Adam Wingard’s 2026 movie calendar release already looked like a welcome return to the sharp, nasty action-horror of his earlier work. The new trailer for Onslaught promises genetically engineered killers, Adria Arjona with a rifle and the kind of desert carnage that feels at home in the “survival thriller” section of a 1980s video store. Now Wingard has revealed that the new A24 movie carries a secret connection to one of his best-loved cult films, and I am suddenly even more interested.

During an appearance at San Diego Comic Con (via World of Reel), Adam Wingard confirmed a fan theory that Onslaught takes place in the same town as his 2014 thriller The Guest and revolves around another branch of the secret military program that created Dan Stevens’ near-unstoppable soldier, David Collins. Wingard said the connection is strong enough that Onslaught could “technically” be called a sequel, even though it does not continue the same characters’ story directly.

That is exactly the kind of sequel connection I can get behind. The Guest left plenty of room for David’s story to continue, but making Onslaught a conventional follow-up could also explain away too much of the original movie’s mystery. Expanding the program allows Wingard and returning writer Simon Barrett to revisit that world without simply retracing David’s bloody path.

Onslaught follows an Army sniper played by Arjona who must protect her young daughter after a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers escapes into the desert. The shared program immediately gives those attackers a more interesting history. They are not random laboratory monsters invented for a new action movie. They may be the latest products of the same machinery that turned David into such a charming nightmare.

The connection also fits a larger pattern running through Wingard and Barrett’s collaborations. In the popular V/H/S/2 anthology segment “Phase I Clinical Trials,” Wingard plays Herman, a man who receives a prosthetic eye after an accident and begins seeing terrifying figures around him. The experimental eye comes from a company called KPG, a name that also appears in You’re Next and The Guest.

That recurring company has always felt like a small connective thread between their movies rather than the foundation of a traditional cinematic universe. Still, knowing Onslaught returns to the same military program suggests Wingard and Barrett may have been quietly building a shared mythology for years. KPG could be the shadowy corporate tissue linking experimental technology, violent government programs and some deeply unfortunate test subjects.

The connection becomes even stranger because Stevens appears in Onslaught, though he is reportedly not returning as David. Instead, the actor plays a German scientist who may be involved in creating the new “perfect soldiers.” The trailer offers only a quick look, and Stevens is buried beneath enough prosthetics to make him almost unrecognizable.

That casting feels like a deliberate wink. Stevens previously played the program’s weapon, and now the horror scene stealer may be one of the men responsible for producing its next generation. It rewards The Guest fans without forcing the film to be a real sequel.

Wingard has also described Onslaught as part of a loose trilogy with The Guest and You’re Next. Arjona’s mother appears to share Erin’s survival instincts, while the military conspiracy pulls directly from David’s world. Add KPG’s earlier appearances, and the movie begins to look more and more like the latest room inside a strange house Wingard and Barrett have been constructing since their early horror days.

Check out the newest trailer below!

Onslaught reaches theaters Sept. 4. I still want a proper return for David Collins someday, preferably with that synth score rattling the walls again. Until then, a brutal desert thriller secretly expanding the world's mythology sounds far more interesting than a sequel built only to repeat what worked the first time.

The Guest, if you haven't already seen it or wish to revisit it, is streaming with a Shudder subscription.

For a few years now, fans have been anxiously awaiting Face/Off 2, the sequel to John Woo’s beloved 1997 film. The production took a massive step forward back in 2021 when Adam Wingard was hired to direct and co-write the script with Simon Barrett. From there, progress on the film seemingly moved slowly. Now, in an unfortunate turn of events, the long-gestating sequel has hit a behind-the-scenes setback. However, this development could possibly serve as good news for a reboot fans have been asking about for a while now.

How Did Face/Off 2 Hit A Setback?

It’s been reported that Adam Wingard has officially exited his post as director of the Face/Off follow-up. While confirming the news, THR did not provide specific details explaining why Wingard was no longer attached to the film, only saying that it’s now an open assignment at Paramount Pictures. This marks a serious blow for those who’ve been waiting for this sequel to be realized and, as of right now, it’s unclear if the studio has ideas about who to bring in to take the job.

Arguably one of Woo’s most beloved movies, Face/Off is a sci-fi thriller that tells the story of an FBI agent (John Travolta) and a terrorist (Nicolas Cage), who swap faces and identities due to an intricate surgery. The film has arguably received more notoriety in the years since its release. Paramount initially announced in 2019 that a reboot with a new cast would be produced. However, the movie was confirmed to be a true sequel by the time Wingard boarded the project.

Wingard has been carving out a lane for himself as a filmmaker over the past several years, having made the jump from smaller horror films to massive blockbusters. His latest two films are 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong and 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which are both installments in Warner Bros. MonsterVerse franchise. Wingard’s next feature is the upcoming A24 movie Onslaught, which is currently in post-production. While it’s unfortunate that he’s departed the aforementioned legacy sequel, he can turn his attention elsewhere.

