Summary
- Godzilla vs Kong 2 has been delayed to April 12, 2024, due to scheduling changes caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
- The movie was filmed in Queensland, Australia, and is currently in the editing and post-production stage.
- The focus of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be on the titular monsters, but there are some new human characters, including Dan Stevens and Fala Chen, joining the cast.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is set to be an epic showdown, especially given the end of the first modern Godzilla vs Kong film. The MonsterVerse’s future was always geared around Godzilla vs Kong‘s release. Six years before Godzilla vs Kong hit theaters and HBO Max, Warner Bros., and Legendary Entertainment announced plans to develop a King Kong film in addition to a Godzilla sequel, everyone knew it would ultimately lead to a Godzilla and Kong showdown. Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Kong: Skull Island came out in 2017 and Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters was finally released in 2019 — five years after Gareth Edwards’ first movie debuted.
Everyone knew the goal was to lay the foundation for the two monsters clashing on the big screen in 2021. However, no future MonsterVerse sequels were confirmed prior to release, presumably because the studio didn’t want anyone to know who would win. Given how Godzilla vs Kong ends, with both monsters becoming kings of their respective domains — Godzilla remaining the Alpha Titan on the surface and Kong reigning as king of the Hollow Earth — they’re returning in Godzilla vs Kong 2 to finish their battle. The Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire release date is now set, so all that’s left for audiences to do is wait until the kaiju rumble of the century hits the big screens.
The Latest Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire News
The latest news on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire concerns the release date for Godzilla vs Kong 2, and it’s unfortunately been delayed alongside several other Warner Bros. movies. The good news is that, while some other projects like Dune: Part Two have been moved back nearly half a year, the new Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire release date is less than a month after it was originally slated for release. Warner Bros. has delayed the new Godzilla vs Kong movie to April 12, 2024 so that its previous March 15 slot is available for the new Dune movie. The rescheduling on Warner Bros. part is in response to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes as both actors and writers negotiate for fair pay and working conditions.
Godzilla Vs Kong 2 Release Date
In March 2022, Godzilla vs Kong updates indicates the movie was going to film in Queensland, Australia. That filming finally wrapped up in late 2022. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be filmed in the southeast of Queensland as well as on the Gold Coast. With shooting wrapped, there will now be a very long period of editing and post-production where they design the monsters and CGI that will play out on the screen. This is why the release date is still a while away. The official Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire release date is April 12, 2024.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire: The Cast
When it comes to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire updates, the focus remains on the monsters and not so much on the humans. This makes casting news secondary to news about the monsters themselves. However, there are some big Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire updates about the humans who will appear alongside the giant creatures. The biggest news is that there is a brand-new lead character in Legion’s Dan Stevens. Stevens is playing the main protagonist in what might be a similar role as the one Alexander Skarsgård played in Godzilla vs. Kong.
Brian Tyree Henry is set to return as Bernie Hayes, who appeared for the first time in Godzilla vs. Kong. He was the conspiracy theorist who teamed with Madison Russell and Josh Valentine to expose what Monarch was doing behind the scenes. Rebecca Hall is also back as Dr. Ilene Andrews, the linguist who studied Kong on Skull Island, as is Kaylee Hottle as her adopted daughter Jia. When it comes to newcomers, Fala Chen (Shang Chi) has joined the cast in an unknown role. Alex Ferns (Andor) and Rachel House (Thor Ragnarok) are two other new cast members.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Story Details
In an interview with Deadline, Godzilla vs Kong director Adam Wingard suggested what Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s story could focus on – building on the lore of the Hollow Earth. Wingard stated he believes that, by exploring and explaining the Hollow Earth, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire can offer more about where the Titans came from, how they got there, and why they rose to the surface. He also cites that the previous films have garnered enough mystery surrounding the location, and he – much like viewers – wants to see those questions answered. Adam Wingard’s full quote can be read below.
The clear starting point we teed up (in GVK), exploring Hollow Earth, I think there is a lot more to do there. This is a pre-history of Planet Earth, where all the titans come from. We tee up some mystery in this film, things I want to see resolved and explored and pushed to the next level.
With the latest Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire updates revealing the title of the movie and the new villain, a more concrete story can be ascertained. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will see Godzilla and Kong teaming up this go-around to fight against a deadly Titan force. It seems like the villainous Titan has stolen power from the Hollow Earth temple to rival that of both Godzilla and Kong, and in order to maintain peace between the two worlds, the titular Titans must band together to stop him. All of these possible details would make good on Adam Wingard’s promise of more exploration of the Hollow Earth.
Some Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire updates have showcased the new powerful ape Titan. In addition, the villain is shown to have glowing blue eyes, which suggests that the ape Titan possesses the same powers as Godzilla. Godzilla is powered by blue atomic energy that gives him his atomic breath ability, something that Kong doesn’t possess. Since Godzilla’s power can be found at the Hollow Earth temple, it’s possible that a member of Kong’s species found a way in and obtained this power for himself. If this is the case, it’s possible that this incident is what incites the Titan War.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Trailer
While Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire updates don’t include a full-length trailer, Legendary Entertainment did drop a title reveal trailer that gives audiences a glimpse of the new villain, which possibly gave away more than the studios intended. The trailer sees a formidable Titan sitting among bones and other remains with glowing blue eyes. The camera zooms out to reveal the glowing skulls of Kong’s ape species and a Godzillasaurus before blasting the film’s title across the screen, along with a deafening roar. The new villain’s glowing blue eyes then encompass the screen before cutting to black.
Is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire A Son Of Kong Story?
Updates reveal that the title of the film will be Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, meaning the new MonsterVerse movie won’t be Son of Kong. That doesn’t mean, however, that the new villain isn’t possibly Kong’s son. It’s possible that one of the King of the Hollow Earth’s offspring emerged and sought vengeance on his father’s rival. The idea is exciting, though this is only rumors, and nothing is set in stone. Still, it would be incredible to see one of King Kong’s offspring wreaking havoc in Godzilla’s territory.
However, since the title is Godzilla x Kong, it suggests that there will be a team-up between the two Titans, casting a shadow of doubt on the theory that the new villain is an offspring of Kong. Kong going against one of his own children is possible, especially if this Titan stole power from the Hollow Earth temple. On top of that, the focus on Hollow Earth and possibly stolen powers suggests more monstrous Titans could arise, inspiring the possibility that the film could depict the teased Titan War. However, the latest updates reveal nothing of the sort in writing.
Godzilla Vs Kong Monsterverse Future Also Includes A TV Spin-Off
Apple TV is the streaming service to keep an eye on when it comes to the new MonsterVerse television spinoff series. Reportedly the spinoff will take place after the events of Godzilla, the 2014 movie. After the prolific battle between Godzilla and the other titans, the television series follows a family with mysterious ties to the organization Monarch. As they uncover new lore and more mystery surrounding their legacy, things will inevitably heat up as the Titans threaten total destruction.
The showrunner for the Godzilla series is none other than Star Trek: Enterprise‘s Chris Black, in conjunction with Matt Fraction, who produced Hawkeye. With Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire making its way down the pipeline, coupled with the TV spinoff, it’s going to be an exciting time for fans of the MonsterVerse.
