‘Godzilla 2′ In The Works
Despite the criticisms from kaiju fans ’round the world, the latest iteration of monster classic Godzilla has whipped up a storm at the box-office, bringing in just under $200 million worldwide in its first weekend and crashing straight to number 1 across most territories (not to mention scoring the biggest opening day of 2014 thus far). So it probably comes as no surprise that a sequel to the blockbuster hit is already in the pipeline.
Representatives at production outfits Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have been in talks about the potential of a sequel after taking the recent success with cinema audiences into account, with Legendary president Jon Jashni saying of the film’s opening, “it’s very validating […] It all lines up when that eco-system aligns and starts feeding off itself.” The creatives behind the film hoped to revitalise the Godzilla brand, and now with a sequel confirmed to be in development, it looks to be the start of a fresh new franchise.
There has been no news as yet on any plot specifics, or whether British director Gareth Edwards will be making a return. However, Edwards has spoke about his own thoughts of a sequel, suggesting it would share a similar tone and feel to the first.
The reptilian giant Godzilla first appeared on the big screen in Japan’s 1954 eponymous stop-motion epic, directed by Ishirō Honda. Since then, he has gone on to star in numerous sequels and face-offs with other mythical beasts, including King Kong and Mothra. Before Edwards’ reboot, Independence Day‘s Roland Emmerich took a stab at reimagining the creature in 1998, but the negative backlash from critics and audiences alike meant any planned sequels were swiftly abandoned.
Godzilla is currently released in cinemas across the UK.
