Godzilla 2000
First film in the Millennium era of the Godzilla franchise.
Godzilla 2000: Millennium (Japanese: ゴジラ2000 ミレニアム) is a 1999 Japanese kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara, with Kenji Suzuki handling the special effects. Released by Toho and produced by its subsidiary Toho Pictures, it marks the 24th installment in the Godzilla series, Toho's 24th Godzilla film, and the launch of the franchise's Millennium era. The cast includes Takehiro Murata, Hiroshi Abe, Naomi Nishida, Mayu Suzuki, and Shirō Sano, with Tsutomu Kitagawa portraying Godzilla and Makoto Itō playing Orga. The story centers on a team monitoring Godzilla when an alien UFO emerges, creating a fresh danger for Japan.
This film disregards the events of all previous entries except the original 1954 movie. It premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival on November 6, 1999, and hit Japanese theaters on December 11. TriStar Pictures handled the North American release on August 18, 2000, under the title Godzilla 2000. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and it earned $28 million worldwide against an estimated $10–13 million budget, falling short of expectations in both Japan and the United States. A direct sequel was planned but never made. The next film, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, followed on December 16, 2000, in a separate continuity.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Takao Okawara
- Producer
- Shogo Tomiyama
- Writer
- Hiroshi Kashiwabara · ja · 柏原寛司 / Wataru Mimura
- Starring
- Takehiro Murata · ja · 村田雄浩 / Hiroshi Abe / Naomi Nishida / Mayu Suzuki · ja · 鈴木麻由 (子役) / Shirō Sano
- Music
- Takayuki Hattori
- Cinematography
- Yudai Kato · ja · 加藤雄大
- Editing
- Yoshiyuki Okuhara · ja · 奥原好幸
- Studio
- Toho Pictures
- Distributor
- TohoTriStar Pictures handled theatrical distribution in the United States
- Released
- 6 November 1999 · Tokyo · 1999 · 12 · 11 · Japan
- Country
- Japan
- Language
- Japanese
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Godzilla 2000: Millennium ignores the events of the previous installment, as well as every other entry in the franchise aside from the original 1954 film. The film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival on November 6, 1999, and was released in Japan on December 11. TriStar Pictures later distributed it throughout North America on August 18, 2000, under the title Godzilla 2000. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $28 million worldwide against an estimated $10–13 million budget, performing below expectations in Japan and the United States. A direct sequel was planned but ultimately abandoned.
Reader's Guide
Godzilla 2000: Millennium marks a significant reset for the Godzilla franchise, establishing a new continuity that only acknowledges the original 1954 film. Its production was driven by fan demand following TriStar's 1998 Godzilla, and it introduced a redesigned Godzilla suit modeled after the KingGoji suit from 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla. The film was the last in the franchise to receive a wide North American theatrical release until Godzilla Minus One (2023), though Shin Godzilla (2016) was given a limited release. It returned to U.S. theaters for one day on November 1, 2023, celebrating Godzilla's 69th anniversary on Godzilla Day. The film's English dub, produced by Sony, featured a humorous tone and was re-edited to 99 minutes from the original 107-minute Japanese version. Despite mixed reviews and underwhelming box office, the film launched the Millennium era and was followed by Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, set in a different continuity.
Did You Know?
- The first fully computer-generated shot of Godzilla in a Japanese production appeared in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).
- Two English dubs were produced: one in Hong Kong for Toho's international version, and a re-dub by Asian-American voice actors for Sony's theatrical release.
- The English dubbed version runs 99 minutes, 8 minutes shorter than the Japanese version.
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