Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) - Part 1

[JtheDreamer]

Haha you ain't gonna do s***

Wouldn't hesitate for a second.

 

[Abudefduf]

The only other person on this earth I've ever wanted to punch more than Miles Teller was Charlie Day after I saw him Pacific Rim.

Don't let Manasrepublic hear you.

But yeah, Day was insufferable in PR.

 

[JtheDreamer]

Don't let Manasrepublic hear you.

But yeah, Day was insufferable in PR.

So insufferable, I assumed there was an eightball dispensary in his trailer.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I remember it doing amazingly well. This is Japan. Where $30 million is a success.

I get that. But it cost them $15m to make and it made $77m. So they definitely made a profit. I just don't know how profitable it is as I have no idea how Japanese distribution deals work.

 

[Sithborg]

I mean, Toho is more of a distribution company than a film making company at the moment.

 

[redhawk23]

I think the sad thing about these two movies are playing out, Toho is going to be hard pressed to find someone who will want to pay for these movies. There is little to no value in them. So I guess we will be back to the cheaper fair for another decade at least.

Shin Godzilla was made for 30 million, looks pretty good and is one of the best films in the entire series. The massive budgets aren't helping much to be honest.

 

[redhawk23]

I get that. But it cost them $15m to make and it made $77m. So they definitely made a profit. I just don't know how profitable it is as I have no idea how Japanese distribution deals work.

Shin Godzilla sold more tickets in Japan than any Godzilla film since 1991.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Shin Godzilla was made for 30 million, looks pretty good and is one of the best films in the entire series. The massive budgets aren't helping much to be honest.

I was just looking up some footage. It definitely looks okay for an indy movie, but if we are being honest looks nothing close to these flicks. And I do think the sad thing is that the quality of these movies could have been fitting of their budgets.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Shin Godzilla sold more tickets in Japan than any Godzilla film since 1991.

But that didn't make them much money. That is the thing. I get that it was a success for what it is, but that isn't going to suddenly produce even a 30m budget. Also they have apparently said they aren't going to do a direct sequel which feels strange.

 

[redhawk23]

I don't think he lied about the tone or approach. I just don't think he is capable of it. There is a reason Rogue One needed intervention.

But his action, it is of the quality where it gives the impression of a lot more gravitas.

Rogue One getting a massive intervention has everything to do with Lucasfilm freaking out that someone made something so different than A New Hope. so they reshot it to be more like A New Hope.

They pulled the same crap with Solo, going so far as to outright scrap the entire movie two weeks before the end of shooting because they were shocked that the two comedy writer/directors famous for their improv approach made an improv heavy star wars film.

 

[redhawk23]

But that didn't make them much money. That is the thing. I get that it was a success for what it is, but that isn't going to suddenly produce even a 30m budget. Also they have apparently said they aren't going to do a direct sequel which feels strange.

Define "much money" Making several times your budget is a massive success. Toho works on a scale and makes money the way money used to be made throughout the industry.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Godzilla is a prestige series in Japan not unlike Bond, and like Bond it gets a decent amount of its production paid for by product placement deals and the like. It’s all in a microcosm of course and nothing on Hollywood’s level, but I think they’re going to keep pumping them out. I could see them going all out in 2024 for the 70th anniversary.

 

[redhawk23]

But that didn't make them much money. That is the thing. I get that it was a success for what it is, but that isn't going to suddenly produce even a 30m budget. Also they have apparently said they aren't going to do a direct sequel which feels strange.

They're limited by their contract from making another live action Godzilla sequel until after KvG. Even Shin Godzilla only got made because of a loophole created by the delay of the 2nd Legendary film. If they started production at the end of next year, a new film wouldn't be out until 2021 at the soonest, 5 years after Shin. Also, Shin Godzilla is generally weird as hell. They let them do what they wanted knowing full well it would likely be a one-off.

 

[flickchick85]

But that didn't make them much money. That is the thing. I get that it was a success for what it is, but that isn't going to suddenly produce even a 30m budget. Also they have apparently said they aren't going to do a direct sequel which feels strange.

