Stuti Gokhale
Directed by Roland Emmerich, ‘Godzilla’ is a monster film that centers around the titular giant iguana created due to a botched military nuclear test in French Polynesia. The monstrous mutant creature crosses the ocean and travels to New York City to build its nest and lay eggs while terrorizing citizens and causing severe destruction along the way. It is then left up to a scientist and his reporter girlfriend, accompanied by a French secret service agent, to stop Godzilla aka Gojira, and save the city.
The movie is a reimagining of the Japanese Godzilla franchise by Toho. The unique movie both terrified and amazed the audience with its immaculate graphic effects as well as the detailed depiction of New York City. The movie left viewers wondering about its fascinating locales. And if you are one such curious being, we’ve got you covered!
Godzilla Filming Locations
‘Godzilla’ was filmed in various parts of California, New Jersey, New York, and Hawaii. As per sources, principal photography commenced on May 1, 1997, and was wrapped up on September 26, 1997. The US Marine State Corps also participated in the movie’s filming. In fact, F-18 Marine Reserve pilot Col. Dwight Schmidt piloted the actual plane that shoots Godzilla in the movie. Now, let’s find out more about the filming locations of the monster film!
Culver City, California
Important scenes of ‘Godzilla’ were filmed at the renowned Sony Pictures Studios, located on 10202 West Washington Boulevard in Culver City, Los Angeles County. With a history of more than 100 years, the high-tech studio facility is situated in an enormous complex where movies and TV shows like ‘The Holiday,’ ‘Captain Marvel,’ and ‘Euphoria‘ have been filmed.
Los Angeles, California
Some important sequences in ‘Godzilla’ were filmed in Los Angeles, a sprawling city that houses one of the biggest and oldest film industries in the world. The production team filmed the taxi chase scene on Seventh Street at Santa Fe Avenue, east of downtown LA. The office of the WIDF TV station where Audrey works is actually The Trust Building on 433 South Spring Street.
Other Locations in Los Angeles County, California
New York’s Hudson River was recreated in the Falls Lake in the backlot of the Universal Studios. Located at 100 Universal City Plaza, in Universal City, it lies in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. The premises is one of the biggest studios and theme parks in the world. Movies like Jurassic Park‘ and ‘The Truman Show‘ were all filmed at Universal Studios as well.
Some portions of the movie were lensed in Santa Clarita, a populous city with a valley terrain that is surrounded by mountains. You might find it interesting to know that ‘Django Unchained‘ and ‘Santa Clarita Diet‘ were filmed in this city.
Jersey City, New Jersey
The military headquarters scenes in ‘Godzilla’ were filmed on Essex Street and Hudson Street in Jersey City. The city offers magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Moreover, it is one of the largest banking and finance centers in the country. Some of the notable credits of Jersey City are ‘Joker‘ and ‘Army of the Dead.’
New York City, New York
Several places in New York City formed a major part of the movie’s narrative, such as Vanderbilt Avenue, Grand Central Station, the Flatiron Building, Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, and the Chrysler Building. The scene where Mayor Ebert addresses a rally was filmed in front of Federal Hall, while the location where Godzilla lays its eggs in the nest was filmed at Madison Square Garden on Seventh Avenue.
The cast and crew also filmed at the Fulton Fish Market beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. However, the market relocated to the Bronx in 2005. New York is a dynamic city that is one of the world’s major financial, commercial, and cultural centers. Some of the other movies that were filmed in New York City are ‘The Hating Game,’ ‘West Side Story,’ and ‘The Greatest Showman.’
Kauai, Hawaii
The tropical French Polynesian scenery shown in the movie was shot in Kauai, also known as Hawaii’s Garden Island. The island has lush green terrain studded with waterfalls, and is surrounded by pristine oceanic water. The movie ‘Just Go with It‘ was filmed on this picturesque island.
Oahu, Hawaii
Ka’a’awa Valley, located on Oahu Island, serves as a crucial filming location for ‘Godzilla.’ The scene where Nick finds a giant lizard footprint was filmed at the Kualoa Ranch, situated on the Kamehameha Highway. The ranch, which is a private nature reserve, also features in the movie ‘50 First Dates‘ and the TV series ‘Lost.’
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