There’s A Reboot That Could Now Get Some Significant Attention

Not too long after Adam Wingard joined Face/Off 2, he landed another major movie gig. It was revealed that Wingard would helm a big-screen reboot of the classic animated series ThunderCats. At the time, Wingard professed his love for the original show (which debuted in 1985 and aired 130 episodes across four seasons). The filmmaker even revealed that he “blew” the vast majority of his 10th grade year due to writing a screenplay based on the beloved property.

As far as the general public knows, Wingard is still attached to direct ThunderCats. So, with Face/Off no longer on his plate and Onslaught being finished up, the Blair Witch helmer may have more time to devote to his TV show adaptation. That’s just a theory, of course, based on what the general public knows about Wingard’s work schedule for the foreseeable future. Still, there’s certainly a possibility that he may now be in a place in which he can really dig in and get his TC reboot off the ground.

When it comes to Face/Off 2, its status remains somewhat unclear. The plan has been to get Cage and Travolta to reprise their roles, and Cage hyped up the project a few years ago. At this point, given the film has lost Wingard as its director, fans will just have to wait and see what lies ahead for this particular sequel. Likewise, fans of ThunderCats will have to wait and see if the project does gain some momentum.

Check out Face/Off now using a Paramount+ subscription.

Earlier this year, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire arrived on the 2024 movies schedule, arriving three years after the release of Godzilla vs. Kong and just two months after the end of the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which can be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription. The latest MonsterVerse movie has done quite well at the box office, and now a sequel is in development. Unlike the last two movies though, Adam Wingard will not direct it, but now his successor has been revealed, and it’s someone with interesting sci-fi cred.

Grant Sputore has been tapped to helm the Godzilla x Kong sequel, per THR. If the name doesn’t sound familiar to you, that’s because he’s primarily worked on commercials. That said, he made his feature filmmaker debut with the cyberpunk thriller I Am Mother, which was about a young girl being raised by a robot who was aiding in the repopulation of Earth following an extinction event. This flick starring Rose Byrne, Hilary Swank and Clara Rugaard premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019 and then was released to Netflix subscription holders the following June.

I Am Mother was met with positive critical reception, holding an 89% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75% Audience Score. The Godzilla x Kong sequel will be Sputore’s first movie since the Netflix release, but evidently Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures feel he can get the job done following Adam Wingard’s departure. Although Wingard had initially expressed interest in making a third Godzilla/Kong movie in order to form a trilogy, he decided to do A24’s Onslaught as his next project, and he also has the Face/Off sequel and the live-action Thundercats film adaptation coming up.

So now Grant Sputore is the fifth filmmaker who’s getting to leave his stamp on the cinematic side of the MonsterVerse, following Wingard, Godzilla’s Gareth Edwards, Kong: Skull Island’s Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Michael Dougherty. Along with Sputore coming aboard, Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse writer Dave Callaham has been tapped to pen the script. No release date has been set yet.

Although Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was met with mixed reviews, as already mentioned, it’s shined brightly on the commercial front. At the time of this writing, it’s made over $567 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing MonsterVerse movie. Kong: Skull Island still holds the top spot, but Godzilla x Kong is roughly $1 million shy of surpassing the 2017 movie, so any day now we can expect it to be become the franchise’s new box office champion.

While we wait for the next big update for the Godzilla x Kong sequel, remember that the first four MonsterVerse movies can be streamed with a Max subscription. Also, Apple TV+ has ordered Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2, which is part of a deal between the streaming platform and Legendary that also encompasses “multiple spinoff series based on the franchise.”

Although 2023 was a big year for the MonsterVerse thanks to spreading into the TV realm with the shows Skull Island and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which can be respectively streamed with a Netflix subscription and Apple TV+ subscription, at the end of March, the franchise made its theatrical return with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Since dropping on the 2024 release schedule, the latest MonsterVerse movie has been doing quite well at the box office, ranking #2 worldwide with its $563.8 million haul, trailing only behind Dune: Part Two. As a result, development on a sequel has begun, but some bad news on that front has come in today.

After being hired to direct 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, and then reprising his helming duties for Godzilla x Kong, Adam Wingard will reportedly not return to direct a third movie in the MonsterVerse. According to THR, the filmmaker going his separate ways with Legendary Entertainment, which controls the franchise, is “described as amicable and stemming from timing issues.” It’s also said “the door remains open” for him to return to the MonsterVerse someday.

While it’s a shame that Adam Wingard’s time in the franchise is over (for now), this shouldn’t come as a complete surprise for those who keep track of his career. The man has a number of movies he’s already committed to for the coming years, including the A24 action thriller Onslaught, the Face/Off sequel and a live-action adaptation of Thundercats. THR mentions that Wingard’s commitment to doing Onslaught next didn’t mesh with Legendary wanting to move forward with another Godzilla/Kong movie quickly, so now the search begins for a new director to follow in his footsteps. 

Still, it’s not like it’s all bad news for the next pairing of Godzilla and Kong on the big screen. Earlier this month, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings writer Dave Callaham was tapped to write the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sequel. This will be his second foray into the MonsterVerse, as he received a ‘Story By’ credit for 2014’s Godzilla, but now he has the opportunity to pen a full script centered on the Titans. 

