the character in a few music videos.[40]

Cultural references

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nakajima and Carley: Godzilla's 1954 and 1998. Mirjahangir. Chris. Toho Kingdom. November 7, 2014. April 5, 2015. November 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201103014738/https://www.tohokingdom.com/blog/haruo-nakajima-and-kurt-carley-godzilla-1954-and-godzilla-1998/.
  2. Web site: Frank Welker: Master of Many Voices. Miller. Bob. Animation World Network. April 1, 2000. March 24, 2018. November 12, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112190549/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/frank-welker-master-many-voices.
  3. Web site: 5 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Godzilla. Jef Rouner. Houston Press. January 2, 2021. January 2, 2021. live. January 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210102194208/https://www.houstonpress.com/arts/5-things-everyone-gets-wrong-about-godzilla-6387693.
  4. Web site: Godzilla Unmade: The History of Jan De Bont's Unproduced TriStar Film – Part 4 of 4. Aiken. Keith. SciFi Japan. May 31, 2015. March 8, 2016. June 12, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140106/http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2015/05/31/godzilla-unmade-the-history-of-jan-de-bonts-unproduced-tristar-film-part-4-of-4/.
  5. Web site: Godzilla Stomps into Los Angeles . Schaefer . Mark . Penny Blood . November 2004 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20050203181104/http://www.pennyblood.com/godzilla2.html . February 3, 2005.
  6. Web site: Godzilla vs Zilla . Figurski. Jim. Matsuda. Takashi. Monster Zero News . August 27, 2004 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20051024093918/http://www.monsterzero.us/editorials/editorials.php?catID=Nws&subCatID=15&contentID=524 . October 24, 2005 .
  7. Web site: Zilla Trademark - Registration number 5042731. J-platpat. February 6, 2021.
  8. Web site: Zilla trademark. J-platpat. February 6, 2021.
  9. Web site: Matt Frank on Zilla. Frank. Matt. Deviant Art. May 9, 2013. September 3, 2015.
  10. Web site: Keith Aiken Facebook. Aiken. Keith. Facebook. August 17, 2015. January 13, 2016.
  11. Web site: Godzilla (1998) The Legacy Series: Tanaka Kenichi Modeling Collection Zilla Limited Edition Statue. Big Bad Toy Store. April 21, 2023. live. April 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230421235437/https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/233011.
  12. Web site: Godzilla Lives! - page 1 . Theasc.com . January 22, 2014.
  13. Web site: Story Notes for Godzilla . Blogs.amctv.com . April 30, 2013 . January 22, 2014.
  14. Web site: Godzilla - Behind the Scenes - FX & Baby Godzilla Costumes etc.. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/it2oxGrYa98. 2021-12-12 . live. YouTube. March 10, 2011 . October 5, 2014.
  15. Web site: 'Godzilla' Returns Home Something of a Stranger - Los Angeles Times . Articles.latimes.com . July 13, 1998 . January 22, 2014.
  16. Patrick Tatopoulos; Godzilla 1998 Region 1 DVD special features, "Special FX Supervisor Commentary" (Scene 14: "He's pregnant.")
  17. Web site: The Ultimate Guide to GODZILLA: THE SERIES . SciFi Japan . October 5, 2014.
  18. Web site: 'Godzilla': 5 Things Roland Emmerich's 1998 Version Did Better - TheWrap . TheWrap . May 21, 2014 . October 5, 2014.
  19. Web site: The Ultimate Guide to Godzilla: The Series. SciFi Japan . January 22, 2014.
  20. Web site: Advertising > Animal Mascots > Gidget the Dog (Taco Bell) . https://archive.today/20130205075423/http://www.tvacres.com/adanimals_tacobell.htm . dead . February 5, 2013 . Tv Acres . July 21, 2009 . January 22, 2014 .
  21. Web site: GODZILLA: THE SERIES- The Lost Trendmasters Toy Line . SciFi Japan . October 5, 2014.
  22. Web site: Comics: Writer Chris Mowry Gives Insight On IDW's Godzilla: Rulers of Earth. OniGoji. Comic Book Movie. June 2, 2013. January 2, 2021. live. January 2, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210102194923/https://www.comicbookmovie.com/amp/comics/comics-writer-chris-mowry-gives-insight-on-idws-godzilla-rulers-of-earth-a80739.
