Monday, April 12, 2010

Godzilla 2012 - A Plot Idea That, I Think, Will Make Everyone Happy

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Ever since it was announced two weeks ago, that Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros are going to produce an American made "Godzilla" movie, everyone and their dog has rushed to message boards, and if they have the means, posted Internet articles on what they believe the film should contain and be about.

I have sat back and let everyone go to town with their own ideas about how the American film makers should approach the iconic character, Godzilla, and the film's potential plot.

After reading a ton of these, I decided that it was about time for me to throw my two cents into the pot and reveal my own ideas about the film.

Granted, I agree with most of the fans in saying that the film should be dark, serious and not a typical CGI mess, like "Transformers." Yet, unlike many, I don't think that the "Godzilla" franchise needs to be restarted, again, like most of the 2000 series Japanese Godzilla films did, over and over again. I also don't think that this new film needs to be a direct sequel to the original 1954 "Gojira" or a remake of that film.

I propose something completely different, something that not too many fans have touched on. Just simply continue on with the Japanese movie series, but move the action from Japan to the US.

Okay, I already hear some grumbling, just hear me out. I believe that there is a way to continue the film series on from where "Godzilla × Mothra × Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S." left off.

Here is my idea for the story:

After the battle between the Japanese built MechaGodzilla and Mothra, Godzilla's still cocooned, and unconscious, body sinks towards the bottom of the ocean, where it begins to slowly be pulled by underwater currents, eastward towards the mainland of the United States.

Flash forward to 2012.

A nuclear sub accident in the Pacific gives Godzilla the jolt of radiation he needs to awaken and regenerate. The last thing Godzilla remembers is the events from Tokyo SOS. Confused and angry the monster swims off towards what he thinks is Japan, but is actually the US west coast.

Godzilla swims into a bay that seems familiar, but isn't, instead of Tokyo bay, it's San Francisco bay.

The confused, wild and angry Godzilla comes ashore to the surprise and disbelief of terrified townspeople.

The military is caught off guard and though they mobilize an immediate show of force. They don't have anything to deal with this kind of attack. After all, Godzilla, and other monsters, have always been Japan's problem.

After leveling a good deal of the city, the monster returns to the bay.

The US government contacts Japan to see if they can use the MechaGodzilla, but are informed that it is lost and can not be recovered.

The government then asks for the plans to the MechaGodzilla, so that they can hurriedly build their own. Again the Japanese balk, and refuse to give away any info on their top-secret machine.

Also, the Japanese don't want the Americans to know that they have been secretly trying to clone Godzilla, and are very close to doing just that. It is their hope that their genetically engineered monster will be able to protect the country from any future monster attacks.

This should be hinted at, or eluded to, somewhere in the story.

The US military then turn to a group of Japanese soldiers who have worked with the Japanese on their MechaGodzilla project for help.

Akane Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku) and her team have been training in the US since 2004 and are willing to help the US forces against the monster.

Meanwhile Godzilla is still in San Francisco bay waiting to attack the city again.

Yashiro's team helps the American military come up with a plan to drive the monster away.

Over the past several decades, Japan has been attacked by may monsters, and many of them are still alive, and in hiding somewhere in the Pacific region.

Yashiro and her team, have been developing a system to locate these monsters, and a biological agent that can temporally immobilize them, for potential transport. Unfortunately, this agent will have no effect on Godzilla, due to his regenerative cells.

Godzilla decides to finish off San Francisco and rises out of the bay. The monster levels what is left of San Fran, before the plan to get rid of the monster can be hurriedly put into action.

The US government, with the help of Yashiro's team, are able to locate another monster. Maybe Anguirus or Rodan. They capture the monster, and at the end of the film it is brought in to drive Godzilla away. If Anguirus is used then it could be a tribute to "Godzilla Raids Again" and an aside to the American "Volcano Monsters" film that was never made.

Will it work, or will another American city suffer the fate of San Francisco?

Of course, there will have to be American characters with American actors inserted into the story. There will also have to be side stories about the San Fransisco residents developed to fit in around all the destruction, and possibly some kind of a love story.......but, not a cheesy one. I don't want this thing to develop into a romantic comedy.

