‘Godzilla’ Reboot Completes Lead Casting With Sally Hawkins

Godzilla reboot planners have picked up the last member of their ensemble cast in Sally Hawkins, Deadline reported on Friday.

Hawkins is most known for her standout performance as the optimistic schoolteacher Poppy in the 2008 comedy-drama Happy-Go-Lucky.

According to the website, in 2014’s Godzilla reboot, she will play a scientist, joining a cast that includes Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, David Strathairn, Brian Cranston, Ken Watanabe, and Juliette Binoche.

Fans of the original lizard have been waiting for bad news to befall the future blockbuster as thoughts of the critically and commercially maligned Godzilla remake of 1998 continue to haunt the pop culture landscape.

The new film’s director Gareth Edwards (Monsters) recently said he was aware of the expectations on his version without heaping hate directly on Roland Emmerich’s effort.

In an interview with Shock Till You Drop, Edwards acknowledged the pressure he’s under to perform with such a well-loved franchise. “I guess I will say I’m highly aware — and everyone involved is incredibly aware — of everyone’s opinions on what this film has to do and what it has to be.”

Edwards continued: “And no one will do anything but the right thing. Without addressing anything specific, everyone knows how important is to get it right.”

Important because the last time Hollywood tried contributing to the international phenomenon that is known as Godzilla, it produced a film deemed “rotten” by both the critical (25 percent) and fan (38 percent) community at Rotten Tomatoes.

Audiences largely hated the attempt, but the lizard’s past was able to carry it through the turmoil to a worldwide profit of around $249 million, Box Office Mojo noted, largely thanks to its international take.

Domestically, it had huge expectations but was only able to eke out a $6 million profit on its $130 million budget.

With next year’s film, audiences can look forward to two brand new monsters and a script from Mr. Shawshank Redemption himself, Frank Darabont.

That’s got to be better than this:

What do you think about Sally Hawkins joining the cast of the Godzilla reboot? Are you excited at the idea of another film, or would you rather Hollywood left this one alone?