  23. Web site: Cloverfield: The monster movie Godzilla should have been . July 31, 2010 . Nuketown . January 22, 2014.
  24. Web site: Staff & Contributors SciFi Japan . SciFi Japan. August 27, 2021.
  25. Web site: DVD Reviews: Godzilla: Monster Edition and Godzilla: The Series. Aiken. Keith. SciFi Japan. March 24, 2006. August 27, 2021. live. August 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827181915/https://www.scifijapan.com/dvd-blu-ray-digital/dvd-reviews-godzilla-monster-edition-and-godzilla-the-series.
  26. Web site: Worst Godzilla Ever: Why Japan Hated (And Murked) The '98 U.S. Remake. Breihan. Tom. The Concourse. Deadspin. April 11, 2018. May 12, 2014. June 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180619165255/https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/worst-godzilla-ever-why-japan-hated-and-murked-the-1-1573686109. live.
  27. Web site: Godzilla is back and bigger than ever. Getlen. Larry. New York Post. May 10, 2014. April 12, 2018.
  28. Web site: The US version . Expressindia.indianexpress.com . July 11, 1998 . January 22, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131015195729/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/ie/daily/19980711/19250874.html . October 15, 2013 . mdy-all .
  29. Web site: Barry's Temple of Godzilla - Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: All Monsters Attack . Godzillatemple.com . January 22, 2014.
  30. Web site: How 'Godzilla' Roared Again with Director Gareth Edwards, Legendary's Thomas Tull. Graser. Marc. Variety. May 6, 2014. May 11, 2018. February 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190228165945/https://variety.com/2014/film/features/thomas-tull-gareth-edwards-godzilla-1201172297/.
  31. Web site: Why Toho Hated The 1998 Godzilla Movie (& What Happened After). Nicholas Raymond. Screen Rant. March 5, 2020. March 7, 2020. live. March 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200307081727/https://screenrant.com/godzilla-1998-movie-toho-hated-reason-millennium-series/.
  32. Web site: Cullum . Brett . DVD Verdict - Godzilla: The Series . DVD Verdict . July 24, 2014 . March 1, 2015.
  33. Web site: Godzilla: The Series – Review . Japan Cinema . June 5, 2013 . January 22, 2014.
  34. Web site: King Kong::film review . sonic-cinema.com . January 22, 2014.
  35. Web site: Godzilla: The Series - The Lost Trendmasters Toy Line. Shyman. Jonathan. Aiken. Keith. SciFi Japan. May 2012. April 12, 2018.
  36. News: TriStar lands monster of deal with 'Godzilla'. John. Evan Frook. Variety. October 29, 1992. May 10, 2021. live. May 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210510202320/https://variety.com/1992/film/news/tristar-lands-monster-of-deal-with-godzilla-100893/.
  37. Web site: The Ultimate Guide to Godzilla: The Series. Johnson. Bob. Aiken. Keith. SciFi Japan. March 28, 2006. April 15, 2018. live. June 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220615194946/https://www.scifijapan.com/anime-animation/godzilla-the-series.
  38. Web site: Podcast 2.4. MP3. Tohokingdom.com. 5 October 2014.
  39. Web site: Podcast 2.3. MP3. Tohokingdom.com. 5 October 2014.
  40. Web site: 6 Things We Learned About 1998 From the Godzilla Soundtrack. Weber. Lindsey. Fox. Jesse David. Vulture. May 20, 2014. March 27, 2018. live. April 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230430194607/https://www.vulture.com/2014/05/things-learned-about-1998-from-godzilla-soundtrack.html.
  41. Web site: A Monster of a Premiere Godzilla Invades New York, Opening Summer Film Season. Givens. Ron. NT Daily News. May 17, 1998. March 25, 2018.
  42. Web site: Marketers sweat a bit as 'Godzilla' disappoints at the box office. Will product tie-ins follow suit?. Elliott. Stuart. The New York Times. June 10, 1998. March 25, 2018.
  43. Web site: Actually, the Best Good Bad Movie Is.... The Ringer. June 23, 2017. March 25, 2018. live. July 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230708152837/https://www.theringer.com/2017/6/23/16036814/best-good-bad-movies-armageddon-xanadu-pootie-tang-d1a737d0d8b8.
  44. Web site: MTV Presents Self-Satisfied Anti-Oscars. LaSalle. Mick. SFGate. June 4, 1998. March 25, 2018. live. March 26, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180326142303/https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/MTV-Presents-Self-Satisfied-Anti-Oscars-3004102.php.
  45. Web site: Godzilla proves even giant monsters need lawyers. McCartney. Anthony. Telegram & Gazette. May 15, 2014. July 8, 2023. live. July 8, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230708152602/https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2014/05/16/godzilla-proves-even-giant-monsters/37340878007/.