Maybe a love triangle between a military officer, his San Francisco newspaper reporter girlfriend and Akane......heck I don't know, but something to give the film a human element to possibly draw in non Godzilla fans.

After the events of this film, Godzilla could return to Japan just in time for a Japanese G film in 2014.

Since the monster is now familiar with the US, he could venture back for a sequel.

There, like it or not, an American "Godzilla" movie that ties in with the Japanese film series, yet is Americanised enough to work for Hollywood.

I know it's crazy, and doesn't have a bat's chance in hell of being done, but at least I got a chance to throw it out there.

28 comments:

  1. I read your article in detail ... and I also had the idea of sending big G in San Francisco, especially since after extensive research, the East Coast has the largest fleet based in San Diego, not far from San Fran and especially the islands off the California used for testing weapons for the Navy. The photo you put on paper is very nice and then not far from San Francisco, there's Los Angeles. Even if what the big lizard of great damage done .... Above all, Godzilla rugisseant on the ruins of LOs Angeles in the middle panel HOLLYWOOD, we can not dream of anything better ....

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  2. I would have to agree with the idea you promoted, mainly because it makes the most since and has a tie-in with the other G-films in japan. BUT, you didn't mention Final Wars, which was cannon. We could have Godzilla showing up in San-Fran for a sorta "Father-Son" outing or something OR have his son wash a-shore barely alive so as they treat him, the Americans get attacked by a Godzilla which thinks that his son has been killed by them or captured by them......anyways, I just wanted to point out the story did continue after "Godzilla × Mothra × Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S."

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  3. Very good point Killa, but "Final Wars" takes place in the future. So, my idea could still remain cannon.

    It just takes place in modern times.

    The events in "Final Wars" would happen some time after that.

    Thanx for the kind words about my film idea.

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  4. Oh, and I like your idea of having Godzilla's son wash up in San Fran, then having Godzilla show up pissed off that we hurt him.

    Has a Gorgo...or Gappa....feel, which I actually think would be a cool idea for a possible plot for "Godzilla 2012".

    Good job!

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  5. Well...now that I thought about it. "Final Wars" takes place in modern times, but kinda an alternate univers, with mutants and advanced weapons.

    I just think continuing on after SOS makes better sense.

    Besides, I've always wanted to see what Masaaki Tezuka would have done with GxG if he would have gotten the chance.

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  6. Canon? B.S. This is not Star Trek. Godzilla canon is frequently changed at a whim. Who cares what happened in "Final Wars"? Many of the 2000s films ignored the Heisei series anyway.

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  7. I think this idea is excellent and intriguing... How would the U.S. also, handle and respond to Godzilla differently than Japan? And of course the potential for different props and landscapes. Though I still think a new monster, mechanical, alien or whatever would be interesting to throw into the mix. Or like in Big Man Japan perhaps find a way to create a human colossus to tame or combat Godzilla.
    --Chris
    film.com

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  8. Thanks Chris!

    Yes, adding another new monster, or bad guy, of some sort would be fun.

    I am also playing with an idea in my head about continueing the series on from the end of "Godzilla vs Destroyah". Haven't put it all together yet.....maybe when I do, it will get posted here.

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  9. I like the story, but I want Godzilla to have a baby son Godzilla with him, like in his other movies.

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  10. Actually...in my idea that follows Godzilla vs Destroyah, the Godzilla in the film would be the baby, though now an adult.

    I should sit down and write that out.

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  11. I have came up with so many different ideas for Godzilla movies over the years, I should really start writing them down or something.

    Anywho, I like your idea, but instead of GXMXMG I would have the film follow GMK. GMK had a tie to the 98 film, a very small one, but still it would be a way to tie 54, 98 gmk, and the new movie all together.

