Movies Science Fiction Movies

Godzilla 2014 Had A Code Name That Wasn't All That Secretive

Godzilla 2014 movie poster Warner Bros.
By Ryan Scott/

Director Gareth Edwards' 2014 "Godzilla" has become a rather important movie in the history of the now 70-year-old franchise. Not only was it the first American-produced film to feature the legendary monster since 1998's disastrous attempt by Roland Emmerich, but it also kicked off Warner Bros. and Legendary's MonsterVerse, which is still going strong today. But even back then, excitement was palpable and the production had to try and keep a tight lid on things. In some cases, those were fruitless efforts.

Many films use code names during production to help throw people off the scent. For "Godzilla," the powers that be decided to refer to the movie as "Nautilus," which is seemingly a reference to the USS Nautilus (the first-ever nuclear submarine that launched in 1954, the same year Godzilla was introduced to the world). During a 2014 on-set interview conducted by Collider with one of the film's stars, Bryan Cranston, the actor was asked whether or not he says the word "Godzilla" in the film. It's then that he revealed just how unhelpful the movie's code name proved to be:

"I haven't said the word. I'm not allowed to. What's funny is that there was a lot of secrecy about the whole thing, and early on they were calling it 'Nautilus,' so I'm going through Canadian immigration, and trying to get my paperwork, and the guy was very efficient. 'What are you working on?' 'A movie.' 'What's the name of the movie?' 'Nautilus.' And that's when his eyes went up. 'You mean 'Godzilla.” And I go,' Yeah.' But even he knew!"

Many other big films have used similarly clever titles during production. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" was filmed under the name "Space Bear," for example. But with these gigantic franchise films in the age of the internet, there is simply too much interest from the general public to maintain the secrecy.

Godzilla is too big to be kept a secret

Godzilla 2014 San Francisco attack Warner Bros.

It's easy to forget in the age of the MonsterVerse that we're living in now, with "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" in theaters mere months after "Godzilla Minus One" wrapped up its theatrical run, but 2014 was a time when fans were starved for more from this franchise. It had been 16 years since 1998's "Godzilla" and a full decade since 2004's "Final Wars." And since Yoshimitsu Banno's infamous "Godzilla" IMAX short never came to be, audiences were very much ready for more. That being the case, interest was wildly high. So it only makes sense that a clever nickname wasn't going to do much to send people in the wrong direction.

In the end, it hardly mattered. Many of the film's surprises were kept intact and, while Edwards' movie does remain a bit divisive, it was generally received well. 2014's "Godzilla" would also go on to make $529 million at the global box office, paving the way for the various other films (and a TV series) that now make up the MonsterVerse, which has become a $2 billion franchise.

Interestingly enough, the MonsterVerse property has since embraced Nautilus as part of the canon in this universe. The graphic novel "Godzilla: Awakening" explains that the USS Nautilus actually awakened the eponymous monster from the depths of the ocean. So the name, in the end, wasn't all for nothing.

Recommended