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
The Return of Godzilla foot was also built for close-up shots of city destruction scenes. "The Return of Godzilla" was released on December 15, 1984 in Japan where it was distributed by Toho. It was a reasonable success in Japan, with attendance figures at approximately 3,200,000 and the box office gross being approximately $11 million (the film's budget was $6.25 million). Despite its American re-edit receiving negative reviews, the original Japanese cut of the film has been much more well-received by critics and fans. In 1985, the film won the "Japan Academy Award" for Special Effects. WatchMojo.com listed "The Return of Godzilla" as #8