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  12. i agree with godzilla being serious and everthing but it should be hanging to third godzilla but in CGI Abut with the same atmosphere as gojira but with little modern twist to it you know what i mean plus if you this movie to succed you need cgi not kidding almost every movie has it now. plus if this movie had dark serious story plot and godzilla is in cgi that its gonna kick avatar out of the water if you don't think i'm serious check my deviation on kaijuobserver at deviantart i know who godzilla truly is

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  13. Why not make it a whole new godzilla. That way it would not make a confusing tie in with any ovther G movie. Yet you could still add elements from the other films to keep it traditional.

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  14. they should mix in the psychic school from the Heisei series and have a few renegade psychics team up with the ape aliens from the 3rd planet in the black hole and bring back the original mechagodzilla and another baddie to take on godzilla and kiryu. I'd pay through the nose to see that done, and done right!!!

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  15. San Francisco? I think Los Angeles would be better, since its the 2nd largest city in the U.S. Pules seeing Hollywood get destroyed would be kinda funny.

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  16. well heres my idea... it takes place in new york and in the first half of the movie it has the 98 american zilla terrorize new york and at some point the military finaly drive him away...but before 98 G can entire the water he stops and then the real G comes out of the water... military attacks him and he just dusts off his shoulder- then destroys the military... then for most of whats left of the movie its a monster battle between 98 G and the japanese G battle whith japenese G comepletely destroying 98 g... and thrugh out the movie laying hints about future movies like a group of aliens taking the dead gs body for remaking it as their pet like in the tv series... then theirs a japenese women who a phsicic and can read godzilla thoughts... and then theres the birth of g-force to make sure there are no more monster attacks... and this is a different anonymous contributer

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  17. Did anybody ever read the book, "Godzilla Invades America"? I did several years ago, and one image really stuck with me: Godzilla stomping down the Los Vegas Strip. I know that Vegas really doesn't have the requite skyscrapers dominating the landscape for a Godzilla movie's main setting, but it would be very cool if that shot was worked into the film.

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  18. Here is the reason your plan would not work. The filmmakers want and need to draw in more than the small hardcore G'fans in the States to make money. To start your film basically under the assumption that people are at least vaguely famaliar with the happenings of any of the previous Godzilla films would lead to confusion and evetually failure. Plus in a real world scenario if giant monster were constantly attacking an ally of the US we would be far more involved the only reason Toho leaves that element out is mainly financial.

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  19. iffor whatever reason they human it up and add a love story in there i for one won't be watching the film. yes they have them in the japan flms but goddamn it we want a testosterone based monster mash up that aint over the top but depicts the king of monsters for what he is: an unstoppable force of nature that can only be diverted but never truely stopped. No human love story!!!

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  20. As a fifty seven year old Godzilla fan I like your Idea. I would change a little bit as Godzilla thrives off energy nucleur or electrical so he is basically indestructable. I would like to see the world take responsibilty for creating him in the first place and then find away to drive him back into the sea or into some huge canyon where the USA and other countries that tested Nucleur weapons could find away to freeze him or something like that. I always loved the fact that Godzilla wins and does not die but is temporarly subdued for a few hundred years. In the movie he has to do lots of damage and the USA has to find out their weapons of mass destruction only make hime stronger. I cannot wait...

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  21. My husband says...
    I think that is this is going to be a US/Japan movie than it should by ALL rights be King Kong vs Godzilla!

    As far as plot:
    Godzilla is awaken by an earthquake well that what the people of Japan think it was. Really Godzilla awoke from a nuclear explosion and is trying to set free from rumbles of stone that buried him alive millions of years ago.

    He awakes and his land of pr historic other monsters is gone, here its a concrete city and he disoriented hungry and looking for food.

    He swims and goes ashore on different counties looking for a mate and food but the concrete cities only anger him more with devastation left behind. Finally he arrives in US and comes across a large ape that the US has been experimenting on growth hormones in a secret underground lab. US scientists soon realize that King Kong might be the ONLY weapon that will defeat Godzilla. The End.

