Godzilla’s story has been told on the big screen many times, but there were many more stories scheduled to expand the legendary lizard that got canceled before their debut. Godzilla first appeared in 1954 in a Japanese horror film. The nuclear waste flowing into the water mutated a lizard into a giant towering monster that threatens to destroy Japan. At the time, the special effects were cutting-edge and led to a whole host of monster movies which sparked the popular Kaiju phenomenon.
Just two years after the original Godzilla movie appeared, an American version called Godzilla, King of the Monsters! was released in 1956 which featured many of the original scenes but cut and added new scenes to appeal to the American audience. Many sequels were created featuring Godzilla and a cast of other giant creatures expanding the universe. Since 1998, several new original films with original footage have been made, but not every Godzilla story that has been planned made it to completion.
6 King Kong vs. Godzilla 2
1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla was one of the most successful Godzilla projects of all time which probably contributed to why a more modern set of movies was made based on the original. But even in 1963, one year later, the Toho studio had plans to release a sequel. The first film ends with an underwater fight between Kong and Godzilla where Kong is the only one to resurface, but onlookers suspect the Godzilla could have survived. The title which was proposed for this sequel was literally Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla and would have picked up directly after the original film ended.
5 Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2
Godzilla vs. Hedorah came out in 1971 as the eleventh installment in the franchise being spearheaded by Toho Studios. Hedorah is a monstrous swamp creature that came from pollution and waste to engage in battle with the infamous Godzilla. The creators behind the project were keen to create a sequel and went so far as to tease a sequel at the end of the first film. However, Toho decided to move in different directions with Godzilla and moved forward with Godzilla vs. Gigan the following year with no attempts to revisit the 1971 project.
4 Godzilla 2: Godzilla vs. The Robot Army
Godzilla vs. The Robot Army was due to be the original sequel to the original. Due to be released between 1985 and 1989, the sequel was due to introduce the Heisei era which would last from 1984 to 1995. The plot of this film eventually became the basis for Gunhed, while the Godzilla franchise replaced the slot intended for this project with Godzilla vs. Biollante.
3 Godzilla vs. Biollante 2
The 1989 Japanese Toho production of Godzilla vs. Biollante clearly established an open ending with the Biollante escaping. Godzilla didn’t kill the creature and the island of Japan is still in danger. Despite all of this, it doesn’t appear like future plans for the series or any sequel to this story has been planned or slated for release meaning the story remains open-ended and unresolved.
2 Godzilla 2
The 1998 film starring Matthew Broderick was the first in a planned trilogy after Sony acquired the Godzilla rights in 1992. It took several years to get to the point where the 1998 film was ready to play in theaters and when it finally did, it earned roughly three times its budget at the box office. It was profitable but not as much as it was intended to make, but the studios planned to move forward with a trilogy anyway with a sequel planned for 1999 or 2000. The project had a completed script, but with people stepping back from the project, the studio’s time ran out when their rights to the franchise dissolved in 2003. The 1998 film ended on a cliffhanger with tons of giant lizard eggs ready to hatch, but this was never followed up.
1 Shin Godzilla 2
In 2016, Shin Godzilla was released by Toho Studios and quickly became a critical and financial success. The first installment ends in uncertainty with the Godzilla monster ready to unthaw at any moment. However, despite the intention for a sequel, the studio never progressed with the idea. Originally it intended to start a MonsterVerse inspired by the MCU, and its popularity, but it remains to be seen years later if Toho will take this Shin Godzilla 2 and the MonsterVerse any further. However, Godzilla continues to appear in many other projects.
