Godzilla (1998 film) scenes that required practical effects, Tatopoulos' studio created a 6th-scale animatronic model of Godzilla's upper-body as well as a 24th-scale Godzilla suit donned by stuntman Kurt Carley, however, the filmmakers favored CG over practical effects and as a result, the final film features 400 digital shots, 185 of which feature Godzilla, and only two dozen practical effects used in the final film. Production began in May 1997, in New York City, and moved to Los Angeles in June. Scenes in New York were filmed in 13 days; tropical scenes were filmed in the Hawaiian Islands. The United States Marine Corps
Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 3D falls off as the Scorpion-78 lifts off and Kevin takes the co-pilot's place. As Daxton flies the chopper, Kevin reluctantly fires the missile into Godzilla's throat, which successfully kills the monster. Kevin falls off the Scorpion-78, but is saved by Godzilla. Kevin weeps as Godzilla takes its last breath. In 1983, American filmmaker Steve Miner approached Toho, the owners of Godzilla, about a Hollywood-produced "Godzilla" film with a big budget, A-list actors, and high-priced special effects. Miner had stated to have "always been a fan of Godzilla" and found that the character could be remade into a potentially "good movie".