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Touted as one of cinema's most iconic monsters, Godzilla has entertained audiences with his scaly appearance, earth-shattering roar, and killer instincts. Since his first appearance on the big screen in 1954, the beastly creature has stomped his way into the hearts of millions of fans worldwide.
The Monsterverse franchise has dedicated five films and two television series to this terrifying monster, who rises out of the ocean to wreak havoc on the world.
His original name, and 4 other interesting facts about Godzilla
1) His original name is Gojira
Before being known worldwide as Godzilla, the King of Destruction was called Gojira in his homeland of Japan. Gojira is a fusion word formed using two separate Japanese words 'gorira' and 'kujira', which mean gorilla and whale respectively. This effectively translates the creature's name into a gorilla whale, which aptly describes him.
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He embodies the brutish strength and bipedalism of gorillas while also being an aquatic giant like whales.
2) His iconic roar was produced in unique fashion
His thunderous roar in the original 1954 film was produced by the Japanese composer Akira Ifukube by using a musical instrument. Erik Aadahl, the man tasked with creating the sound in the Monsterverse, spoke about Ifukube's process in an interview with NPR in 2014:
"[The roar] was actually a double bass, using a leather glove coated in pine-tar resin to create friction. They'd rub it against the string of the double bass to create that sound."
His trademark roar has changed significantly over time, with each successive film using the latest technology and inventing new ways to convey the creature's displeasure.
3) He has a Marvel connection
The kaiju monster was featured in the Marvel comic book series called Godzilla, King of the Monsters. It contained 24 issues and was published between August 1977 and July 1979.
In the comic book series, the monster was showcased as a worthy adversary to the mighty Avengers as well as the Fantastic Four. However, his destructive run ended with an epic battle against Thor, the god of thunder.
4) He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
To celebrate his impact on Hollywood, the legendary monster was awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 29, 2004, on his 50th birthday. The star can be found at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. in California. Actor Tsutomu Kitagawa (dressed as the scaly reptile) and producer Shogo Tomiyama received the award at the ceremony.
As of this writing, he is one of 19 fictional characters to have their own stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Others to receive the same honor are Alvin and the Chipmunks, Big Bird, Mickey Mouse, Shrek, Tinker Bell, among others.
5) Quentin Tarantino considered making a film on the iconic monster
It comes as no surprise that director Quentin Tarantino is a fan of the monster franchise and wanted to direct a film on him. In 2004, he pitched the idea of the creature becoming a god-like figure in Tokyo and described his vision to Entertainment Weekly as follows:
"It would be called Living Under the Rule of Godzilla. This is what society is like when a big f***ing green lizard rules your world."
However, nothing came out of his original idea and it seems unlikely that Tarantino will direct his final film on this subject.
