You only turn 70 once, and Godzilla is celebrating its 70th anniversary in style with a brand-new popcorn bucket, courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. Originally created in 1954 by director Ishirō Honda and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka alongside special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, the King of the Monsters has had a long and storied history across films, television, video games, and more. Starring in 38 films (with five of them being American productions) is quite impressive, which makes 70 years of pop culture relevance all the more impactful. There have been several celebrations in Japan surrounding the seminal year for the character, and now North America is taking part with this unique new popcorn bucket.
Shared by the news outlet Bloody Disgusting on its social media platforms, the bucket (which can be viewed below) is a faithful recreation of Godzilla’s head, specifically his design from the Showa era of films. The Toho series of Godzilla films has been distinctly separated by different eras: Showa, Heisei, Millennium, and Reiwa era of films, separate from the “Monsterverse” era of films that were produced by both Toho and Legendary and made in North America. The Godzilla popcorn bucket stands at 12 inches tall, with the popcorn being stored in the monster’s jaw. It’s not too dissimilar to the Bruce the Shark popcorn bucket the Drafthouse released for Jaws earlier this year.
Alamo Drafthouse’s Godzilla Popcorn Bucket Is a Monstrous Celebration of the Character
The celebration of Godzilla’s 70th anniversary started in November of last year, and included re-releases of the latest Toho film, Godzilla Minus One, special screenings of other films such as the original 1954 film, a new 4K restoration of Shin Godzilla, and even special merchandise to celebrate the occasion. Alamo Drafthouse’s popcorn bucket seemingly signals the end of the celebrations, and is a great way to bring the monumental celebration of the legendary Kaiju to an end. Just recently, the Alamo Drafthouse did its own special screening of the 1984 film The Return of Godzilla as part of their “birthday” celebrations for the creature, complete with a special T-shirt that could have been purchased along with a ticket.
Despite already being 70 years old, the future of the Godzilla franchise is looking as bright as ever. There are two different Godzilla films currently in different stages of development, both with release dates in the near future. The first is the latest installment in the Monsterverse, titled Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, which will see the King of the Monsters team up with King Kong once again to take down a mysterious new threat. As for Toho’s contributions, the sequel to Godzilla Minus One, Godzilla Minus Zero, has officially started production as well, with director Takashi Yamazaki returning to continue the story.
With a bigger budget and likely more ambitious scope, Godzilla Minus Zero is a highly anticipated follow-up to the Academy Award-winning 2023 film. Minus One had shattered expectations commercially and critically, proving once again that Godzilla as an IP can simultaneously serve as both a powerful thematic storytelling device and blockbuster entertainment.
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