Make-A-Wish Reimagines Godzilla

Remember when we were all fawning over Batkid? He was ridding San Francisco of evil and doing it alongside the Caped Crusader. That heartwarming story came from the people at the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and they’ve done it again.

Maddex was diagnosed with Leukemia last year and has been putting up with a slew of treatments and discomfort. Once he was stable, he was granted a wish, and his wish was a peculiar one. He wanted to star in his own film, and who doesn’t? However, Maddex is a special boy with a specific preference… he wanted to be the star of a Godzilla movie.

The boy had seen his first Godzilla movie at only 18 months old with his grandfather, and it was in original Japanese with subtitles. “He wanted to watch it over and over and over,” laughed grandfather Michael. “I created a monster.” Maddex found comfort in the monster, holding his action figures close during painful procedures and plastering home drawn pictures all over the walls.

You better believe Maddex had his own ideas for the movie. He would be playing his version of the monster, Madzilla. He chose to fight Mechagodzilla and Baragon, and he would rise from the water to face them head on. He also “demanded” to scare civilians, breathe fire, destroy buildings and take a bite out of either a train, bus or taxi.

It took a lot of people to make the project happen. Johnathan Becker of Becker Films was the creative director on the film, and estimated that the wish would have cost around $1 million without the help of volunteers and volunteered equipment. The film features shots taken from helicopters, tons of extras, and some celebrity cameos, including Mike Ditka, news anchor Maureen Maher, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as a lost taxi driver.

It was only a few days of shooting for Maddex, but now the magic is captured on film forever. Take a look at the film below.

Check out the special Beneath the Scales footage to learn more about Maddex, and how the movie was made.

If you enjoyed Carly’s article, you can find the rest of her work right HERE on Sci-Fi Bloggers.

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