Godzilla vs Mothra Script

Mothra Year 65th Anniversary commemorative logo

Mothra made her debut in Mothra (1961). She battled Godzilla in Mothra vs Godzilla (1964) and fought with Godzilla in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964). She saved her people in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966). Her last appearance in the Showa era was Destroy All Monsters (1968) despite a cameo in Godzilla vs Gigan (1972). Later Mothra returned to make many movie appearances: Godzilla vs Mothra (1992), Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla (1994), Rebirth of Mothra (1996), Rebirth of Mothra II (1997), Rebirth of Mothra III (1998), Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002), Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003), Godzilla Final Wars (2024), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018), Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Godzilla vs Kong (2021) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). She has also appeared on TV programs from Godzilla Island (1997-1998), Godzilla Singular Point (2021).

Mothra from 1961 to 2004

I kicked off the Year of Mothra with another great find. Recently, I was fortunate and excited to find a copy of Godzilla vs Mothra (1992) script. Some scripts are available on auction websites. Script covers have been reproduced on the cover of blank notebooks (台本ノート). Complete draft and final scripts have been reprinted in various publications over the years. The Mothra scripts were reprinted in Godzilla vs Mothra Completion (ゴジラvsモスラコンプリーション) published by Hobby Japan in 2024. From time to time scripts are available for public viewing at Godzilla exhibitions in Japan such as the Godzilla Expo and Tokusatsu DNA exhibit. The Godzilla vs Mothra script was displayed at Ario-Yao during the Godzilla Showbase exhibit in 2019. But finding original scripts is very difficult and expensive. The Godzilla vs Mothra script is extremely difficult because the final draft is not generally available for sale and has not been reprinted for public sale. My movie script was distributed on the Toho set during the film’s production 34 years ago.

The history of the development of the Godzilla vs Mothra script is complex and involved. This history along with reprinted screenplays, drafts and final script are documented in Godzilla vs Mothra Completion (p 84, See source):

1) Summery: This film went through numerous project proposals and plot drafts before the story plan was finalized and the script was written. Many creators contributed ideas, engaging in extensive discussions and deliberations, and ultimately, Kazuki Omori wrote the script to complete the story. This book presents three versions of the script—the draft, the revised draft, and the final version—along with a selection of the plots and project proposals that were considered during the development process. 2) The screenplay for this film was written by Kazuki Omori, who also served as both screenwriter and director for the previous film, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991). There were several twists and turns before it was decided that the main storyline would focus on the confrontation between Godzilla and Mothra, as indicated in the title. 3) The origins of the project can be traced back to the period between Terror of MechaGodzilla (1975) and Godzilla (1984), when Godzilla films were on hiatus. In an effort to revive the Godzilla franchise, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka conceived and developed the project “The Return of Godzilla.” Within this project, the legendary Chinese monster Bagan was considered as Godzilla’s adversary. However, the film that was ultimately produced, while having a story quite similar to “The Return of Godzilla,” did not feature Bagan, and instead presented Godzilla as a solitary monster in the 1984 film Godzilla. 4) Following the success of the 1984 Godzilla film, the next project planned was “Godzilla vs Biollante” (1989). However, since it didn’t meet the expected box office performance, producer Tanaka began considering a film featuring a monster other than Godzilla as the main character for the next project. The monster chosen was Mothra. Furthermore, the monster considered as the opponent was Bagan, who was originally planned to appear in “The Return of Godzilla.” A script (draft) titled “Mothra vs Bagan” was written by director Omori, and it was compiled into a bound volume in December 1990, a year after the release of Biollante. The design of Bagan was spearheaded by Koichi Kawakita, who was slated to be the special effects director, and multiple character image drawings were created, eventually leading to the completion of the final design by Minoru Yoshida. 5) However, from a commercial standpoint, it was decided that it would be better to use a popular monster from previous films as the opposing monster. In a survey conducted during the release of Biollante, King Ghidorah, who was the most popular among young boys, emerged as a potential antagonist, and a “Mothra vs. King Ghidorah” project was considered. On the other hand, there was strong demand from a business perspective for a Godzilla film as part of the series, and ultimately, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991) was chosen as the next film. 6) Following the success of King Ghidorah, which featured a battle between Godzilla and another popular monster, Mothra was chosen as Godzilla’s next opponent. After Godzilla vs Mothra was officially decided, Omori began working on the story. Using his previously written “Mothra vs Bagan” story as a basis, he decided to introduce a new monster in addition to Godzilla and Mothra. The monster was initially named “Bagan” in the plot, but later changed to “Desla (tentative),” then to “Battra” in the draft script, and finally settled on “Battra,” a battle-form of Mothra. 7) Meanwhile, special effects director Kawakita independently pursued his own project development, compiling his creative ideas into a proposal and design plan for the next King Ghidorah film. The concept involved humans shrinking to microscopic size and entering Godzilla’s body, with a new monster, Gigamos, being conceived. The plan, titled “Micro Super Battle Godzilla vs Gigamos,” also included the appearance of Mecha-Kong. This project, which involved commissioning plots, proposals, and monster designs from numerous designers, assistant directors, writers, and illustrators, was compiled as “Godzilla vs Gigamos” and submitted to Toho. Furthermore, a plan for “Godzilla vs. Mecha-Kong” was also considered under the same concept. While these projects were recognized for their originality, they did not align with the series concept that Toho and Toho Pictures had built, resulting in them being evaluated only as reference projects. 8) Once the next film was officially decided to be “Godzilla vs Mothra,” and this was announced to the public in a teaser trailer released during the theatrical run of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, special effects director Kawakita joined producer Tanaka and writer Omori on the project. The design for Battra was created by extensively modifying a design that had originally been considered for Gigamoth.

