Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Story Plan A)

Unmade Film
Intended Release:
1995

Conceived by:

Kazuki Omori,
Shogo Tomiyama

Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Story Plan A)


Japanese Title

ゴジラVSゴジラ
[Gojira vs. Gojira]

In 1995, huge bones are excavated from the construction site of a submarine tunnel in the Ariake Waterfront subcenter. Kazuhito Kishima, a professor of a university and single father to Sumito after his wife died in an accident, suspects the bones do not belong to either a mammoth or a dinosaur. The giant bones are taken to the National Institute of Bioscience in Tokyo where Kishima chips off a bone fragment and gives it to Sumito on a key chain.

That night, loud footsteps echo through Tokyo. Something unseen lunges out at nearby buildings, leaving massive claw-like scars. People begin to grow anxious despite the best efforts of the police and Japanese Self Defense Force working in tandem to guard the city. The media refers to the unseen force as a "Ghost Godzilla", as its devastation is similar to that of a Godzilla.

This news catches the attention of Kishima, who speculates the uncovered bone may actually be a remnant of the deceased Godzilla (I) that was killed via the Oxygen Destroyer in Tokyo Bay 40 years ago. A third nighttime attack is recorded, and as Kishima connects the affected locations on a map, he realizes this invisible force may actually be the spirit of the original Godzilla looking for its disturbed bones. Though Kishima's hypothesis is not rejected by other researchers or the police, no one knows how to destroy what is possibly a ghost. Eventually, it is decided to move the bones to an uninhabited island off the Miura Peninsula, and the attacks on Tokyo by the transparent object cease.

While the hypothesis is never proven to be correct, Kishima remains confident in his assessment. Meanwhile, Sumito wants to prove his father's theory using the bone fragment he received as a gift. He gathers his friends and heads to a trade fair being held in Makuhari, aiming to destroy a venue. Like clockwork, the transparent form returns and destroys the venue, much to Sumito's delight and the trade fair and Kishima's dismay. The professor proceeds to take back the bone fragment and locks it in a box in his laboratory. However, after Kishima leaves, an unknown person steals the unattended bone fragment.

One night, a huge silhouette suddenly appears off the Miura Peninsula. The curtain of light like the Aurora Borealis gradually takes the shape of Godzilla (I), and stands on the sea like a ghost. This Aurora Godzilla does no harm to civilization, and proceeds to manfiest itself every night off the coast. Transport ships or reckless young people on motorboats attempt to pass through Aurora Godzilla, only to mysteriously disappear in a bright light. The press makes a huge fuss, in turn making the coast of the peninsula a huge tourist attraction.

Popular TV director Yuriko then submits her idea: have Aurora Godzilla face off against Little Godzilla, with Little Godzilla's transportation from Birth Island being recorded in a live broadcast. Though Yuriko has strong opposition in the form of psychic Miki Saegusa, the beautiful TV director's influence in all the hottest radio stations has her plan put into action.

Little Godzilla is brought from Birth Island by ship to Aurora Godzilla's uninhabited island. TV cameras roll as the young monster and the aurora meet. Aurora Godzilla proceeds to take possession of Little Godzilla, molding its body into the form Godzilla (I). Immediately, the revived Godzilla (I) heads to Tokyo, recreating the nightmare from 40 years ago. Satisfied with its destruction, Godzilla (I) eventually heads back out to sea, leaving the nation in a state of fear.

Elsewhere, the modern day Godzilla, Godzilla (II), is reported to be making his way to Tokyo. No one is sure whether he senses the danger surrounding Little Godzilla or merely wants to fight Godzilla (I).

Amidst the chaos, 29-year-old physicist Hideki Ogata continues his research on the bone fragment he stole from Kishima's lab. The child of Hideo Ogata and Emiko Yamane, Hideki believed the mysteries surrounding Daisuke Serizawa's deadly Oxygen Destroyer could be unlocked through Godzilla (I)'s surviving bone. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, Ogata is able to run multiple simulations and learns how to create "time force energy" by converting nuclear energy via nuclear fission of uranium, where one second is dramatically increased to 10,000 years. The physicist is able to confirm through his tests that the transparent object is indeed Godzilla (I) - while Godzilla (I)'s physical body perished by the Oxygen Destroyer, its life energy remained in Tokyo Bay, culminating into the unseen menace, Ghost Godzilla. But Hideki has a solution to this problem: the Neo Oxygen Destroyer, an improved version of Serizawa's invention that was capable of not only destroying physical matter, but erasing life energy as well. Though Hideki had finally managed to complete his weapon, constant exposure to oxygen pollution was sapping him of his own life energy...

