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Godzilla films
Godzilla
has dominated the silver screen for over six decades, mirroring
the evolution of filmmaking itself. Early films presented
him as a lumbering force of nature awakened by nuclear testing,
unstoppable and terrifying, achieved through impressive (for
the time) stop-motion animation. As technology progressed,
so did the depiction of Godzilla's power. Special effects
became more sophisticated, showcasing his atomic breath and
earth-shaking stomps with ever-increasing realism. This visual
evolution also mirrored the changing role of Godzilla himself.
He transitioned from a singular, destructive threat, to a
complex creature existing within a larger ecosystem of monstrous
beings. He can be a destroyer, laying waste to cities in a
rage, or a reluctant protector, battling other menacing kaiju
(giant monsters) to ensure humanity's survival. His rampages
represent the destructive potential of nuclear weapons. The
atomic-powered behemoth embodies the anxieties of a post-war
Japan forever scarred by Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Modern films
often depict epic clashes between Godzilla and other kaiju,
showcasing these battles with awe-inspiring CGI. Despite the
spectacle, the core thematic elements remain. Godzilla's story
remains a potent reminder: the consequences of our actions
are vast, and the balance of power on a planet teeming with
both the familiar and the fantastical remains precariously
tilted.
|
| |
Full-features
Films |
Yr
of Release
& Version |
Title(s) |
Other
Title |
Country
Produced |
Company/
Distributor |
Producer |
Director
|
Length
(mins) |
|
1954 JPN |
Gojira |
Eng. transl. and offic. Eng.: Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
97 |
|
1955 JPN |
Gojira no gyakushu |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla's Counterattack; offic. Eng.:
Godzilla Raids Again |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Motoyoshi Oda |
81 |
|
1956 USA1 |
Godzilla:
King of the Monsters! |
|
JPN, USA |
Godzilla Releasing
Company; Jewell Enterprises/Transworld |
Terry Turner, Joseph E. Levine (exec. producers) |
Terry Morse |
81 |
1957
JPN2 |
Kaiju o Godzilla |
Eng. transl.: Monster King Godzilla |
JPN, USA |
Toho Co., Ltd.; Jewell Enterprises/Transworld |
Tomoyuki Tanaka, Terry Turner, Joseph E. Levine, Richard Kay,
Harry Rybnick, Edward B. Barison |
Terry Morse, Ishiro Honda |
81 |
|
1959 USA1 |
Gigantis: The Fire Monster |
|
JPN, USA |
Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. |
Paul Schreibman |
Hugo Grimaldi |
78 |
|
1962 JPN |
King Kong tai Gojira |
Eng. transl.: King Kong vs. Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
98 |
|
1963 USA1 |
King Kong vs. Godzilla |
|
JPN, USA |
Universal Pictures Co., Inc.; John Beck |
John Beck |
Thomas Montgomery |
91 |
|
1964 JPN |
Mosura tai Gojira |
Eng. transl.: Mothra against Godzilla; offic. Eng.:
Mothra vs. Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
88 |
|
1964 USA1 |
Godzilla vs. the Thing |
|
JPN, USA |
American International Pictures; James H. Nicholson &
Samuel Z. Arkoff |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
87 |
|
1964 JPN |
San daikaiju chikyu saidai no kessen |
Eng. transl.: The Three Biggest Monsters Battle on Earth;
offic. Eng.: Monster of Monsters, Ghidorah/Ghidorah, the
Three-Headed Monster |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
92 |
|
1965 USA1 |
Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster |
|
JPN, USA |
Continental Distributing, Inc.; Walter Reade-Sterling, Inc. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
81 |
|
1965 JPN |
Kaiju daisenso |
Eng. transl.: The Giant Monster War; offic. Eng.:
Invasion of Astro-Monster |
JPN, USA |
Toho Co., Ltd.; Henry G. Saperstein Enterprises |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
93 |
|
1970 USA1 |
Monster Zero |
TV, video: Godzilla vs. Monster Zero; New video 2007:
Invasion of Astro-Monster |
JPN, USA |
Maron Films, Ltd.; United Productions of America |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
94 |
|
1966 JPN |
Gojira · Ebira · Mosura: Nankai no daiketto |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla · Ebirah · Mothra:
Big Duel in the South Seas |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
87 |
|
1967 USA1 |
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep |
Later title: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster |
JPN, USA |
Continental Distributing, Inc. (TV); Continental Distributing,
Inc. (possible theatrical release) |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
82 |
|
1967 JPN |
Kaiju to no kessen: Gojira no musuko |
Eng. transl.: Monster Island's Decisive
Battle: Son of Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
86 |
|
1967 USA1 |
Son of Godzilla |
|
JPN, USA |
Walter Reade-Sterling, Inc. (TV); American International Pictures
Television (TV) |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
82 |
|
1968 JPN |
Kaiju soshingeki |
Eng. transl.: All Monsters Attack |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
88 |
|
1969 USA1 |
Destroy All Monsters |
|
JPN, USA |
American International Pictures |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
86 |
|
1969 JPN |
Gojira · Minira · Gabara: Oru kaiju daishingeki |
Eng. transl.: All Monsters' Great Advance' |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
69 |
|
1971 USA1 |
Godzilla's Revenge |
Alternative: All Monsters Attack |
JPN, USA |
Maron Films, Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
69 |
|
1971 JPN |
Gojira tai Hedora |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Hedora |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Yoshimitsu Banno |
85 |
|
1972 USA1 |
Godzilla vs the Smog Monster |
Atlernative: Godzilla vs Hedorah |
JPN, USA |
American International Pictures |
Samuel Z. Arkoff |
Lee Kresel |
85 |
|
1972 JPN |
Chikyu kokegi meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan |
Eng. transl.: Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs.
