Synopsis

A Japanese research team tracking Godzilla discovers a mysterious meteorite that begins to levitate and reveals an extraterrestrial intelligence. The alien force seeks to absorb Godzilla's genetic material and create a powerful new life-form, Orga. As the military struggles to contain both threats, Godzilla battles the invading creature in a destructive confrontation that determines the fate of Japan.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released in Japan on December 11, 1999, the film was the first entry in Toho's Millennium era and the 23rd Godzilla film produced by Toho.

• The story disregards the continuity of every earlier Godzilla film except the original 1954 movie. This allowed Toho to establish a new starting point without directly continuing the Heisei series.

• Toho revived the character sooner than planned after the poor reception of the 1998 American Godzilla. Producer Shogo Tomiyama said the new film was made abruptly because the studio did not want to wait until the planned 2004 anniversary.

• The underwater sequence contains the first fully computer-generated shot of Godzilla in a Japanese production. Earlier Toho films had used computer graphics mainly for displays or to combine effects with live-action footage.

• Approximately 400 visual-effects shots were created, with chroma-key compositing used more extensively than miniature effects in several sequences.

• Filming took place in Tokaimura, including scenes near a fictional nuclear power plant. A real nuclear accident occurred there on September 30, 1999, only a few months after filming, giving those scenes an unintended extra resonance.

• The American theatrical version, released on August 18, 2000, removed about nine minutes and substantially revised the dialogue and sound mix. The North American release also used a different English dub from the international version.

• The American cut originally ended with a green "The End?" title card over Godzilla's final rampage. Toho rejected the addition, and it was removed from later home-video and television versions.

• A proposed sequel called Godzilla Reborn was developed for the American market, with Joe Dante attached to direct and a flying lava creature named Miba as the opponent. The project never secured financing and was not produced.