GODZILLA is now really getting underway. Although we’re yet to have a star attached to the project, what we do have is Frank Darabont as a writer. A man that has given us such wonderous monster films such as THE MIST and THE BLOB remake. Speaking to io9, Darabont promised to take Godzilla away from the camp and return him to being a terrifying force of nature.
GODZILLA has its origins as an allegory for the atom bomb, but today it’s more of a straightforward monster movie. Do you want to restore some of that allegorical significance to the franchise?
Frank Darabont: What I found very interesting about Godzilla is that he started off definitely as a metaphor for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And some of the atom bomb testing we were doing in the South Pacific in the subsequent years. The giant terrifying force of nature that comes and stomps the shit out of your city, that was Godzilla. Filtered through the very fanciful imaginations of the Japanese perception. And then he became Clifford the Big Red Dog in the subsequentfilms. He became the mascot of Japan, he became the protector of Japan. Another big ugly monster would show up and he would fight that monster to protect Japan. Which I never really quite understood, the shift.
What we’re trying to do with the new movie is not have it camp, not have it be campy. We’re kind of taking a cool new look at it. But with a lot of tradition in the first film. We want this to be a terrifying force of nature. And what was really cool, for me, is there was a very compelling human dramathat I got to weave into it. It’s not that cliched, thinly disguised romance or bromance, or whatever. It’s different, it’s a different set of circumstances than you’re used to seeing. And that’s tremendously exciting as a writer when you’re asked to do something else.
Are you looking to connect it to a different contemporary issue?
Frank Darabont: Yes I am, but I’m not going to give it away.
This GODZILLA fan is very excited at what the team put together so far, which includes MONSTERS director Gareth Edwards. Having waited 10 years for another Godzilla film, I’m hoping for huge box-office and sequels galore.
Gareth Edwards’ GODZILLA returns to screens on 16th May 2014. But if you can’t wait that long for your kaiju filled destructive flicks, then catch PACIFIC RIM this summer.
Source: io9
Dan Bullock
Jan 23, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Very, very interesting indeed and if there’s one man who can make it more real, surely it’s Darabont?
Intrigued!
Robert
Feb 3, 2013 at 5:59 am
This sounds really exciting. I am intrigued and frustrated at the same time because I have to wait for it for a really long time. 2014 huh? I guess I should start watching reruns of old movies that would satisfy my craving for Godzilla.