1998’s Divisive Godzilla Reboot Leaving Netflix This Month

Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla will leave Netflix at the end of the month, closing the window for anyone who wants to revisit—or re-litigate—its divisive reception.

The American reboot earned a massive $379 million worldwide when it hit theaters, but those box-office numbers did little to quell the backlash; Toho later rebranded this version of the creature as “Zilla.”

Matthew Broderick stars as nuclear regulatory scientist Nick Tatopoulos, joined by Jean Reno, Maria Pitillo, Hank Azaria and Kevin Dunn, as the human ensemble scrambles to track and contain the mutated creature tearing through New York City.

Roger Ebert reviewed the movie at the time, calling it a loud, hollow spectacle that mistook scale for soul and criticizing its reliance on darkness and rain to obscure creature effects. Release date: May 20, 1998. Runtime: 139 minutes. Director: Roland Emmerich. Writers: Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich.

United States, New York City

godzilla, 1998, roland emmerich, zilla, netflix, matthew broderick, jean reno, hank azaria, toho, box office