Gigan |
JPN |
Toho Co., Ltd./Toho-Eizo Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
88 |
|
1977 USA1 |
Godzilla on Monster Island |
TV, video: Godzilla vs Gigan; UK release: War
of the Monsters |
JPN, USA |
Downtown Distributing Co., Inc. (Cinema Shares International) |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
88 |
|
1973 JPN |
Gojira tai Megaro |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Megalon |
JPN |
Toho-Eizo Co., Ltd.; Toho Co. Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
81 |
|
1976 USA1 |
Godzilla vs Megalon |
|
JPN, USA |
Cinema Shares International Distribution, Co., Inc. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
80 |
|
1974 JPN |
Gojira tai Mekagojira |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla |
JPN |
Toho-Eizo Co., Ltd.; Toho Co. Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
84 |
|
1977 USA1 |
Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster |
Original: Godzilla vs the Bionic Monster;
TV, video: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla |
JPN, USA |
Downtown Distribution Co., Inc. (Cinema Shares International) |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Jun Fukuda |
80 |
|
1975 JPN |
Mekagojira no gyakushu |
Eng. transl.: Mechagodzilla's Counterattack |
JPN |
Toho-Eizo Co., Ltd.; Toho Co. Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka |
Ishiro Honda |
83 |
|
1978 USA1 |
a) The Terror of Godzilla (theatrical version)
b) Terror of Mechagodzilla (TV version) |
|
JPN, USA |
a) Bob Conn Enterprises; The
Mechagodzilla Company; UPA Productions
b) UPA Productions |
Henry G. Saperstein (exec. producer) |
Ishiro Honda |
a) 78
b) 89 |
|
1984 JPN |
Gojira |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla; offic. Eng.: The Return
of Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka
(exec. producer) |
Koji
Hashimoto |
103 |
|
1985 USA1 |
Godzilla: 1985 |
|
JPN, USA |
New World Pictures; Toho Pictures, Inc. |
Anthony Randel |
R.J. Kizer |
91 |
|
1989 |
Gojira vs Biorante |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Biollante |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka
(exec. producer) |
Kazuki Omori |
104 |
|
1991 |
Gojira vs Kingugidora |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs King Ghidorah |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka
(exec. producer), Shogo Tomiyama |
Kazuki Omori |
102 |
|
1992 |
Gojira vs Mosura |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Mothra; Eng.-dubbed USA:
Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka (exec. producer), Shogo Tomiyama |
Takao
Okawara |
102 |
|
1993 |
Gojira vs Mekagojira |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla; Eng.-dubbed
USA: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II; US Library of
Congress entry: Godzilla vs Super-Mechagodzilla |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka (exec. producer), Shogo Tomiyama |
Takao Okawara |
107 |
|
1994 |
Gojira vs Supeesu Gojira |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Space Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka (exec. producer), Shogo Tomiyama |
Kensho Yamashita |
107 |
|
1995 JPN |
Godzilla vs Desutoroiya |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla vs Destroyer; offic. Eng.:
Godzilla vs. Destroyah |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Tomoyuki Tanaka (exec. producer), Shogo Tomiyama |
Takao Okawara |
103 |
|
1998 USA |
Godzilla |
Jap. transl.: Gojira |
USA |
TriStar; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich, William Fay, Cary Woods, and
Robert N. Fried (executive producers) |
Roland Emmerich |
139 |
|
1999 JPN |
Gojira 2000 mireniamu |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla 2000 Millennium |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Shogo Tomiyama (exec. producer) |
Takao Okawara |
107 |
|
1999 USA2 |
Godzilla 2000 |
|
JPN, USA |
TriStar Pictures; Sony Pictures |
Michael
Schlesinger |
Takao Okawara |
99 |
|
2000 |
Gojira x Megagirasu: G Shometsu sakusen |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla x Megaguirus: G Annihilation Strategy;
offic. Eng.: Godzilla vs. Megaguirus |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Shogo Tomiyama |
Masaaki Tezuka |
105 |
|
2001 |
