A closing shot from Toho's
Godzilla vs. Super Mecha Godzilla (1993). Originally the film ended with Godzilla being healed by the demise of Rodan, Godzilla destroying Mecha Godzilla, and the baby Godzilla following the larger kaiju out to the sea.
However, a quick rewrite and short re shoot resulted in a new ending:
Shelley Sweeney's character, a pilot of Mecha Godzilla, is revealed to be an android midway through the film. Near the climax, her AI (which was salvaged from the system of Mecha King Ghidorah) turns hostile and she turns on her team and forces them to evacuate while she turns Mecha Godzilla's weapons on the dying Godzilla, Rodan, humanity, and the Baby Godzilla...
Before all is lost, Godzilla receives enough strike to damage MG which kills Godzilla. Godzilla's nuclear energy is close to exploding until Rodan collides with him and the two burst into flame. The android reboots herself and MG, but to her surprise, the kaiju have vaporized. MG turns towards the fleeing survivors before a concentrated blast of atomic fire strikes and melts the machine. Radiation levels plummet and the evacuees turn to see an angry, glowing, fully grown baby Godzilla.
A surprise indeed, any were unaware of the dramatic change until news broke of Tristar's progress on their Godzilla movie...
A mock-up of director John Carpenter's "first" Godzilla movie...
Meanwhile, Tristar releases James Cameron's
Spiderman (1995) , starring Michael Biehn as Peter Parker and the title webhead, Molly Ringwald as Mary Jane Watson, Olympia Dukakis as Aunt May, Stan Lee as J. Jonah Jameson, and Dolph Lundgren as Dr. Otto Octavius. Cameron had originally envisioned Arnold Schwarzenegger as Doc Ock before he thought of including up to two more villains. With costs mounting, Cameron was ordered to have only one villain and save money elsewhere. So he picked
Rocky IV actor and chemical engineer Dolph Lundgren to play the villain. Fans were quick to attack the production, citing Michael Biehn to be too old and Cameron's unfamiliarity with comics. However, Cameron took some advice and implemented some welcome changes: A lengthy opening credit scene showing Spiderman's origins (including some scenes from "the night gwen stacy died", but with faces out of focus.) and the story proper beginning with a tired Peter Parker graduating from college with a triple major for teaching, chemical engineering, and physics; while still freelancing at the Bugle and living in a studio with Mary Jane.
The film is a magnificent hit and Tristar begins developing a sequel while prepping
Godzilla for release...
Ben Affleck as Superman/ Clark Kent in DC/ Warner Bros's
Superman Lives (1997, directed by Robert Rodriguez). A two hour plus adaptation of
the Death of Superman DC storyline written by Kevin Smith; Ben Affleck takes over the mantle of the man of steel from Christopher Reeve, and leads of heroes, villains, and those caught in between: Claire Forlani (Lois Lane), Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor), Charlton Heston (Perry White), Michael Clarke Duncan (John Henry Irons/ Steel), Casey Affleck (Jimmy Olsen), Keith David (Jon Jonzz), Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern), David Duchovny (Batman), Christina Hendricks (Wonder Woman), Robert Patrick (Brainiac) and Doomsday (motion capture of Hulk Hogan and voice work by Clancy Brown)
The phenomenal success surpasses the producers' dreams and frightens Tristar, but instead of cutting or meddling, they give Carpenter more funds to make
Godzilla king.