    What do you guys think of my plot?

    combat it should take place

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  22. I like the king kong idea.. but not the idea of king kong winning or being a hero. I think overall Godzilla needs to be an anti hero. The movie definitely has to have Godzilla fighting another monster. But both can not be scripted as heroes. Just confused gargantuans duking it out. The u.s. just happens to side with the lesser of two evils. Godzilla being that one, only spares the world his destruction because of battle fatigue and near death. So who does he fight?

    Well I don't know about anyone else.. but I am tired of Mocha-G being done over. It would have to be ghidorah or Mithra. Ghidorah always presented a challenge to Godzilla oh and how awsome would he look with a cgi make over. And mothra because of her popularity. In a perfect world the ultimate bout would be Godzilla and Tamera. But I know its a pipe dream.

    Rob

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  23. Sorry for all the mis-spelled words. My droid phone automatically tries to spell check on the fly

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  24. Do a sequel to the original 1954 movie. Make it so that the nuclear attacks on Japan were a cover up to something much more horrific. Flash forward to present day. Tie into the fact that maybe the Haiti and Japan recent earthquakes were too also cover ups of something much more deadly and diabolical that has been occuring.

    Have the movie chase around the idea to what is actually happening but no one gets any clear evidence of what is acutally happening. You would only see bits and parts of the beast with constant chaos throughout the movie. The world is ending, cities are being erased by disaster after disaster all over the world, then towards the end show more and more of (Godzilla) and to what is actually happening. People realize ordinary weapons have no chance at stopping it, humans then make the mistake of using nuclear weapons which then increases Godzilla strength a hundred fold. At the end of the movie bring in the aliens which arrive to help humanity or whats left. They plant a monster to kill Godzilla, only here is where you can put the twist in the movie. Have Godzilla eliminate the monster with ease with blood, guts and gore. Now the Aliens scramle to plan B.

    Have the aliens leave trying to rescue as many humans as possible knowing there is nothing in which they can do stop it. This is where the movie ends. This is when humanity ends December 21, 2012. The movie ends with Godzilla on a burnt cinder of what is left of planet earth, then fast forward a couple hundred years to show a much greener and healther planet.

    Godzilla should represent absolute power and is the keeper of earth. "Mother Nature" if you will. I think this would be a bad ASS movie!

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  25. Besides the original Godzilla I think Godzilla 1985 was a great "dark" Godzilla film. I think to start a really good American Godzilla franchise correctly they need to build off 85 or the original. Using the recent earthquake in Japan as a release of Godzilla from the volcano or underwater trap would be perfect. A well acted serious pure dark Godzilla would be perfect. I see a story line of Godzilla attacking the West Coast of America making his way east the ideal story. Only after America yes America getting technological help not only from a combination of world superpowers but also which I really like is this.... An alien race which has been living among us since the beginning of time mutually but unnoticied decides to either develop advanced mechanical weaponary to help fend off Godzilla or send out an SoS to it's home planet to send in mechanical not monster backup. I never really cared for additional monsters besides Anguirius. They can make a really good movie with a load of earthly n alien advanced weaponry to battle Godzilla

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  26. I also have an idea, a direct sequel to the last one, "Godzilla: Final Wars".
    An alien race comes to Earth, and picks up radioactive Godzilla DNA, and uses it to create the long lost monster: Space Godzilla! (Or Krystalak, as may also call it).
    Space Godzilla starts leveling out the city of Tokyo, and the army can´t do anything to stop it. They then figure out that they will use a machine, or a radar of some sort which produces a sound so high-pitched, only Godzilla can hear it, sort of a dog whistle. Godzilla follows this sound up to land, and gets in a fight with Space Godzilla, and after a long, epic battle Space Godzilla defeats Godzilla, and they both fall into the ocean.

