Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size S eventy years ago, a mighty roar reverberated throughout cinema for the first time.
This roar was accompanied by a deadly beam of radioactive breath, and the pounding footsteps of a beast bent on destruction. Godzilla, the ruler of monsters, was born. Since first appearing in Ishirō Honda’s 1954 film Gojira , which saw the reptilian titan wreak havoc on post-war Tokyo, Godzilla has featured in 38 Japanese and US-made films.
The most recent instalment, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , grossed nearly $851 million worldwide – overtaking Kong Skull Island (2017) to become the highest-grossing movie in the Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment “Monsterverse” series . Godzilla’s reign now extends to a four-day festival at Melbourne’s ACMI, GodzillaFest, with waitlists forming more than a month before the opening on Thursday. Godzilla has inspired countless comic books, TV shows, and video games, as well as a giant Godzilla bust in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district.
In March, it even earned its first Academy Award, when Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One won for best visual effects. Advertisement “It’s been 70 years, but Godzilla is perhaps more relevant today than ever,” says Seb Chan, chief executive of ACMI. “Parents and grandparents grew up ar.
