The History of Zilla: Godzilla's Failed Redesign - Sony's American Godzilla Explained 

The most interesting and amusing thing about Zilla to me is that his entire character, throughout every appearance and reference, is his repeated misidentification as Godzilla. Being fast and burrowing aren't particularly unique powers or anything, but the rehabilitation and recontextualization of Zilla healed a wound and set the franchise and brand back on the right course again, and it will never be less than astounding that Toho pulled something so destructive and awful into a genuine piece of expanded universe lore. The Star Wars prequels never got this kind of treatment. Quick correction though: "Godzilla 1998" is not a distinct character, the *character* is Zilla, the original Zilla film was created via licensing the name and character of Godzilla, and so it carries those copyrights it paid for with it, but the monster itself was retroactively made a distinct monster starting with 2001's GMK where his identity as Godzilla is outright disproven. Since 2004 he got renamed, and has been called Zilla ever since, but that doesn't make the original movie about a different monster. This would be sort of like saying that Noob-Saibot from Deception onwards where his identity was revealed as the original Sub-Zero, is a distinct character from the original Noob-Saibot from every previous game, because he's actually Sub-Zero now. "Godzilla 1998" still exists as a film, but no longer as a character, basically. Just really needed to make that clear since there's an unfortunate group of "Zilla deniers" that spreads misinformation on this and it's really annoying.

Real talk, Zilla was my introduction to Godzilla as a kid. Not only the character, but also the entire franchise. Without this guy I would have never known who the true Godzilla was. And the 1998 movie is a childhood classic/guilty pleasure of mine. :)

Roland Emmerich criticizing Godzilla when he had a 1996 computer virus take out an alien spaceship capable of warp speed. Pot meets kettle.

Toho: Emmerich-san, this is the biggest insult our country ever received from the west since the bomb I'm so sorry, I couldn't resist

What's ironic is that Toho Godzilla makes much more sense body-wise. A creature of such great mass would have to be bottom heavy with large pillar-like legs.

I truly LOVE Zilla’s design. He may not be Godzilla. But he IS his own character. Hopefully the Legendary Monsterverse brings him back and has him fight either the real Godzilla or Kong.

Hi, all! So funny story- this video had basically been sitting in a folder for a few months, like 90% done. It was just missing the motion graphics stuff. Once I started working on the previous few videos (and the subsequent blowing up of this channel), this video fell to the wayside. You can thank (the absolutely bonkers & fantastic) Godzilla vs Kong for making me go “Oh wait I should finish that Godzilla video.” (If everything works out well) There are a few bigger videos coming soon, but I didn't want to leave you all high and dry until the next big video drops, so I polished up this video and here we are! Hope you enjoy!

I always really loved Zilla as his own monster. He’s earned his place as part of the Godzilla series as his own animal.

It's never late if we are talking about Mr. Godzilla. Thank you )

Actually, Toho's answer to Godzilla 1998 was Godzilla 2000. And Sony/Tristar also opted to release that in theaters in the U.S in 2000 as opposed to making the sequel as an apology to fans. But it did come at a slight cost, as there was known to be some confusion, as some thought that Godzilla 2000 was the purported sequel to the 1998 film.

The Monsterverse ought to bring back Zilla as a hollow earth species that developed an explosive reproductive capacity as a result of feeding on radioactive sources on the surface and now threaten to overwhelm the planet. Imagine Monsterverse Godzilla going up against legions of the Zillas, perhaps even rebranding them back to the "GINO" nickname both as a reference to the MUTO as well as a new designation like Genetically Irradiated Nautical Organism or something like that

Godzilla is a character getting the time of his life.. there are hero and savage godzilla films coming out at once

1:44 I wish we had this design and I guess you know that Space Jam: A new legacy is coming out I was wondering if you could look up Joe Dante’s interview on his original idea on Looney Tunes: Back in action which was called Termite Terrorists

Just to clarify, the "Zilla" trademark for the character expired in 2019 (except in Japan). Now, that 1998 monster is officially and legally called Godzilla and no longer Zilla. Zilla is the monster in Final Wars but in 1998, that monster is Godzilla.

The giant Irradiated Prehistoric Amphibious Reptile (Showa Series and Mostly Millennium Series), Irradiated Godzillasaurus (Heisei Series), Collective Spirits of War World II Victims (GMK) and Prehistoric Amphibious Reptile (Titanus Gojira) (MonsterVerse).

2:33 i'll never understand hollywood's tedency to hire people who have utter contempt for what their being asked to adapt

I will always love this design…for me is underrated

In Godzilla 2000, a Japanese scientist asks another: Scientist 1: The New York attack was Godzilla, right? Scientist 2: That's what all the American experts claim but our guys have doubts. I beleive it's the same monster which got revived along with King Gidorah and the others by that alien race in the Final Wars movie.

hot take? Zilla's movie wasn't THAT bad compared to other sh!tty movies we are getting now and days, and to be honest I actually enjoy it from time to time.

Can you please talk about the cancelled Godzilla 2 please?

