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Godzilla: History's Greatest Monster is a 2028 American monster film directed and written by Alex Garland. The film is a reboot of the ongoing Monsterverse. Produced by Legendary Pictures and Regency Enterprises, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the first film in the Garland Godzilla trilogy, the 40th film of the Godzilla franchise, and the seventh Godzilla film to be completely produced by an American film studio. The film stars Glen Powell, Tom Hardy, Jessica Henwick, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Michael Fassbender and Lucas Hedges. The film features the Anti-Megalosaurus Force as they try to find a way to kill Godzilla.
In 2024, Garland met with producer Thomas Tull to discuss creating a Godzilla film. Garland envisioned a serious and grounded take on the iconic monster, distancing his vision from what he described as the "silly" tone of the Monsterverse. Initially hesitant, Tull greenlit the project after Garland argued that audiences could differentiate between the Monsterverse and a standalone trilogy, citing the coexistence of animated Transformers films alongside the live-action series as an example.
Production officially began in November 2025, with principal photography running from July to November 2026. The film was made on a production budget of $180 million.
Godzilla: History's Greatest Monster was released on March 21, 2028, and received critical acclaim for Garland's direction, its gripping narrative, groundbreaking visual effects, intense action sequences, and nuanced sound design. The film grossed $625.9 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing entry in the Godzilla franchise at the time. It won the Academy Award for Best Sound and was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 102nd Academy Awards.
Plot[]
In 1954, the first known monster, attacks the island nation of Novaterra before vanishing. Over the following decades, similar creatures—classified as Megalosauruses—emerged worldwide, wreaking havoc. In response, the Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) was established in 1982. Their efforts subdued many of these monsters, either killing them or driving them into dormancy.
By 2028, humanity believes the worst is behind them. However, when a Megalosaurus attacks Miami, Florida, AMF soldiers Jake and Tom Edwards are deployed to stop it. They are warned by a reclusive Japanese elder that this monster is no ordinary Megalosaurus—it is Godzilla, a creature far more powerful than anything they’ve faced before. Godzilla annihilates most of the AMF forces with his atomic heat ray, killing Tom and leaving Jake vowing revenge. Godzilla then disappears into the ocean.
In 2030, AMF agents Ruby Hawke and Adrian Saperstein find Jake living in seclusion. They convince him to return to the AMF after a series of mysterious ship sinkings near Novaterra. The team travels to Aurora, Novaterra's capital, where Godzilla surfaces near a nuclear reactor but retreats after hearing a call from another monster. Scientists Dr. Jun Ogata and Dr. Jude Williams reveal that Godzilla is a juvenile and the last of his species. Ogata proposes overloading Godzilla with energy to kill him, while Williams argues that Godzilla may be Earth's savior.
Meanwhile, a second AMF team is wiped out by M1, the first Megalosaurus, who has reawakened and begun rampaging across the region. Godzilla and M1 clash in Marivena, a neighboring city, but the battle ends in a stalemate when Novaterra's military intervenes. M1 retreats, leaving Godzilla weakened. Despite Ogata’s insistence that Godzilla is not humanity’s true enemy, global leaders classify him as a threat.
The AMF hatches a plan to kill Godzilla on Aureum Island by overloading him with nuclear energy. The plan is initially successful, but Ogata is killed by Williams, who sabotages the operation, believing Godzilla’s survival is crucial for Earth’s future. Godzilla escapes, killing much of the AMF team, including Williams, and heads for Aurora, where M1 has launched a devastating assault.
As Godzilla and M1 engage in a brutal battle, it becomes clear that M1 is absorbing nuclear energy to grow stronger, while Godzilla’s presence revitalizes the environment. Adrian, realizing the ecological significance of Godzilla, uses the USS Patriot’s Maser Turrets to weaken M1. This allows Godzilla to overpower M1, killing him by crushing his skull.
In the aftermath, Jake hijacks an AMF jet and lures Godzilla to the mountains, using missiles to trap him in a makeshift prison. As Novaterra begins rebuilding, Jake vows to kill Godzilla if he ever escapes. Godzilla’s final roar echoes through the mountains, a reminder that his imprisonment may only be temporary.