Were it not for a failed plan to continue the story of Godzilla vs. Hedorah, the Monsterverse may have never formed. Directed by Yoshimitsu Banno, Godzilla vs. Hedorah is best remembered for its introduction of the titular Smoke Monster, who joined a growing list of powerful Godzilla villains. In the 1971 film, the King of the Monsters found himself in a heated battle with Hedorah, a blob-shaped kaiju who came from outer space to feed on the Earth's heavily polluted ecosystem.
Despite all the trouble he gave Godzilla in the movie, Hedorah was put on the backburner for quite some time, with Toho favoring other villains - such as Mechagodzilla and Ghidorah - in the films that followed. Hedorah didn't make a return to the franchise until Godzilla: Final Wars, a film that reunited Godzilla with a slew of his old allies and enemies. Years after Hedorah's cameo, Yoshimitsu Banno tried to bring him back again, and though this attempt didn't pan out either, his actions had some massive - but positive - repercussions.
Yoshimitsu Banno's Plan To Make A Follow-Up To Godzilla vs. Hedorah Explained
Godzilla vs. Hedorah's Director Struggled To Get Funding For A Sequel
For years after making Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Yoshimitsu Banno maintained an interest in using Hedorah - whom he had created - in other Godzilla projects. One of his ideas for a Godzilla vs. Hedorah sequel was conceived in the 2000s. Having had success with 3D films in Japan, Banno endeavored to tell a Godzilla story in a 3D format on IMAX screens. Titled Godzilla 3D: To the Max, the movie would have seen Godzilla come to blows with Deathla, a red version of Hedorah. Not only that, but the movie also would have revived a Godzilla power Banno introduced in the original film, which was Godzilla's ability to fly with his atomic breath.
A Godzilla movie from more than 50 years ago serves as proof that a forgotten monster from Toho's kaiju lineup belongs in the Monsterverse.
Though the concept certainly had promise, there were always going to be obstacles blocking it from entering production. After all, Toho had stopped making Godzilla movies after Final Wars in 2004. As Banno had told Sci Fi Japan TV, he tried to negotiate with Toho so that he could make the film. Toho ultimately did agree to let Banno make a movie with Godzilla and Hedorah, but the deal came with a catch: the studio would not provide funding for the project. For the budget needed to make his 3D Godzilla movie a reality, Banno would have to look elsewhere.
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At the beginning, Banno's 3D film was only supposed to be a small project, with the director only expecting it to run 40 minutes. But as the scale of the film grew, the runtime expanded to 60 minutes, which led to Banno reaching out to executives in Hollywood. This led to Thomas Tull of Legendary Pictures becoming involved and investing money in the project. But the runtime became an issue, as Banno pointed out that "they can't run a 60-minute movie" in Hollywood. For this reason, Banno was asked to renegotiate with Toho to see if they would support a two-hour Godzilla movie instead.
...as a consequence of the new contract, the plan for Godzilla 3D: To the Max was abandoned in favor of the script that became 2014's Godzilla movie.
Ultimately, Banno's efforts paid off. Toho agreed to the new plan, paving the way for Legendary Pictures to wind up with the rights to Godzilla. But as a consequence of the new contract, the plan for Godzilla 3D: To the Max was abandoned in favor of the script that became 2014's Godzilla movie.
How The Monsterverse Honored Yoshimitsu Banno's Role In Its Launch
Yoshimitsu Banno Is Listed As An Executive Producer In All Monsterverse Godzilla Movies
Unfortunately for Banno, the director's plan for Godzilla's showdown with Deathla was never realized, but that's not to say that his actions were for naught. The deal he brokered launched a new cinematic universe for the King of the Monsters, and eventually prompted Toho to resume their own Godzilla franchise. Banno's role in making this possible was not overlooked by Legendary; Yoshimitsu Banno is credited as an executive producer in all four of the Monsterverse movies that include Godzilla.
Banno's influence can also be found in the story itself. According to Banno, he spoke to Godzilla director Gareth Edwards about some concerns he had regarding the film. Similar to Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Banno's 3D movie was meant to have strong environmental themes. But since this understanding of the story only applied to the original contract, Banno wasn't sure if Legendary would keep them or not and asked Edwards for them to be carried over.
Although she's considered weak in comparison to other monsters, Mothra holds an impressive record that even Godzilla's strongest villains can't match.
The Monsterverse's Godzilla is less overt than Godzilla vs. Hedorah in its environmental themes, but the finished product shows that Banno's wish was fulfilled. In Godzilla, it's clear that humans are the reason why the entire story of the movie is happening in the first place. Because of their supply of nuclear energy, humans have inadvertently drawn the MUTOs out of hibernation, not unlike how humanity's pollution of the Earth attracted the Smog Monster in Yoshimitsu Banno's Godzilla vs. Hedorah.
The Monsterverse is a giant kaiju franchise that began in 2014 with Legendary's Godzilla starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, and Elizabeth Olsen. The film was followed up by Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs Kong, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
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