Although Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was met with mixed critical reception, with our own Mikes Reyes skewing more positively with a 4 out of 5 stars score in his Godzilla x Kong review, it will soon become the highest-grossing MonsterVerse movie. As of this writing, that top spot is currently held by 2017’s Kong: Skull Island with $568.6 million, so anyway now, it’ll get knocked to second place. Godzilla vs. Kong made $470.1 million worldwide, and was among the early cinematic successes when movie theaters started to reopen after being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that it was simultaneously released to Max subscribers.

While we wait for more updates on how the Godzilla x Kong sequel is coming along, don’t forget that the MonsterVerse will keep expanding on the small screen thanks to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters being renewed for Season 2. Apple TV+ will also be the home of other live-action spinoff series tied to the franchise.

We’re almost halfway through the 2024 movie schedule, and there are some hits from earlier this year that are still making a splash. Director Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is one such movie, and the announcement of its home entertainment release date has proven just how excited its studio is about sending this picture into people's houses. 

However, there’s another pretty big reveal that’s intended to celebrate a major anniversary for the MonsterVerse in play as well. And that news is what’s pushed me all in on reuniting with these theatrical Titans yet again. 

When Is Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire Heading To Home Entertainment?

Thanks to a press release from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, we now know that fans will be able to rent or own Godzilla x Kong digitally very soon. Per the information provided, the movie will be released in that form on May 14th. Physical media aficionados who want to continue their MonsterVerse collections will have to wait a little longer though, as the 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD versions will hit shelves a little under a month later, on June 11.

It sounds like that delay will be worth it, however, especially for all of you special features fiends out there. That’s because every variant, minus the DVD version, will include the following selection of additional content: 

• GxK: Day of Reckoning
• Evolution of the Titans: Godzilla Evolved
• Evolution of the Titans: From Lonely God to King
• Into the Hollow Earth: Visualizing Hollow Earth
• Into the Hollow Earth: Monsters of Hollow Earth
• The Battles Royale: A Titanic Fight Among the Pyramids
• The Battles Royale: The Zero Gravity Battle
• The Battles Royale: The Titans Trash Rio
• The Intrepid Director: Adam Wingard: Big Kid
• The Intrepid Director: Adam Wingard: Set Tour
• The Imagination Department
• The Monarch Island Base: Portal to Another World
• The Evolution of Jia: From Orphan to Warrior
• Bernie’s World: Behind the Triple Locked Door
• Commentary by Director Adam Wingard, Visual Effects Supervisor Alessandro Ongaro, Production Designer Tom Hammock and Editor Josh Schaeffer

At first glance, I’d say the features that intrigue me the most are “The Battles Royale” segments, as well as “The Evolution of Jia: From Orphan to Warrior.” The former promises to give us some better looks into creating insane action setpieces, like the Zero-G fight scene in the Hollow Earth. There might even be some insightful commentary on the Rio battle that addresses some of the criticisms of the Titans trashing the town without a care.

Meanwhile, “The Evolution of Jia” sounds like a profile on Kaylee Hottle’s returning Godzilla vs. Kong character. It’s a possibility that holds a particular interest to me, as I previously theorized that Jia was a potential Mothra Twins substitute; thanks to those characters who were seemingly cut from Godzilla vs. Kong. 

Obviously, I’m excited to own the next chapter of the MonsterVerse’s cinematic journey. However, there’s one more announcement that has me even more amped up, as Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is celebrating a pretty big milestone as part of this campaign.

How Godzilla X Kong’s Home Release Is Celebrating The MonsterVerse’s 10th Anniversary

At the time of this publication, we’re days away from the 10th anniversary of the picture that started it all…again: Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla. With an opening weekend that delivered the massive success the MonsterVerse was built off of, its importance cannot be understated. 

So learning about a new 4K UHD collection of every cinematic entry had my curiosity, as I still need to complete/upgrade my own library with the likes of Kong: Skull Island. That being said, what really grabbed my attention, and put me all in on this box set, were the following details shared in this home entertainment news blast:  

My friends and fellow kaiju enthusiasts, we’ve won. A bonus special features disc, with all of the MonsterVerse directors to date chatting it up, is pretty spectacular. In fact, the only way I think that scenario would be finer is if that talk was moderated by Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki. 

While I know we’ve seen Yamazaki and Adam Wingard’s previous Godzilla chat giving some fine insight into both sides of the Godzilla movie spectrum, the greedy part of me wants that dream to become a reality. Regardless of my wish list, having a MonsterVerse collection this well-stocked only proves to me that we monster movie fans are being treated quite well. 

The post-Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire future is uncertain at this point, as there’s still room for deciding what happens next. But seeing how the home release of this film and its predecessors is being handled, I’m confident that the next 10 years have the potential to be just as rewarding. So drink it in, my fellow MonsterVerse fans! Our moment is here, and it's time to celebrate.

For now, you can expect Godzilla x Kong to hit digital storefronts for rental or purchase, starting May 14th; with the physical media releases debuting on June 11th. And though there isn’t a specific date on when to expect a streaming debut for the fifth MonsterVerse chapter, you can be sure that it’ll debut first for those with access to a Max subscription. 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which some would argue is the MonsterVerse’s best film, has become a roaring (pun intended) success. It has raked in cash at the box office globally and has received mostly positive responses from general audiences. Director Adam Wingard put a lot of time and effort into his latest monster flick, and that’s especially true in regard to the eponymous kaiju. Amid the film’s release, he revealed that his cat actually inspired the film’s colosseum moment involving the titular, giant lizard. Now, Wingard has revealed his little feline to the public, and they’re as adorable as you’d expect.