At the Tsukishima waterfront, Godzilla (II) finally arrives. Opposite of him, Godzilla (I) returns. Both monsters head towards one another, destroying skyscrapers lining the waterfront. Godzilla (I) utilizes all its supernatural abilities in battle, but in the end, Godzilla (II) manages to emerge victorious. Godzilla (I) falls to the ground, and from its body the life energy of Ghost Godzilla floats off into the sky, the body reverting back to Little Godzilla's appearance. Godzilla (II) gives a sorrowful roar as it gazes upon the dead body of its infant. With heavy footsteps, the grieving monster returns to the sea.

Miki Saegusa refuses to believe Little Godzilla is dead, arguing that only the life energy of Ghost Godzilla emerged from the infant's body, leaving Little Godzilla in a state of suspended animation. In order to revive it, producing nuclear fusion within the body would be necessary. However, such a reaction would require plutonium. In the meantime, Little Godzilla's body is hauled away to a dock in Yokohama.

Elsewhere, Hideki's short-lived life as a scientist comes to an end, his completed Neo Oxygen Destroyer now in the hands of the Self Defense Force. An SDF submarine is equipped with the Neo Oxygen Destroyer and deployed - to seek out and destroy Godzilla (II). The submarine finds the monster underwater and fires the Neo Oxygen Destroyer at it. Immediately, a curtain of violent foam rises from the depths, and Godzilla (II)'s physical body and life energy are completely erased. While this occurs, Miki Saegusa springs her plan to revive Little Godzilla into action. Secretly-acquired plutonium is injected into Little Godzilla, all the while Miki waits for the nuclear fusion to occur, anxiety and regret washing over her.

Back on the uninhabited island off the Miura Peninsula, the giant bones of Godzilla (I) suddenly shatter into millions of tiny pieces, scattering to the ground like sand. From the sky, the life energy of Ghost Godzilla arrives, then gradually materializes from the dust of the bones. And as a light shines, Godzilla (I) once again reappears in a brand new form: Crystal Godzilla. Resembling a beautiful glass statue, the shining transparent body of Crystal Godzilla slowly advances towards mainland Japan.

As Crystal Godzilla attacks the Yokohama harbor, Miki is forced to evacuate, leaving Little Godzilla behind. Crystal Godzilla's heat ray incinerates a tanker, and the harbor is engulfed in a sea of fire. It fires once more, and the dock holding Little Godzilla explodes. But in the flames, Little Godzilla's eyes slowly open - its pupils now sharper, appearing closer to Godzilla (II). Little Godzilla has been revived! The nuclear fusion caused the small monster to grow even larger, looking like a younger version of its father. However, Miki cannot sense whether the renewed Little Godzilla is friend or foe.

The final battle between the grown Little Godzilla and Crystal Godzilla commences at the Ariake Waterfront subcenter. And after a lengthy showdown, Crystal Godzilla's body shatters. Ghost Godzilla is no more.

Victorious, Little Godzilla turns away from the city and heads back out into the Pacific Ocean. All the while, Miki watches intently from the shore, questioning this new Godzilla's allegiance to mankind, and praying she will never regret what she did.

※ For a more detailed look at the plot, please refer to the article: Plan A: Godzilla vs. Godzilla Story Translation

Background - Images - Concept Evolution

LOST PROJECT HISTORY

An early draft for the work-in-progress "Godzilla 7". Following his Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla proposal, producer Shogo Tomiyama turned to screenwriter Kazuki Omori to pen a more detailed story based on a "Godzilla versus Ghost Godzilla" scenario. Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Story Plan A) offers a slew of transformations for the angry spirit of the 1954 Godzilla, while also incorporating or referencing human characters both new and old. One of the more controversial additions to Omori's take, however, is the inclusion of the "Neo Oxygen Destroyer", an improved version of the Oxygen Destroyer from Godzilla (1954).

News of the two drafts spread quickly within Toho. Following the official endorsement of Tomoyuki Tanaka for "Godzilla 7" around November 20th, 1994, word finally reached Koichi Kawakita. Not long after, Omori's draft was passed down to Kawakita's team in order to further enhance the plot and to submit proposals of their own based on Omori's supplied story. However, word had it Kawakita was troubled by Tomiyama and Omori's scripts. There was no easy way to represent something like Ghost Godzilla via special effects technology at the time. While CG was the most viable option, it was still in its early stages, and Kawakita worried it would not be pulled off very convincingly.

