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 (1998 film) However, poor merchandise sales for the film led to a cancellation of a toyline based on the animated series. Robert Fried had estimated that $80 million was spent on marketing worldwide. The Wall Street Journal reported that the film would need to earn $240 million domestically in order to be considered a success. "Godzilla" was released worldwide on May 20, 1998. Sony expected the film to earn $100 million during the film's opening weekend, which fell on Memorial Day weekend. The film instead earned $55 million on its opening weekend and $74 million one week after its release, below industry