There are a couple of sequences in the 2024 new movie release that see Godzilla doing battle with creatures in Rome. Afterwards, the exhausted behemoth makes his way into the colosseum, where he curls up for a nap. While speaking with CinemaBlend, Adam Wingard discussed the adorable connection that his cat has to that moment. Apparently, his furry friend, Mischief, moves in the same way when they’re getting prepared to catch some shut-eye. The director, who also helmed 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, had yet to actually show his pet, however. That is, until now.

The official Instagram account for the recently released Godzilla x Kong dropped an image of Mischief, and the cat just looks too cute. The snapshot shows the little, black ball of fur looking comfy while sitting on a chair. And, appropriately, they’re accompanied by a little toy of the King of the Monsters, which is in a similar position. The post’s carousel also includes a still from the motion picture, which shows the character lying in the Roman landmark. Take a look and see just how similar the sleeping stances are: 

If you ask me, those are very similar and, quite frankly, I love that the director took direct inspiration from his cat when developing that sequence. People do say that inspiration can come from a multitude of sources, and pets can certainly provide creative sparks, whether they mean to or not. Aside from that, I just can’t stop gazing at that little one and those big eyes. To be honest, I’m more of a dog person myself but would be lying if I said Mischief hasn’t stolen my heart. 

Considering how important the kaiju are to this film and the MonsterVerse as a whole, one can understand why Adam Wingard and co. put so much effort into making them feel tangible. A lot of moviemaking magic was required on that part as well, as motion capture performances and keyframe animation methods were used. Production, on that front, was also helped along by tech used on Avatar: The Way of Water. It was crucial for all of the beasts to feel dynamic and expressive, especially since they had a number of dialogue-less scenes to themselves that didn’t involve the human players. 

One could argue that the creative team’s work was not in vain, as Godzilla x Kong crushed at the box office during its first weekend. It currently has a global cume of over $485 million and seems set to hit the $500 million mark before its theatrical run is over. Plans for a sequel have yet to be officially announced, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if one ends up getting the green light sooner rather than later. 

Regardless of what lies ahead though, Mischief has now firmly cemented themself within the history of this franchise. Chances are fans won’t soon forget those moments that involve Godzilla in the colosseum. And Adam Wingard himself can rest easy knowing that his movie is not only a financial success but that his little fur baby is getting some sweet kudos from fans.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is still playing in theaters now, so you can see the sweet colosseum scenes on the big screen for yourself. Past installments in the MonsterVerse are also available to stream with a Max subscription.

Very minor spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire lie ahead.

Warner Bros.’ MonsterVerse is known for delivering massive spectacle, which involves plenty of Kaiju-centered action. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the latest installment in the growing franchise, continues that very trend. However, this entry on the 2024 movie schedule, also does something fresh within this continuity. At times, there are long scenes that involve only the creatures and don’t include any dialogue. It’s an interesting creative decision and, while speaking with CinemaBlend, director Adam Wingard explained how those particular moments came about. 

Not only is this Adam Wingard’s second outing in the Blockbuster series following 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, but he’s also a life-long fan of these gigantic creatures. I say all of that to say that it’s no surprise he had some intriguing ideas going into his work on the massive GxK. When CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg spoke with Wingard, he couldn’t help but ask about the sequences that solely involved the eponymous monsters interacting amongst themselves and with others. Wingard explained that he’s been thinking on this concept for a while and explained that it’s the result of a long-held belief he’s had:

Personally, I agree with the Blair Witch’s director’s assessment that monsters can carry scenes on their own without the presence of human characters. Said moments just have to be orchestrated in organic ways, and that’s the case in the film. One of GxK’s earliest sequences shows Kong hunting for food and, while it delivers action, it also represents the character’s loneliness and mortality. There’s also a sweet bonding moment of sorts that takes place after the gargantuan ape meets Suko (or “mini Kong” as he was called in the Godzilla x Kong trailer.) While speaking with CB, Adam Wingard discussed his excitement over this creative approach and name-dropped another great film that uses non-verbal storytelling:  

One would hope that the many moviegoers who helped GxK crush at the box office this past weekend appreciate those moments without dialogue. They really do add to the creatures’ characterizations and help audiences identify with them more. Of course, people do want those massive fights as well and, as noted by critics this film has plenty of “rock em, sock em” fun. In CinemaBlend’s The New Empire review, our own Mike Reyes also lauded Adam Wingard and company for going harder and deeper into the weirdness of the MonsterVerse. One would hope that if he gets to make another sequel, Wingard will stick to his principles and deliver more dialogue-less moments as well.

You can check out Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire now, as it’s playing in theaters nationwide. You can also watch past MonsterVerse installments using a Max subscription.