Because of this, Kawakita's team began working on alternate scenarios while still following the theme of "Godzilla dies", as well as incorporating "the reappearance of the Oxygen Destroyer" and a "new monster". One person in particular responded to this news with great enthusiasm - Hideki Oka, an assistant director from Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994). Working closely with some of his colleagues and fellow assistant director Yosuke Nakano, Oka's aim was to find out "how to kill Godzilla", and "what was a new monster worthy to appear in the final project". Both Oka and Nakano were aware of Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Story Plan A), with Oka being strongly against the idea of the use of the Neo Oxygen Destroyer idea, feeling it undermined the message of Godzilla (1954) and the sacrifices made in the film. As an alternative, Oka proposed a scenario where "the Oxygen Destroyer is made, but never used", allowing the story to advance without necessarily requiring the Oxygen Destroyer to come into play.

In late December, proposals from members of Kawakita's team were gathered such as Godzilla vs. Baraguirus and Godzilla vs. Chaos, with most still incorporating Ghost Godzilla in some fashion. Out of all of them, Hideki Oka's Godzilla vs. Barubaroi submission was chosen by Koichi Kawakita, and the direction of "Godzilla 7" was changed from a showdown between the original Godzilla and modern Godzilla to something more closely tied to the aftermath of the Oxygen Destroyer.


Monsters

Anguirus (1995)
Anguirus (1995)
Godzirus
Godzirus



Aliens, SDF & Misc.

Neo Oxygen Destroyer
Neo Oxygen Destroyer
Self Defense Force Submarine
Self Defense Force Submarine



Background and Trivia

  • Full details of this draft can be found in the 2017 Japanese publication, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Perfection (ISBN: 4798615811).
  • This movie is also occasionally referenced in Japanese media as "Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla" (『ゴジラVSゴーストゴジラ』).
  • The inclusion of Anguirus was suggested by Toho monster designer Shinji Nishikawa, as noted in his book Shinji Nishikawa: Drawing Book of Godzilla (ISBN: 480030959X). Nishikawa felt Omori's monster roster needed some variety outside of just Godzilla incarnations, and Anguirus was a fairly popular monster among Japanese audiences.

    In the same book, Nishikawa brings up a discussion he had with director Kazuki Omori and Koichi Kawakita at a bar in Shinjuku, in which the idea of "Godzilla dies" was at last decided, with Shogo Tomiyama's Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla draft being the first to implement it. This idea would carry over into future rewrites, all the way up to the final product of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).
  • The idea for Ghost Godzilla to fuse with Anguirus was revealed at the 2017 "GODZILLA SHOW SPACE" exhibition in the Yurakucho district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Concept artwork for Shinji Nishikawa's Heisei version of Anguirus was shown with some commentary describing how the combination of Ghost Godzilla and Anguirus would have birthed "a new monster". Though Anguirus and the "Godzirus" hybrid go unmentioned in Omori's "Story Plan A", it's possible they could have appeared in future revisions, such as a "Story Plan B".
  • The mention of Anguirus and its subspecies Anguirus Hound being connected to this draft can be found in Kawakita's book, Heisei Godzilla Chronicle (ISBN: 4873763193).

Images


Concept Evolution

Godzilla vs. Giant Monster Varan Concept Evolution Godzilla: Great Naval Battle Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Cyber City Concept Evolution Terror of SpaceGodzilla Concept Evolution
Godzilla vs. Giant Monster Varan   Godzilla: Great Naval Battle   Godzilla vs. Cyber City   Terror of SpaceGodzilla  
Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Alternate Draft) Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Story Plan A) Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Baraguirus Concept Evolution
Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Alternate Draft)   Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla   Godzilla vs. Godzilla (Story Plan A)   Godzilla vs. Baraguirus  
Godzilla vs. Chaos Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. the Divine Beast Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Bagan Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Junior Godzilla Concept Evolution
Godzilla vs. Chaos   Godzilla vs. the Divine Beast   Godzilla vs. Bagan   Godzilla vs. Junior Godzilla  
Godzilla vs. Deep-Sea Life Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Biomonster Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Super-Nuked Godzilla Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Lambda Concept Evolution
Godzilla vs. Deep-Sea Life   Godzilla vs. Biomonster   Godzilla vs. Super-Nuked Godzilla   Godzilla vs. Lambda  
Godzilla vs. Barubaroi Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Barubaroi (Nakano Draft) Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Early Draft) Concept Evolution Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Godzilla vs. Barubaroi   Godzilla vs. Barubaroi (Nakano Draft)   Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Early Draft)   Godzilla vs. Destoroyah