Even with over 35 films under his belt, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, countless awards for directors and filmmakers he’s worked with, a recent collaboration with King Kong, and a career spanning 68 years, Godzilla is only now getting the recognition he truly deserves: Mattel is about to turn the towering prehistoric sea monster into a Hot Wheels car.
Hollywood studios may seem focused on box office success and bringing home prestigious trophies come awards season, but ask anyone working in front of the camera and they’ll tell you what really gets them out of bed every morning at the crack of dawn and has them staying on set until the middle of the night is the slim chance that Mattel will honour their hard work with a tiny 1:64-scale die-cast car bearing a passing resemblance to a character they’ve brought to life.
In the past, we’ve seen Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman given the four-wheel treatment, as well as Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, but year after year these reveals have been met with outrage from Gojira’s fanbase, who can’t understand why a career that started as far back as 1954 has gone completely ignored by the Hot Wheels academy — until now.
Given it’s just a few weeks away, you’re probably already planning for the upcoming November 3rd festivities, on which we not only celebrate National Homemaker Day, National Sandwich Day, and National Smart Home Day, but also Godzilla Day, timed to coincide with November 3, 1954, when Godzilla first made his big screen debut. This year’s holiday is going to be extra special as Hot Wheels rolls out two new Godzilla-themed character cars. Good luck trying to sleep the night before.
Hot Wheels Godzilla Character Car
Available starting in early November for $US4 ($6) exclusively from Target, the 1:64-scale Hot Wheels Godzilla Character Car is based on the design of the six-wheeled Japanese HINO heavy construction truck. The pile of debris in the truck’s bed is made to resemble Godzilla’s iconic dorsal fins, while the cab recreates the creature’s head with a furrowed brow and teeth chomping down on its engine. The truck is also marked with a number on the side which is actually the date of Gojira’s silver screen debut, as well as katakana lettering spelling out Godzilla.
Hot Wheels Godzilla Monster Truck
A more fitting four-wheeled take on Godzilla will be arriving from Hot Wheels a little later, sometime in early 2023, in the form of a 1:64-scale die-cast monster truck with more detailing than the Character Car and a set of four giant wheels that are far better suited for flattening a city. Hot Wheels hasn’t revealed specific pricing for the Godzilla monster truck just yet, but to date these have usually been priced just a few dollars more than their smaller counterparts.
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