After the blockbuster success of Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021, a sequel seemed like a no-brainer, and a follow-up movie was officially confirmed in 2022. Now, the 2024 movie schedule's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has already exceeded box office and audience expectations in its opening weekend. Part of that success may be attributed to the new elements added to the movie, like Godzilla honing the power of pink. And, based on what director Adam Wingard had to say it and Barbenheimer, that actually is not totally far off. 

Historically, while there haven’t been many changes to Godzilla’s gray and black reptilian appearance, there have been some variations in colors and strength with his atomic breath superpower. So, the new neon pink, highly-destructive breath and back spikes are totally new for audiences. According to Wingard, not only is Godzilla a trendsetter but the change represents the same strength that the cultural phenomenon Barbenheimer created. Here’s what he told Comic Book:

“Physical embodiment” is the perfect term to use here. Godzilla is such a powerful creature on his own, but when he metamorphosizes with pink energy, he becomes a next-level threat that’s both hero and destroyer (as seen with the box office success of Barbie and Oppenheimer). And, if all it took was a color change to create that kind of impactful message, I’m advocating for adding a bit more pink to everything.

Wingard continued on, addressing this and mentioning that the pink is part of Godzilla’s natural progression. Just based on the Godzilla X Kong trailer, it was obvious that this sequel was going to be a high-octane version of the first movie. So, it wouldn’t make sense to have the monster stay the same if he was facing deadlier creatures. Plus, this change just spices things up and makes the movie really stand out, which I’m all for. 

When first looks for Godzilla x Kong were released, there was much debate online about the god-like monster’s new look, and of course, comparisons to how the sequel would compare to Toho Co.’s critically acclaimed Godzilla Minus One. It’s important to note that Minus One is not part of the Monsterverse, so Wingard has had the freedom to make his version of Godzilla its own thing, and so far, it’s been very well received. If a third movie happens, we can expect the director to find a way to add another twist and modernize Godzilla even more. Who knows, maybe he'll add in even more pink.

Despite not landing well with critics, the sequel has landed well with audiences, ranking 92% on Rotten Tomatoes already. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to read our review of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire before checking it out at your local theater. Besides the iconic duo of Godzilla and King Kong, you won’t want to miss out on the new epic titans involved as well as Godzilla's pink look that gives big Barbenheimer energy!

Director Adam Wingard joins us to discuss his new epic monster movie Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The filmmaker takes us through some of his trying experiences on set, making his monsters more relatable, Tom Cruise joining the MonsterVerse, and more. 

After the interview, we review the movie and dive into a spoiler-filled chat on Immaculate. And of course, a Bad Boys trailer couldn’t pass us by without some quick reactions.

Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00:00 - Intro 
• 00:04:19 - Adam Wingard Interview | ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’
• 00:28:22 - ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Review
• 00:37:27 - ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ Trailer Reaction
• 00:46:55 - ‘Immaculate’ SPOILER Review
• 00:54:48 - PSA: Go See ‘Late Night with The Devil’ 
• 00:58:12 - Outro

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Three years after Legendary’s MonsterVerse brought us Godzilla vs. Kong, the monsters are teaming up again for a kaiju sequel in Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. New enemies threaten Hollow Earth in this film, which hits theaters March 29, per the 2024 movie release calendar, and critics are weighing in after catching early screenings. Almost everyone is talking about how fun this new monster movie is, but some are finding Godzilla x Kong lacking in the emotional department.

First reactions to the new kaiju offering had people excited for the “slobberknocker,” as they noted how colorful the movie is, with its ‘80s buddy cop vibes, thanks to Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry. Critics are now able to expound on those views, and in CinemaBlend’s review of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, our own Mike Reyes says spring for the IMAX experience if possible, because this movie is so much fun, it’s hard not to want more. He rates it 4 out of 5 stars, writing: 

Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment gives it a User Rating of 8 out of 10, agreeing with Mike Reyes that it’s a great time to be a kaiju fan. While last year’s Godzilla Minus One may appeal more to the scholarly crowd, Godzilla x Kong offers “a rock 'em sock 'em blast.” The critic says: 

Jane Crowther of GamesRadar rates it 3 stars out of 5, agreeing that it’s a “fun, neon rumble,” but saying ii's lacking an emotional journey. However, if you’re just buying the ticket to see the big monster fights, you’ll get your money’s worth, Crowther says: 

The weakness of the human story seems to be the primary criticism among critics, which isn’t all that uncommon for monster movies. Owen Gleiberman of Variety posits that it’s bad luck that Godzilla x Kong is coming out so soon after Godzilla Minus One, which proved these creatures could carry an “emotional grandeur.” 

D. Hood of IGN gives the movie an “Okay” 6 out of 10, calling it a “visually stunning, sensory extravaganza” that's so electrifying the critic isn’t even all that mad that it doesn't quite add up and the audience is made to slog through the humans’ drama. Hood continues:  

The monsters are clearly the stars of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, so it sounds like anyone hitting the theater for pure kaiju action is going to be happy. Just keep your expectations tempered regarding any emotional stakes. You can catch this movie in theaters starting Friday, March 29. 

