Based on what we heard about the footage screened for Godzilla at this year’s Comic-Con, it sounded unlike any Godzilla movie we’ve really seen before and the director of the new film, Gareth Edwards, aims to keep it that way.

When talking to Total Film (via Coventry Telegraph), Edwards said: “I’ve always been interested in Godzilla and the ideas around him. I really wanted to see another Godzilla film and jumped at the opportunity. My main idea was to imagine ‘If this really happened, what would it be like?’ I want to take a grounded, realistic approach to a Godzilla film.”

They also asked him about getting the visual effects and creature design right and he had a unique answer: “I’ve never worked this hard, this long and been this emotionally involved in something that’s lasted only a few seconds since the time I lost my virginity! But the reaction has been amazing and I can’t wait for the fans to see our final product.”

Edwards will direct from a screenplay originally drafted by David Callaham (The Expendables), David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) and Max Borenstein (The Seventh Son).

Toho’s Godzilla franchise boasts one of the most widely recognized film creatures worldwide, resulting in a series of books, television programs, video games and more than 25 films worldwide. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni will produce, along with Roy Lee, Dan Lin and Brian Rogers. Alex Garcia and Patricia Whitcher will serve as executive producers alongside Doug Davison, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.