Reproduction and translation of the script development in Godzilla vs Mothra Completion (Hobby Japan, See source)

A fierce battle between Godzilla and Mothra begins in the sky and on the ground! [Toho Visual Effects Supervisor: Koichi Kawakita] December 9, 1991. This plot outline was found among the internal documents of “Dream Planet Japan,” a company founded by special effects director Koichi Kawakita. This plot, based on the basic storyline of the project “Godzilla vs. Gigamoth,” which was being developed by the Kawakita team led by the special effects director, was retitled “Godzilla vs Mothra.” The adult-oriented worldview created by Murakami and Mana, which was inherent in “vs. Gigamoth,” remains intact in the unfolding drama. Incidentally, it’s quite strange that the “project outline,” which states that “the story begins with an American boy witnessing Mothra flying away from Infant Island,” doesn’t match the actual content of the story at all.

Free discussion. Godzilla vs Mothra. [Koichi Kawakita] January 9, 1992. This is a valuable paper document compiled in early January 1992, the year after the release of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991), containing brief comments from employees in Toho’s film production and publicity departments regarding their thoughts on the next film, Godzilla vs Mothra. This document, like the plot summary for Godzilla vs Mothra that was published earlier, was found among the materials left behind at “Dream Planet Japan.” The contents include opinions and requests regarding Godzilla vs Mothra, and surprisingly, some negative opinions were also found, such as those from Toho employees stating that they “have no interest in Godzilla” or “don’t want to watch Godzilla movies.” This makes it a very interesting document as a source of information on Godzilla films.

Story Plot. Godzilla vs Mothra.[Kazuki Omori] January 15, 1992. This is the plot that is believed to have been written first by Kazuki Omori, who was commissioned to write the script for this film. This plot features Bagan, who appeared in “Mothra vs. Bagan,” as the third monster, and also includes numerous details unique to this plot, such as Fujito and Ando being treasure hunters, Mothra landing in Yokohama, and the transformation taking place at the InterContinental Hotel or the Landmark Tower. Furthermore, elements that were incorporated into the final film can be observed, such as the meteorite fall, the appearance of a giant egg on the island, treasure hunters, the awakening of a giant monster, the battle of the three giant monsters at sea, the abduction of the fairies by a corporation, the Mothra larva landing in Japan to rescue the fairies, Mothra’s metamorphosis into an adult, and Godzilla’s appearance from Mount Fuji.