Almost 10 years ago, the modern reboot of Godzilla became a hit so massive,  I don’t think anyone could have predicted it. Throughout the decade that ensued after Gareth Edwards’ efforts, Warner Bros.’ MonsterVerse franchise has steadily grown into another cinematic universe that could rival that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. At least, I certainly hope it will, as director Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is so much fun, it’s hard not to want more. 

Five movies and one TV season into this ever widening web now sees Godzilla (Himself) and Kong (Himself) separated in their own respective realms. Keeping the titans apart is apparently key to creating harmony for humanity, and no one knows that better than returning Monarch stalwarts Dr. Illene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and her adopted daughter, Jia (Kayla Hottle). 

MonsterVerse fans or fans of any sort of kaiju based entertainment, however, could tell you that peace was never an option for Godzilla x Kong, which sees both our world and the world of Hallow Earth threatened by a huge new threat.

Before you know it, it’s time to save the planet again, this time from the mysterious Kong-esque Skar King (Himself) – who has an axe to grind from the long forgotten past. Humans and Titans alike will need to pool their resources in a story that teaches the importance of co-existence as well as the value of family and friends. 

But seeing as this is a MonsterVerse movie, those lessons are taught through some hard driving action that has charm to spare and set pieces that provide true summer blockbuster thrills in late March. 

With Godzilla x Kong, the MonsterVerse seems to be finding a rhythm with its story and characters.

Adam Wingard is officially the first director to have returned to the MonsterVerse for a second feature, and his influence shaping Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is absolutely welcomed. While he inherited previous threads and characters from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, it feels like Wingard had more of a say in crafting his Godzilla vs. Kong follow-up. 

Though you don’t necessarily need to have seen 2021’s entry in the MonsterVerse to be able to jump into Godzilla x Kong, it’s clear that the visual and thematic languages Wingard developed are there. He and writers Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater seem even more confident in what the film is. 

Things get weirder and go harder in this flick. Continuing the gradual shift towards the tone of the more playful films of the later Showa era in the Godzilla franchise, we get more monster blood and guts than ever before here. Mixed with killer needle drops that even James Gunn would be proud of and well-executed set pieces that help keep things moving, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a finely tuned machine of destruction, fan service, and lore expansion. All this, plus the always charming Dan Stevens joining up as a Titan veterinarian, adds up to a raucous ride that never loses steam.

This latest MonsterVerse chapter is more Titan-centric in its plotting, and it works like a charm.

One of the big complaints for any Godzilla or MonsterVerse connected film has to be the human factor. Compelling protagonists diving into personal issues like in Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One a few months ago haven't been a major presence. For those of you who might be walking into Godzilla x Kong and specifically hoping to replicate that 2023 cinematic experience, you’re going to be disappointed by two thirds of this story being centered around the Titans.

Again, we’re in the blockbuster wing of the Godzilla legacy, and that means zero-gravity battles, Titan tooth extraction, and a secret history that connects humanity’s past to that of the Titans. Not to mention, Godzilla x Kong actually gives Kong the greater share of the storytelling this time around.

It’s thanks to that focus that we get an entire extended sequence that would feel at home in the recent run of Planet of the Apes movies. Dialogue-free stretches see Kong learning about the Skar King’s domain, and while he hasn’t had a solo adventure since Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire feels pretty damned close. 

The other portions of this latest story follow a Godzilla quest on the surface world, and Monarch friends new and old navigating their survival between those realms. Another specific piece of praise that needs mention is smartly limiting the new human characters that are brought into the fold. 

Retaining Dr. Ilene Andrews, Jia, and kaiju conspiracy theories Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) from Godzilla vs. Kong, while introducing a handful of new figures to help out, minimizes the chances of confusion in this fast-paced story. Keeping the story lean and mean yet again, Wingard and company deliver a well-balanced, zero fat thrill ride that clocks in at a little under two hours.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is another big, beautiful step forward for Titans.

What  sets Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire apart from other modern blockbusters is that the franchise issue isn’t forced. Once again, there’s no post-credits stinger, and nor is there a mess of threads left to hang in the wind in the off chance that a sequel doesn’t  happen.

Adam Wingard has been teasing ideas for potential sequels, but this movie comes together as if it’s his last entry. You feel like everything is left out on the field by time Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire concludes – while also being left with a feeling that’s increasingly rare at the movies: genuine and mysterious curiosity for what comes next.

Takashi Yamazaki knocked it out of the park with Godzilla MInus One, and Adam Wingard has also swung for the fences with his close-in-proximity companion piece. As we approach the 70th anniversary of Ishirō Honda’s original mythic masterpiece, it is absolutely clear that both halves of the Godzilla coin are currently well-served by the respective filmmakers tending to them. 

If you happen to be someone like me who loves both, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is only another reason why Titan and kaiju fans alike can keep smiling, and keep rooting for these larger than life creatures to continue bringing the entertainment. One last piece of advice: take the time to spring for the premium large format experience on this movie.  When they put "Filmed for IMAX" on the posters, that wasn't just marketing; that was a promise.  

There are a number of wild cinematic sights to behold in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, but one of my favorites is the image of the King Of The Monsters emerging from the depths of the ocean to curl up inside the Colosseum in Rome for a hibernation stint. Watching the moment, every cat owner on the planet will recognize the titan’s behavior… but what you might not know is that this bit of adorableness serves as a funny link between the upcoming 2024 movie and the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One from last year.