Gojira - Mosura - Kingu Gidora - Daikaiju sokogeki |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla -
Mothra - King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters' General Offensive;
offic. Eng.: Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant
Monsters All-Out
Attack |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Shogo Tomiyama (exec. producer), Hideyuki Honma |
Shusuke Kaneko |
105 |
|
2002 |
Gojira x Mekagojira |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla x Mechagodzilla; offic. Eng.:
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Shogo Tomiyama, Takahide Morichi (executive producers) |
Masaaki Tezuka |
88 |
|
2003 |
Gojira x Mosura x Mekagojira: Tokyo SOS |
Eng. transl.: Godzilla x Mothra x
Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.; offic. Eng.: Godzilla:
Tokyo S.O.S. |
JPN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; Toho Co., Ltd. |
Shogo Tomiyama (exec. producer) |
Masaaki Tezuka |
91 |
|
2004 |
Gojira: Fainaru uoozu |
Eng. transl. and offic. Godzilla: Final Wars |
JPN, AUS, USA, CHN |
Toho Pictures, Inc.; International; Zazou Productions; napalm
FiLMS; A Toho Co., Ltd. |
Shogo Tomiyama (exec. producer) |
Ryuhei Kitamura |
125 |
|
2014 USA |
Godzilla |
|
USA, JPN |
Warner Bros.; Legendary Pictures |
Patricia Whitcher, Alex Garcia, Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira
(executive producers) |
Gareth Edwards |
123 |
|
2016 JPN |
Shin Gojira |
Eng.
transl.: Shin Godzilla |
JPN |
Toho
Pictures, Inc./Funimation (USA) |
Minami
Ichikawa (executive producer) |
Hideaki
Anno, Shinji Higuchi |
120 |
|
2019 USA |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters |
|
USA |
Warner
Bros. |
Zach Shields, Barry Waldman, Yoshimitsu Banno, Keiji Ota,
Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Hiro Matsuoka, Kenji Okuhira (executive
producers) |
Michael Dougherty |
132 |
|
2021 USA |
Godzilla vs. Kong
|
|
USA |
Warner
Bros. |
Jay Ashenfelter, Herbert W. Gains, Dan Lin, Roy Lee,
Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira |
Adam
Wingard |
113 |
|
2023 JPN |
Gojira |
Eng
offic. Godzilla Minus One |
JPN |
Toho
Pictures, Inc.; Robot Communications |
Shuji Abe, Minami Ichikawa, Kenji Yamada, Kazuaki Kishida,
Go Abe, Keiichiro Moriya |
Takashi
Yamazaki |
124 |
|
2024 USA |
Godzilla
x Kong: The New Empire |
|
USA |
Warner Bros. |
Adam
Wingard,
Jen Conroy, Jay Ashenfelter, Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira
(executive producers) |
Adam Wingard |
115 |
Anime |
Yr
of Release
& Version |
Title(s) |
Other
Title |
Country
Produced |
Company/
Distributor |
Producer |
Director
|
Length
(mins) |
|
2017 JPN |
Gojira: Kaijuu Wakusei |
Eng.
offic. Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters |
JPN |
Polygon Pictures, Toho Animation |
Takashi
Yoshizawa |
Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita |
89 |
|
2018 JPN |
Gojira:
Kessen Kidou Zoushoku Toshi |
Eng
offic: Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle |
JPN |
Polygon Pictures, Toho Animation |
Takashi
Yoshizawa |
Kobun Shizuno, Hiroyuki Seshita |
101 |
|
2018 JPN |
Gojira: Hoshi wo ku mono |
Eng
offic: Godzilla: The Planet Eater |
JPN |
Polygon Pictures, Toho Animation |
Takashi
Yoshizawa |
|
91 |
 |
Notes
List includes only live-action full-feature films and animatied
films.
AUS = Australia, CHN = China, JPN = Japan/Japanese, USA = United
States of America/American
1. Re-edited and English-dubbed version of the Japanese release.
2. Japanese version of the USA's Godzilla: King of the Monsters!
Sources:
1. S. Galbraith. The Toho Studios Story: A History and
Complete Filmography. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2008.
2 DVDs: Godzilla, Warner Bros. Entertainment, 2014;
Shin Godzilla, Toho Co., Ltd, 2017; Godzilla,
King of the Monsters, Warner Bros. Entertainment, 2019;
Godzilla vs. Kong, Warner Bros. Entertainment, 2021;
Godzilla Kaijuu Wakusei, Toho Co, Ltd, 2018; Gojira:
Kessen Kidou Zoushoku Toshi, Toho Co, Ltd, 2018; Gojira:
Hoshi wo ku mono, Toho Co, Ltd, 2019.
3. S. Ryfle. Japan's Favourite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized
Biography of "The Big G". Oakville: ECW Press,
1998.
4. Comic Book Resources (CBR), 2024.
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