is a 1958 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it stars Kōzō Nomura, Ayumi Sonoda, and Koreya Senda, with Haruo Nakajima as Varan. In the film, authorities contend with the appearance of a giant reptilian monster as it attempts to reach civilization. In 1957, Toho was approached by American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres (AB-PT) to co-produce a new kaiju film for television. It was intended to be a three-part film, each 30 minutes with fade-in/outs for commercial breaks. However, AB-PT collapsed during production and Toho altered the film's status from a television film to a theatrical feature. As a result, the crew faced difficulties and filming lasted 28 days. The film was theatrically released in Japan on October 14, 1958. A heavily localized version, with new footage starring Myron Healey in the lead, was released in the United States on December 12, 1962 by Crown International as Varan the Unbelievable. Varan would later be briefly featured in Destroy All Monsters. Plot Two scholars are sent to a region known as the "Tibet of Japan" to study rare butterflies, but they are killed by a landslide triggered by a massive creature. Reporter Yuriko, sister to one of the late scholars, travels to Iwaya Village with scientist Kenji and another colleague to investigate the deaths, after the media blames a local spirit named “Baradagi” as the culprit. The trio reach the village but are ordered by the village priest to turn back before invoking Baradagi’s wrath. However, against the priest’s demands, the trio chase after a boy pursuing his dog in the forest. After finding the boy, a giant reptilian monster surfaces from a nearby lake and attacks the village, crushing the priest in the process. Kenji identifies the beast as "Varan". Back in Tokyo, Dr. Sugimoto adds that Varan is a Varanopode, a creature that lived during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Sugimoto is then asked by the Defense Agency to accompany them to the area. Varan is driven out of the lake with chemicals and engages the military. Kenji and Yuriko are chased by the monster, but take refuge in a cave where Varan attempts to reach them. At Sugimoto’s suggestion, flares are used to distract Varan. However, Varan sprouts wings and flees into the sea. While the Air Force and Navy search for Varan, Sugimoto joins