I had the opportunity to interview director Adam Wingard earlier this month during the virtual press day for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and I felt compelled to ask about Godzilla’s special Roman nap in the film. I directly compared the behavior to a cat, and Wingard explained that he took inspiration for the monster from his own pet. Said the filmmaker,

That’s super cute, but what makes this story particularly fun is how Adam Wingard’s approach to Godzilla was surprisingly similar to how director Takashi Yamazaki brought the titan to life in the making of Godzilla Minus One. The two filmmakers recently had the chance to discuss their love of and personal histories with the legendary kaiju, and it apparently uncovered a shared love of cats. Wingard continued,

Anyone who has had a cat for a pet will know that they can be both unholy terrors that leave paths of destruction and wonderful creatures with a knack for getting rid of unwanted pests, so one can see why they might get creative juices flowing for filmmakers.

Fans will soon get to see the end results of this special inspiration as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is arriving in theaters this Friday, March 29 – featuring an excellent cast that includes Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more of our feature and interview coverage of the new chapter in the expanding MonsterVerse.

Following the success of last year's Godzilla Minus One, there’s another kaiju film headed to theaters, and this is one fans have really been looking forward to. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire — the fifth film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse franchise and a sequel to 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong — is set to hit the big screen (including IMAX) on March 29, and those who have been able to catch an early screening are taking to social media with their first reactions.

Godzilla x Kong’s trailer shows the monsters working together against an even bigger, scarier enemy. Let’s see what people are saying about this movie, which has garnered a PG-13 rating. SlashFilm’s Ben F. Silverio calls the monsters’ tag-team action “terrific,” advising moviegoers to opt for IMAX if possible. He writes on X (Twitter): 

In the movie Godzilla sports some dangerous-looking, fiery pink spikes — which are reportedly Toho-approved — and the vibrant color was one quality of director Adam Wingard’s project that critics took notice of. Bill Bria writes: 

Griffin Schiller agrees that the ‘80s color palette makes for a fun experience, calling Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire “an absurdist romp.” The critic says: 

That ‘80s aesthetic seems to be exactly what Adam Wingard is going for, as he was inspired by the decade’s buddy cop movies. This is evident by the wardrobe of at least one member of the Godzilla x Kong cast, as noted by Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew. She writes: 

Brian Tyree Henry and Dan Stevens may be really funny in this monster movie, but make no mistake who the stars are. As Bernard “Beanz” Smalls says: 

Rafael Motamayor has high praise for the latest MonsterVerse offering, for one monster in particular, writing: 

While some enjoy the human actors, others think the movie is monster-centric to a fault. John Nguyen of Nerd Reactor says: 

Michael Lee agrees, writing that the human drama is pushed to the backburner in favor of more kaiju action. And that’s probably fine, as that’s what people want to see, he writes in a thread on X: 

It sounds like audiences are in for quite a bit of fun with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Catch this one in theaters starting Friday, March 29, and stay up to date on all the upcoming new releases with our 2024 movie release schedule. 

In 2021, Godzilla vs. Kong saw the two title monsters clashing for the first time in a Hollywood production, although they would later join forces to take down Mechagodzilla. Now these Titans are coming back together for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which hits the 2024 movie schedule at the end of the month. However, director Adam Wingard is already teasing plans for a third movie that teams Godzilla and Kong back together in the MonsterVerse.

Officially speaking, such a project hasn’t been announced by Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, but Wingard, who’s also working on Face/Off 2, he’s already thought up plans for a third Godzilla/Kong installment. When he was asked by DiscussingFilm if a “Wingard MonsterVerse Trilogy” could be completed one day, he expressed his enthusiasm for making that happen with these words:

Originally, it wasn’t clear if a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong would even be made, but in April 2021, a a month after the movie premiered both in theaters and directly to Max subscribers, Wingard reportedly began early discussions to helm another MonsterVerse installment. Son of Kong was allegedly one of the early ideas being floated, but by March 2022, what was originally referred to as Godzilla vs. Kong 2 was officially announced. But as Wingard sees it, if he’s poured this much work into two movies, he might as well round things out with a trilogy.

He makes a good point that Warner Bros. and Legendary are likely going to see how Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire does critically and commercially before deciding what’s next for the film side of the MonsterVerse. Still, it’s nice to know that Adam Wingard has already thought a lot about a threequel. That way, if the companies decide to green light it, he has a head start on putting the story together and guiding whoever’s tapped to write the script.

For now though, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will see these Titans working together in an epic way to battle The Skar King, a fellow member of Kong’s primate species. This time around, Godzilla will be rocking a pink look, and Kong will somehow obtain a mechanical glove with the acronym B.E.A.S.T. emblazoned on it. As far as the humans go, Godzilla x Kong’s cast includes Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry Kaylee Hotel, Dan Stevens, Alex Ferns, Fala Chen and Rachel House.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opens in theaters on March 29, and if a sequel is announced either before or after its release, we’ll let you know. Until then, the first four MonsterVerse movies are available on Max, and you can also check out the franchise’s first live-action TV show, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Godzilla fans are feasting right now. Late last year, Apple TV+ premiered the critically acclaimed series Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, and the theatrical release of the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One is soon to be followed by the arrival of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It's a time for devotees to celebrate – and that's very much the energy in a new IMAX featurette featuring directors Adam Wingard and Takashi Yamazaki.