    The aliens makes Space Godzilla travel north, away from the threatening Godzilla, and Space Godzilla ends up in the cold, snow covered mountains in northern Japan. Godzilla tracks Space Godzilla down, and slowly reaches Space Godzilla on the top of a mountain, now together with Godzilla´s son, Godzilla Jr. (Who does not look like a cute little gremlin, but actually is 40 meters tall and looks pretty much like Godzilla without spikes on his back). The two faces Space Godzilla, and they fight for a long time. Then, Godzilla Senior bites Space Godzilla in the neck, where his crystals are located. Space Godzilla then activates his atomic breath, thereby making the crystals filled with atomic power, which goes into Godzilla body through the mouth and knocks him out, almost dead.
    Space Godzilla attacks Godzilla Jr, who stands no chance against this monstrous creature. Godzilla Jr gets hurt badly, but then Godzilla Senior uses his final powers to blow atomic fire onto Space Godzillas crystals when Space Godzilla activates them, which equals an explosion which kills Space Godzilla and sends the three monsters tumbling down the mountain in the middle of an avalanche. Space Godzilla is killed, and Godzilla Senior dies in the snow next to his son, who returns to the ocean, triggering the next generation of Godzillas.

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  27. Eh while I like your idea, I think that would be more suited as a suit movie and a sequel to the kitty duology. This new film needs to be a stand alone start for the series. Kinda like how Star Trek 2009 was designed as its own stand alone movie, but is easily spawning sequels. It needs to be a new entity in and of itself. Something that is dark and gritty, but just screams Godzilla. Im not saying a remake of the original, but a new start all together. That actually isn't so faru fetched, considering that all of the millennium movies follow separate timeliness with different stories. Honestly I think that this film, and its possible future sequels, should have nothing in common with the japanese films, except for the kaiju stars. This is afterall, an american Godzilla. While that didn't go so well last time, I have faith that Gareth Edwards can bring us something unique and original. It wouldn't be as good if it were the sequel to Tokyo S.O.S., considering that they want to appeal this film to everyone. And the only people that will understand the plot would be only the hardcore fans who have seen the Kiryu duology. This one needs to be able to draw in a larger crowd than that so he plot has to work for everyone. This new film isn't just for us older fans, but for the newer generation of people coming up that can easily get into it.

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  28. i believe that they should bring back godzilla and mag godzilla because they are at the bottom of the sea create a monster that they both have to fight remember mag godzilla is part of godzilla that would be a good story biggist godzilla fan since 1968.

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"LEGENDARY PICTURES TO DEVELOP AND PRODUCE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE BASED ON TOHO COMPANY’S ICONIC MONSTER, GODZILLA

Burbank, CA – March 29, 2010 – Legendary Pictures announced today that they will develop and produce a new film based on Toho Company’s famed GODZILLA character. Through the terms of the agreement, Legendary Pictures has acquired the rights to produce a movie inspired by Toho’s Godzilla, a franchise the Japanese company created and has nurtured for over fifty years.

Toho’s GODZILLA franchise boasts one of the most widely recognized film creatures worldwide, resulting in a series of books, television programs, video games and more than 25 films worldwide. Legendary intends to approach the film and its characters in the most authentic manner possible. The company will, in the near future, announce a filmmaker to helm the film for an intended 2012 release. The film will fall under the company’s co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Toho will distribute the film in Japan."

"Godzilla" is coming back -- this time, with Legendary Pictures taking the lead, co-producing and co-financing with Warner Bros. for release in 2012.

Legendary announced Monday it had obtained rights to the iconic monster character from Japan's Toho Co., which has overseen more than 25 "Godzilla" films. Toho will release the pic in Japan.

Legendary said it's planning to announce a director shortly.

In addition to Legendary, producers on the new film will be Dan Lin, Roy Lee and Brian Rogers. Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira and Doug Davison will exec produce.

"Godzilla is one of the world's most powerful pop culture icons, and we at Legendary are thrilled to be able to create a modern epic based on this long-loved Toho franchise," said Thomas Tull, Chairman and CEO of Legendary. "Our plans are to produce the Godzilla that we, as fans, would want to see. We intend to do justice to those essential elements that have allowed this character to remain as pop-culturally relevant for as long as it has."

Legendary noted the film will fall under its co-production and co-financing deal with Warner Bros. Legendary's productions with Warners have included "The Dark Knight," "300" and "The Hangover."

Speculation about a new "Godzilla" has been active since last summer. The Bloody Disgusting web site reported in August that the project was in development.