It probably made them more of a profit than this will.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Rogue One getting a massive intervention has everything to do with Lucasfilm freaking out that someone made something so different than A New Hope. so they reshot it to be more like A New Hope.

They pulled the same crap with Solo, going so far as to outright scrap the entire movie two weeks before the end of shooting because they were shocked that the two comedy writer/directors famous for their improv approach made an improv heavy star wars film.

Except that isn't what happened. Because the reworked the finale a ton, which they made nothing like Star Wars. As someone who spent a lot of time following it, the issues seemed to be clear. Edwards shoots a lot of footage, without apparently logic on how to put it together. When they looked at the footage for the finale, there was no coherent story. Which makes sense. This was the guy who said he shot scenes that were in the trailer that he never intended to use in the film.

As one who likes Rogue One, but doesn't love it, his character work is just not good. But even then, the vast majority of what was redone was the finale. Which explains the differences from the trailers.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

It probably made them more of a profit than this will.

Most likely. According to deadline they still only get 25% of China. The Chinese company they are working with, do they own the big theater chain over there? That is a nice loophole to have.

 

[redhawk23]

I don't know. I just rewatched it and I don't think it's a complete tonal betrayal.

Like the trailer showed a serious take and that's what the movie gave us.

Now the Kong Skulls Island Comic Con trailer, that was a complete farce in terms of tone of the actual movie. Or the Transformers teasers

The real problem with Godzilla 2014 is that it wants the texture of that 2012 teaser but the characterization of Godzilla that its going for is much more like a 70s Godzilla film or 90s Gamera film.

It's no mistake that Yoshimitzu Banno was an executive producer on the film.

I like that they continued to give him a credit on this film, along with their dedication at the end.

 

[redhawk23]

Except that isn't what happened. Because the reworked the finale a ton, which they made nothing like Star Wars. As someone who spent a lot of time following it, the issues seemed to be clear. Edwards shoots a lot of footage, without apparently logic on how to put it together. When they looked at the footage for the finale, there was no coherent story. Which makes sense. This was the guy who said he shot scenes that were in the trailer that he never intended to use in the film.

As one who likes Rogue One, but doesn't love it, his character work is just not good. But even then, the vast majority of what was redone was the finale. Which explains the differences from the trailers.

A yes, the finale which is literally just the opening scene of A New Hope.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Godzilla is a prestige series in Japan not unlike Bond, and like Bond it gets a decent amount of its production paid for by product placement deals and the like. It’s all in a microcosm of course and nothing on Hollywood’s level, but I think they’re going to keep pumping them out. I could see them going all out in 2024 for the 70th anniversary.

They will keep making Godzillas, no doubt. What I am kind of sad about is not getting these type of films. It is just kind of cool to see the cooler Godzilla art come to life.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

A yes, the finale which is literally just the opening scene of A New Hope.

The entire movie is a prequel to Star Wars.... what in the hell.

 

[Schlosser85]

The entire movie is a prequel to Star Wars.... what in the hell.

Well.....it's the story of getting the Death Star plans, so not sure why anyone expected any different.

 

[MbJ]

So what happens to GvK? Another underperformer?

Unless King of Monsters has crazy good word of mouth, yeah, probably. I think that was one of the biggest things that hurt this entry financially. Maybe it's anecdotal, but I knew so many people who just weren't interested in going to see this and they pretty much all told me the same thing: "The last one was really boring."

 

[redhawk23]

Well.....it's the story of getting the Death Star plans, so not sure why anyone expected any different.

Because it was announced and marketed as a different style of filmmaking that they then panicked and forced into being something more familiar.

 

[Schlosser85]

I didn't think Rogue One felt like A New Hope. It felt like a grittier war movie within the SW universe, which was....what it was marketed as.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Well.....it's the story of getting the Death Star plans, so not sure why anyone expected any different.

Seriously.