January 5, 2011 15:08

'Monsters' director Gareth Edwards to helm new Godzilla film

Edwards will direct the giant Japanese lizard flick

Gareth Edwards, the British director who helmed 2010 indie alien invasion hit Monsters, is to handle a forthcoming reboot of the Godzilla franchise. Thehollywoodreporter.com claims that Edwards, who made Monsters on a shoe-string budget and a home computer, will make the film for Legendary Pictures, the company that co-produced blockbusters such as Inception and The Dark Knight.

Monsters, the story of a couple attempting to make their way through alien-infested Mexico, was a critical hit last year, being nominated for six British Independent Film Awards. Edwards and the film won the Best Director, Best Technical Achievement and Best Achievement in Production awards.

The last western-created Godzilla film was released in 1998. A loose re-imagining of the 1954 Japanese original, it was directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich and starred Matthew Broderick.

Edwards' take on the giant lizard is expected to be released in 2012. In the meantime he's working on a new sci-fi project with Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov.