
Godzilla emerges from Marina Bay to mark franchise's 70th anniversary
It then lets out an almighty roar as it prepares to unleash its destructive atomic breath. The behemoth can also be seen in various locations across South-east Asia at different points of the video, such as near the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and near the famous terraced paddy fields of Bali.
The video was produced by Japanese entertainment company Toho - which owns the Godzilla brand - to mark the 70th anniversary of the first Godzilla film, released in October 1954.
"For the first time across South-east Asia, the legend emerges in a powerful tribute to the fans who have kept its legacy alive," said Toho, in the video's description.
The company added: "This special footage honours South-east Asia, celebrating seven decades of Godzilla's unstoppable journey through the region's iconic landmarks."
Godzilla, which was created after World War II, is a symbolic figure that represents the destructive power of nuclear weapons and the threat they pose to humanity and the environment.
In November 2024, Toho opened a subsidiary, Toho Entertainment, in Singapore. Toho Entertainment will serve as a base for the company to expand into the wider Asian region.
This is not the first time a fictional Japanese colossus has appeared in Marina Bay.
Japanese superhero Ultraman was seen battling a Godzilla-like monster at Gardens by the Bay in November 2021, in a tourism movie produced by Japanese special effects studio Tsuburaya Productions.
Those wondering what would happen if Godzilla actually did appear in Marina Bay can rest assured that the Republic of Singapore Navy has got the nation covered, with its "Top Secret Ops Godzilla" plan that it unveiled in June 2024.
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New Paper
an hour ago
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Malay rock legend Rosli Mohalim is a busker now
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CNA
5 hours ago
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Commentary: Tough to make a living writing books, but Singapore needs storytellers
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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
What Superman's pet Krypto owes to director James Gunn's badly behaved rescue dog
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Superman, which also stars Nicholas Hoult as the Man of Steel's nemesis Lex Luthor and Rachel Brosnahan as intrepid reporter Lois Lane, is now showing in cinemas. 'The universe we normally see Superman living in in movies is usually this lone, serious superhero and then people and then that's it,' Gunn said. 'This Superman exists in a different sort of universe where there are flying dogs.' But Ozu served as more than just inspiration. Gunn's pup also became the physical model for Krypto, who is computer-generated so he can do things like soar through the sky and attack villains. Krypto is a little bigger than Ozu and has white fur instead of grey , but otherwise he is a dead ringer. Although Gunn's version of Krypto owes everything to Ozu, Krypto has a long history in comic books. He first appeared in 1955, and while he has never shown up in any of Superman's live-action big-screen outings, he was voiced by American actor Dwayne Johnson in the animated film DC League Of Super-Pets (2022). Gunn does not get deep into Krypto lore in Superman, but he does have plans for him, including a starring role in 2026's Supergirl, which is based on the comic Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow (2021 to 2022). Krypto features prominently in that tale. Because Gunn wanted Krypto to resemble his own pet as closely as possible, the first step involved a 3D scan of Ozu. Ozu, who is now better behaved than he used to be, 'despised' the process, the film-maker said, explaining: 'He has to stand on this table and then there's a globe of cameras surrounding him. They take pictures and we kind of move him around a little bit, and it gets every angle of him.' 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On set, the actors playing opposite Krypto occasionally just had to imagine he was there, miming as if interacting with a dog. In other instances, a 'series of very small women' played Krypto, Gunn said. But sometimes, a real dog was present. Her name was Jolene, and they would play the 1973 song by American country legend Dolly Parton every time she arrived. 'She had white fur and we would use that as a reference for the lighting so we knew what a white dog would look like in the area,' Gunn said. As for the sounds Krypto makes, Gunn once again went back to Ozu and recorded him for reference. But Gunn also did not want to overdo it. 'The sound people know this: It's my pet peeve that every time an animal is on-screen, they make it make a sound. The truth is, dogs are funny because, for the most part, they are Buster Keaton,' said DC Studios' co-CEO, referring to the American silent film star. As a dog lover, Gunn aimed to make sure the way Krypto cranes his neck, wags his tail or gets easily distracted was portrayed accurately. The fact that he is terribly behaved makes Superman's loyalty to him all the more impactful in perilous situations, Gunn said. 'Superman is such a compassionate person that he's worried about the dog being scared,' Gunn said. 'That's the thing that upsets him: The dog is scared. And we've only seen the dog give him grief. I think it's really important that Superman is tuned into his own sense of compassion in that way.' Ozu, meanwhile, seems to have complicated feelings regarding his debut as the model for a superhero. Gunn posted a video on Instagram of Ozu barking at Krypto. This, he said, happened repeatedly during the editing process. 'He comes darting from the other side of the house and runs into the office so he can bark at Krypto,' Gunn said. 'For two years, he barked at Krypto on-screen.' NYTIMES Superman is showing in Singapore cinemas.