1954
Toho Films produces the first “
” film (pictured), directed by Ishiro Honda
1956
Producer Joseph Levine and others buy American rights to the Japanese film, adding footage of Raymond Burr, dubbing it into English and releasing it as “Godzilla, King of the Monsters”
1962
“King Kong vs. Godzilla” — the Japanese monster meets up with the iconic American ape in the most commercially successful of the Toho films
1969
“Bambi Meets Godzilla” — Marv Newland’s underground cartoon makes the monster into a
two-minute counterculture gag
1974
“Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” introduces a rival robot alter ego; a precursor to “Pacific Rim”
1978
Hanna Barbera’s “Godzilla” cartoons, which introduced the Godzooky character, make the monster familiar to a generation of American kids
1998
Roland Emmerich’s Sony reboot is met with a harsh critical reception, grossing a less-than-anticipated $379 million worldwide
2004
The monster gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his 50th anniversary; “Godzilla: Final Wars” is the last of 28 Toho Godzilla movies
2014
, in the shingle’s final film with Warner Bros., acquires rights from Toho and reboots the franchise, hewing closely to the movie’s 1954 roots.
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