Henry compared the character to Patrick Swayze in “Road House.” Stevens added: “With a sprinkling of Ace Ventura in there. ”Monster-free filmmaking On green or blue screen days, a guy with a foam finger or tennis ball on a stick helped them focus.
Everybody agrees that “Kong neck”—getting your neck at the right position to watch the giants for long periods—is difficult. Directors don't get training on how to make a movie like "Kong neck," neither do performers. Wingard felt comfortable by the end of the first.
You can read every Cinefex Magazine back issue, but until you're building one and learning how to frame eyelines for characters looking up at 300-foot-tall creatures and trying to generate emotional reactions? There are just so many monster-creation methods, he noted. “Almost half is fully animated. It looks like an animated film—hyperrealistic.”
That's why he took his performers and crew to real sites like Australia's Daintree Rainforest whenever possible. Giant anacondas and cassowaries were around, but environmental damage was the major concern. Many talks were held about not touching anything, which is humorous for Godzilla. Still, it was worth it.
He replied, “It’s so easy to shoot everything in front of a green screen.” “But that's artificial.” Hall and the other actors stressed the importance of sets and settings, especially with two no-show stars who had to be added later. “Kong and Godzilla wouldn't show up to set, so you had to make believe,” Hall recalled.
NOT COMPETING GODZILLAS It seems like “Godzilla” is in theaters a lot recently. Godzilla Minus One, Toho's first Godzilla film since 2016's "Shin Godzilla," received the Oscar for best visual effects. It went well in U.S. cinemas in December and January, but Legendary's licensing arrangement forced a graceful leave by February.
This doesn't mean the productions hate each other. Kaiju and how their cats inspired Godzillas have fascinated “Godzilla Minus One” filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki and Wingard. However, “Godzilla Minus One” may not be streamed in the US until after “Godzilla x Kong.”
Warner Bros., which released “Wonka” and “Dune: Part Two” in recent months, is releasing “Godzilla x Kong” nationwide and exclusively in theaters. Godzilla vs. Kong” followed the company's 2021 day-and-date release strategy like the first “Dune.” It nonetheless went well in theaters and on streaming, where it was the streamer's biggest hit.
Wingard enjoyed reassuring theater owners that audiences still wanted to go to the movies. But he's pleased to get a normal release without the pandemic caveat. After all, Godzilla and Kong are among the oldest cinematic stars still active. “It’s huge. It's fantastic, Henry said. “This is the kind of movie you go to the theaters for to not be the only Kong necking.”
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