In early 1985, the trade papers reported that Toho was asking for several million dollars for the North American distribution rights for "The Return of Godzilla", and that discussions had taken place with MGM/United Artists and other studios. At one point, a Toho spokesman complained that the best offer ponied up (by an unnamed Hollywood studio) was in the $2 million range. The bidding war didn't last long, and Toho wound up getting far less money. By May, the new "Godzilla" film had been passed over by the majors and fallen instead into the hands of indie distributor New World Pictures. New World's budget breakdown for "Godzilla 1985" is as follows: $500,000 to lease the film from Toho, $200,000 for filming the new scenes and other revisions, and $2,500,000 for prints and advertising, adding up to a grand total of approximately $3,200,000.