Monsters director takes on Godzilla

Monsters director Gareth Edwards has been nabbed by Legendary Pictures to direct for them a new Godzilla movie.

According to THR, Edwards is close to finalising a deal that will see him write and direct the first major Godzilla film since Roland Emmerich had his way with the giant lizard back in 1998.

In my review of Edwards’ Monsters, I said the following:

“I’d sooner believe director Gareth Edwards had hired actual extra-terrestrials to make an appearance in his film Monsters, than accept the fact that he was able to construct them with his SFX-savvy and a measly budget of $500,000.”

Yep, I was pretty much gob-smacked by the fact Edwards had put together such a beautiful little film for under a million dollars, and astounded by the impressive (albeit brief) visuals of his eponymous alien beasties.

Therefore, mad props to Legendary for trusting Edwards with a bigger budget and a tentpole project like Godzilla.

Legendary Pictures (who shepherded ambitious blockbusters The Dark Knight, Inception, Watchmen and Where The Wild Things Are among others) picked up the rights to Godzilla from Japan’s Toho Co. early last year. Little else is known about the project at this point, but Warner Bros will co-produce, co-finance and distribute the film with Legendary.

Godzilla first appeared in Ishiro Honda’s 1954 Japanese horror film Godzill.

Discuss: Do you think Edwards has the chops to carry a big budget feature, or should he stick to indies?