“Godzilla: King of Monsters” follows the efforts
of the secret crypto-zoological agency Monarch
as it faces off against the ancient monsters who
were thought to be myths at first, but rise up to
once again put humanity in jeopardy. The film
touches on overpopulation and the monsters’
impact on climate change through radiation
that causes earthquakes, forest fires, hurricanes
and tsunamis.
Kyle Chandler, who plays Madison’s father, said
the monsters’ effect on climate change was
“obviously a theme.”
Dougherty said he wanted to highlight Godzilla
and other monsters as iconic figures. He also felt
the need to show compassion toward the main
character, who he says is misunderstood.
“You know with Godzilla and the other creatures,
they have something to tell us if we are willing
to listen,” he said. “They’re not just monsters
for the sake of having monsters. They’re truly
mythic. I really wanted to elevate the creatures
in a way and really portray them as sort of these
ancient deities. Go biblical with them. I just
felt like that would make them resonate a little
bit more than just seeing big animals, beating
the crap out of each other, really giving them
personalities and souls.”