The Convoluted Chronology of Godzilla

Above, the GMK Godzilla suit on display in Shibuya, Tokyo in 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Godzilla franchise of movies by both Toho and Legendary Pictures are basically two (or more) different monsters.

Tokyo Weekender has posted an article on the "convoluted chronology" of Godzilla. 

Here's how they start it:

Godzilla is one of the oldest film franchises in the world. (But not the “longest-running.” That title is still claimed by Japan but it belongs to a series of softcore porn movies.) In 2024, the world celebrated 70 years of the King of the Monsters smashing buildings, fighting other kaiju, and embodying the horrors of nuclear weapons. One problem with that, though. Technically, the giant dinosaurian creatures from the 33 live-action Japanese Godzilla movies are not always the same giant dinosaurian creature, meaning that there isn’t one kaiju that’s been continuously appearing in cinemas for more than seven decades now. Confused? Let us explain.

 To read more, go here.