After the re-adaptation of "Godzilla" in 2014, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. announced that a new movie featuring two iconic and powerful monsters will merge and deliver a shared cinematic franchise.
According to Variety, the studios have agreed to team up to deliver "Godzilla Vs. Kong" in 2020. It will be set in an "ecosystem" with both classic and new giant monster species.
"Audiences really responded to Godzilla," said Thomas Tull, the CEO of Legendary, in a press release. "Today, I'm excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I've always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we're pleased to be announcing that and more."
Tull and Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara also announced that "Godzilla Vs. Kong" will be part of a trilogy that will begin with "Kong: Skull Island," which will have a 2017 theater run. The second movie in the franchise, "Godzilla 2," will be out in theaters by 2018.
According to Slash Film, Legendary's "Kong: Skull Island" will begin production on Oct. 19 with Jordan Vogt-Roberts helming the camera. The movie will be led by Tom Hiddleston, along with co-stars Brie Larson, John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson, Corey Hawkins, Tian Jing, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham, Jason Mitchell and Toby Kebbell. The actors will play explorers of an island filled with mysteries.
On the other hand, Warner Bros.' "Godzilla 2" will be directed by Gareth Edwards, who also did the 2014 movie, where Project Monarch was first introduced. Monarch will also figure heavily in the next Godzilla, including the conclusion of the franchise in 2020, according to Digital Spy. The 2014 release of "Godzilla" earned a $200,676,069 at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
According to Washington Post, other monsters are also expected to appear in the upcoming films, such as Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. The news outlet also reported that originally, Legendary teamed up with Universal Pictures for the release of "Kong: Skull Island," however, with its new partnership with Warner Bros., the latter studio will also be distributing the Kong movie that is part of the franchise.
"Working with our partners at Legendary, we enjoyed tremendous creative and commercial success with 'Godzilla.' It's great to be able to revisit these characters and help create a franchise with so many creative possibilities for filmmakers. Fans love these big, globally iconic films and it doesn't get any bigger than this," said Tsujihara via Variety.
