Why did Toho create two timelines?
After the release of TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA in 1975, Toho realized that dismal audience numbers for recent Godzilla films and poor economic times made it impossible to continue releasing make Godzilla films year after year. Nine years after TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA, a decision was made to make a new Godzilla movie to coincide with the up-coming 40th anniversary of the movie that started it all, GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS. It was decided that the new movie would return to Godzilla’s roots as a destructive force instead of the friendly monster in recent movies so all movies after GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS would be ignored. The new movie would be a direct sequel to the first. So in 1984, the movie that was retitled GODZILLA 1985 in the U.S. was released, heralding a new era for Godzilla.
