6. Independence Day is the reason Roland Emmerich directed Godzilla
If you hated Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla, then you have nothing to blame but the success of Independence Day.
Sony acquired the rights to make a Godzilla film in the early 90s but could never quite get the project off the ground. It wasn’t due to the difficulties working with original producers Toho (although that probably didn’t help) but it was down to the fact they couldn’t get the script or budget right.
The closest Sony came to releasing the movie was in 1995 when future Twister helmer Jan de Bont was going to direct a script written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio which saw Godzilla take on another giant monster called the The Gryphon. However, the film was never given the greenlight as de Bont’s vision for the movie would have made it the most expensive movie ever made at that point, budgeting at between $100 and $200 million.
But Independence Day, a special effects spectacular, was made for $75 million. So de Bont was booted off the project and Emmerich took over.
The irony of it all is that Roland Emmerich spent around $130 million on his version of Godzilla.
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So there you have it. Happy fourth of July everyone!
Luke Owen is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published July 4, 2014. Updated April 15, 2018.
