Godzilla 1998 Open Matte -

When Godzilla hit theaters, it was in a wide , meaning the top and bottom of the frame were blocked off to create a cinematic "letterbox" look. However, director Roland Emmerich actually filmed much of the movie on Super 35mm film , which captures a taller image than what’s shown in theaters.

The Open Matte frame closes on a title card: Godzilla 1998 Open Matte

This is the "forbidden fruit" aspect that fans love. In 1998, CGI was advanced but not perfect. The visual effects team rendered the dinosaurs and the monster specifically for the 2.35:1 theatrical frame. They didn't bother animating or texturing the parts of the image that the audience would never see. When Godzilla hit theaters, it was in a

[Generated AI] Date: April 24, 2026

Should we look into where you can or find physical copies of different aspect ratio versions? In 1998, CGI was advanced but not perfect