I loved this movie as a kid lol

Could you do a video on the unmade Steve Miner Godzilla in the future?

1998 and the other american godzillas have the same style head

It seems crazy to remake Godzilla but make it the same design. It was a good idea to redesign it. I bet they wanted to tap into childrens love of the T-Rex. He should have destroyed buildings though

1:22 Godzilla, the product of Atlantean genetic engineering? Fighting an ancient alien creature? I suspect that, no matter what form it took,or how faithful it was to the original character, the Fandom would never actually accept an American Godzilla, unless the filmmakers combined Stan Winston's aesthetics with the Devlin/Emmerich premise:an ancient dinosaur or lizard-like creature, mutated by numerous nuclear weapons test. Otherwise the fans would have praised the look of Godzilla 96 but complained that the origin was totally wrong. Say what you want about the Devlin/Emmerich film,they made the right move keeping close to the original story:nuclear Mutated Reptilian Monster wreaking Havoc and wrecking a major city in an act of defiance against man. In fact,it could be argued that the 98 Godzilla film is closer to the spirit of the '64 original than the '96 film would have been. In fact, as much criticism as the 98 Godzilla has gotten for being a ripoff of Jurassic Park, the idea of the 96 Godzilla being the result of modifying dino DNA should not be lost on us. Not that it mattered in the end. The 2014 version of Godzilla has been depicted as a godlike creature worshipped by a civilization of ancient humans living far underneath the earth in an ancient, heretofore unknown underground ecosystem. And the script for the 96 Godzilla film reads like the last twenty or so years of American Godzilla films distilled into one movie. Hell,it has ancillary character repeatedly saying in a running joke not unlike the way that characters in the 98 Godzilla film repeatedly butcher Nick Tatopoulos' name for much the same reason! So,in a sense, Jan De Bont got his Godzilla,after all.

It's called GODZILLA, get it right!

I know I'm late on this, but I recommend you take a look at this video that kind of explains about the 1994 draft, that on surface level could've been better, but in actuality might piss the fans off more than the current movie we have. It's a video that basically goes through both the history of the films, and basically asks even after 7 decades why is Godzilla is still not taken seriously by the general public. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vBYo5GWkodg.html At 35:50-44:41

While I don’t think the 1998 design works at all as Godzilla I do think the design of Zilla on its own is freaking awesome but that’s mainly because I’m a huge fan of Iguanas (seriously they are so cool)

Godzilla 98 isn't that bad, I actually think it's a fun action flick. I also love the design of Godzilla in that movie, sure it isn't the iconic silhouette but it looks cool.

There's early versions of the heisei godzilla films like godzilla the return of king ghidorah 1992 to godzilla vs emperor ghidorah 1994 to godzilla vs ghost 1995 also godzilla vs barubaroi 1995 and godzilla vs giant varan 1995 and the unmade american version of godzilla 1994 vs the gryhon and milllieum godzilla version of gmk aka godzilla mothra and king ghidorah giant monsters all-out attack but the original version was going to be called gvba aka godzilla varan baragon and anguirus giant monsters all-out attack do that in next video including king kong vs frankenstein's monster including the return of king ghidorah 1972 showa which features godzilla rodan and varan fights king ghidorah gigan and alien dragon mogu version and as well like the videos and also unmade film godzilla vs gamera

0 dislikes… as it should be~

I love zilla he one of my favorite monsters

I have to say that I like the design of Zilla more then Godzilla. Zilla looks and act’s more realistic as an apex predator. In my opinion Godzilla looks more like a cone full of warts. But it’s cool to see how fan’s protect nostalgia.

i like the original godzilla better

Godzilla 1998: I’m the worst Godzilla! Godzilla Anime Trilogy: Hold my nuclear bomb.

Not being a Godzilla fan. I enjoyed yhe 1998 Godzilla film and think his speed would gove the Japan Godzilla at least a fair fight

This was A good movie imo. Tristar tried to make their own version of Godzilla and that's what they did. If he would of looked to much like the original Godzilla then it would of been called unoriginal. Japan Godzilla is a metaphor for how they felt after being bombed. The American version isn't. Its soooo many layers to the damn franchise and i feel people are unfair to Zilla because of this. I was 13 when this game out and was so happy to see Godzilla wasn't in a costume. He actually was a mutated lizard and that shit was cool to me. Lol. He acted how he was suppose to act. Japan Godzilla had a world ending or saving purpose depending on what movie and era. Zilla didnt. He just wanted to have babies. He acted accordingly. He defended himself if he had to but for most part he was running for his life for his kids. That's some real shit. Leave Zilla alone!!! I do hope that zilla and Godzilla meet at some point. I know they have in the cartoon but a real live version would be cool. As much as im taking up for Zilla i do love Sony's version. I love the Shin Godzilla as well. Hopefully zilla become a titan in the monster verse........

At least it's better than legendary

Tatpopoulos Zilla is the only one worth a damn.

Godzilla is asinine to begin with. Emmerich's irreverant take is the only version I'm willing to even tolerate.