Godzilla returns for a Sequel?

By Azad April 15, 2000 1:17 PM

The big-budget Godzilla feature film of 1998 was a big disappointment at the box office. And on top of that, a sequel may be in the works. It's either going to be a quick downhill towards flopland, or it might mean redemption. Industry insiders speculate that the sequel won't come from filmmakers Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, whose Centropolis Entertainment made Godzilla. I believe Independence Day was produced by the same folks too (gee, that figures). Sony, which holds the U.S. rights to the Japanese franchise, reportedly disagreed with Centropolis on terms of the sequel and parted ways. So now, Sony is looking for a new production team for the proposed sequel. Meanwhile, Centropolis had already commissioned a treatment for Godzilla 2 from writer Tab Murphy (Tarzan), which featured a fight between the big lizard and a giant insect in downtown Sydney, Australia. At least that's in the style of the original Japanese Godzilla movies. Since Sony parted with that idea, I wonder what kind of treatment Sony is looking for. It'll be interesting to find out. Also, the proposed sequel should not be confused with Godzilla 2000, the next Japanese made installment of the film series. It's about time. Expect to see that one in U.S. theatres this summer.