Godzilla vs. Mothra. Draft Script. [Kazuki Omori] 125 pages, printed March 10, 1992. Based on the previous storyline, this is the first bound script, which was also written by Kazuki Omori. The main depictions that were only included in this article were: • Takuya, after finishing his looting of the Ayutthaya Kingdom ruins, is apprehended by several police officers on a train at the central station in Bangkok. • The new monster’s name is Badra. • The battle between Godzilla and Badra, which unfolded off the coast of the Philippines, concluded when both monsters fell into the crater of Mount Pinatubo, located on the western side of Luzon Island. • Badra, who fell into the crater of Mount Pinatubo, is resurrected as she emerges with the erupting magma. Furthermore, in this particular script, the ages of the main characters, who were formerly married, are set higher than usual: Takuya Fujito is 30 years old and Masako Tezuka is 32 years old, which is two years older for both characters compared to other versions of the story. Incidentally, one of the unique features of this work is that the title on the cover is written using an inverted T-shape.

Godzilla vs. Mothra. Draft Script. [Kazuki Omori] 132 pages total, completed on April 11, 1992. The second draft was written exactly one month after the completion of the initial draft. As with other articles, the settings and situations described up to this point will be: • The daughter of Takuya Fujito and Masako Tezuka, who are former spouses, is named “Moriko Tezuka.” • The transportation of the giant eggs from the island involved lifting them into the air using balloons and then having them towed by large ships across the sea. • The transformation of the Battra larva into an adult occurs immediately after it is set ablaze by artillery fire from the Self-Defense Forces in Nagoya. • The name of the hotel in Akasaka where Takuya and Moriko reunite is “Capitol Tokyu.” • Godzilla emerges from a giant mass of molten rock that rolled onto Marutomo’s golf course. • Godzilla and Battra, having been transported by air, both fall into the crater of Mount Fuji and meet their end there. • In the final scene, the location where Mothra and Cosmos, who are heading into space to destroy the giant meteorite, say goodbye to everyone is Daikoku Pier in Yokohama.

Godzilla vs. Mothra. Final Script. [Kazuki Omori] 137 pages. Completed on May 16, 1992. This is the final version of the work, which was completed and printed after a period of about a month following the initial draft. This document reflects the results of considering the budget and filming schedule for this project, based on the preliminary draft. The main sequences that appeared in this article are as follows: • The courtyard of the Lumbini Police Station in Thailand. • The method for transporting the giant egg from Infant Island to Japan will involve using a floating dock towed by a large ship. • While evacuating in a jeep, Fukazawa and his companions rescue a mother and child who were left behind on the side of the road. • At the end, Godzilla is destroyed from Mount Fuji to the sea at the northern end. Also, although mentioned in this article, unfortunately, the sequences that were not reflected in the final film are: • P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft conducting patrol operations over the Sea of ​​Japan and the Pacific Ocean. • In an underground tunnel in Nagoya City, a subway train is destroyed by a Battra larva that suddenly bursts through the wall, while the driver screams in terror.

Mothra was not my favorite growing up because she defeated Godzilla. So I never got excited about the appearance of Mothra. But her presence came in a time of crisis that led to contemplation, reflection and cinematic pause embodied in the prayers and songs of the Shobijin. Mothra’s arrival meant something had gone wrong and someone had been taken from her kingdom. She comes to right a wrong. A connection to Godzilla vs Mothra was made every weekend in 2014 as I walked the scenes of Battra obliterating Nagoya at least once a week.

My Godzilla scripts: Godzilla (1954, reprint), King Kong vs Godzilla (1962, reprint), Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monsters (1964, reprint), Godzilla vs Biollante (1989, reprint), Godzilla vs Mothra (1992, original), Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995, original), Godzilla vs. Megaguirus: The G Annihilation Strategy (2000, original), Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2002, original) and Shin Godzilla (2016, reprint, autographed)

Godzilla scripts are my addiction. I cannot afford to get them all, but original scripts are sacred paper in the history of Godzilla. To own one is a privilege and a responsibility to preserve them as precious pieces of cinema history. I look forward to digging into its development, discovering what treasures are waiting to be found. Original or reprint Godzilla scripts are all precious in my sight. Collecting Godzilla posters, program booklets, art books, soundtracks, tickets and other collectibles from the release of each Godzilla movie is fun and very informative.