With Godzilla and Godzilla movies being in vogue in a big way at the moment, IMAX brought together the directors of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Godzilla Minus One for an intimate, bilingual chat about the beloved titan. In the video, they discuss their personal history with the character, discuss his  extreme longevity in pop culture, and more. They're fanhoods are boldly worn on their sleeves, and it's wonderful. Check out the video below.

Anyone who even just watches the trailers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Godzilla Minus One will note that the two movies are tremendously different, and it's interesting to watch the conversation between Adam Wingard and Takashi Yamazaki and understand how their individual influences took them in different directions with the character. 

Speaking about the birth of his love for Godzilla, Wingard explained that he became a fan as he recognized the personality that the monster demonstrated during his Showa era adventures battling with and against other monsters:

Takashi Yamazaki also became a fan of Godzilla through airings of the film on television, but his fascination grew akin to how horror fans get ingratiated into the genre. He says via translation,

In the conversation, Adam Wingard explained how the diversity of storytelling in Godzilla's history is a big part of what has allowed the titan to remain fresh for 70 years and never feel like a stale big screen presence:

Yamazaki, in turn, notes that their individual roots with the characters can be seen in the movies that they made. In the filmmaker's words, he sees the "psychedelic Godzilla" in the work that Adam Wingard has done, but Godzilla Minus One is more rooted in the horror of the monster from the original 1954 film – which notably utilized the titular titan as a metaphor for the destruction caused by atomic weaponry during World War II: 

Godzilla Minus One has not yet made its way to the home video market – either via digital or physical media markets – but fans will be able to see the MonsterVerse insanity of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire very soon, as the film will be in theaters next Friday, March 25. It's one of the biggest titles in the early months of the 2024 Movie Release Calendar, so buy your tickets now, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend in the coming weeks for more news and features as well as interviews with the movie's director and the outstanding cast (including Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens).

John Woo's 1997 hit Face/Off stands out as one of the quintessential action movies, embodying the best of the 90s cinema. In 2019, Paramount Pictures excited fans with news of a new Face/Off movie in the works, and by 2021, it was confirmed to be a sequel, not a remake. Fans of Nicolas Cage have been eagerly anticipating Castor Troy and Sean Archer's return to the silver screen, and now the film’s helmer has an update. Adam Wingard has been attached to write and direct and has recently explained the reasons behind the delayed progress of the sequel.

In a recent interview with i09, director Adam Wingard opened up about his upcoming movie, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, set to premiere later this month. He shared insights into the anticipated sequel team-up between The Eighth Wonder of the World and the King of the Monsters, as well as his eagerly awaited adaptation of the 1980s cartoon series Thundercats. Additionally, Wingard provided an update for Face/Off fans on the progress of the sequel:

This is not likely the update moviegoers looking forward to Cage's return as one of the meanest movie villains of the 90s. Still, it's good to know the project isn’t dead–especially after hearing Nicholas’s wild plot description for the sequel. I need to see this movie! 

Adam Wingard's next move remains uncertain, but Thundercats will likely move ahead of the Face/Off sequel in his queue. Wingard has shared a much more promising update on that project’s front:

Whether Adam Wingard tackles Thundercats or Face/Off 2 next—though many, like myself, want a bit more Crazy Cage and are hoping for the latter—we'll keep you informed. In the meantime, his newest film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, is set to stomp its way into theaters and join the 2024 movie lineup on March 29. Also, the previous entry, Godzilla vs. Kong, is available to stream with a Max (formerly HBO Max) subscription. 

The OG Face/Off can be enjoyed with a Paramount+ subscription. 

Many of the best things in life have twin cravings: the more elevated side of things, and those versions that are just a big ball of crowd pleasing fun. The world of kaiju movies certainly adheres to that theory, through the existence of both the harrowing drama of Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One and director Adam Wingard’s 2024 movie Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. 

With Wingard helping hype his own movie up by reacting to the one of the best Sci-Fi movies of recent times, I absolutely have to agree with his assessment on why the movie rocks so hard. As Empire caught up with Godzilla x Kong's helmer as part of the advanced press for March’s new MonsterVerse match, the recent success of Godzilla Minus One was on the table.

Adam Wingard certainly wasn't shy about his enthusiasm, summing up his feelings about the Toho-produced prequel as follows:

That tonal difference is certainly key to everything from Godzilla Minus One’s important post-war setting to how the creature himself is handled. When I spoke with Takashi Yamazaki for the December release of his wildly successful prequel, he highlighted a handful of Godzilla movies as important Minus One influences. 

Meanwhile, Adam Wingard's Lethal Weapon influences definitely harken back to the more popcorn incarnation of Godzilla. Fully acknowledging that shows just how fandom is the common thread that binds both halves of the franchise currently in operation. Adam even goes as far as citing the specific difference in Godzilla movie eras that he and Takashi claim to be their respective inspirations.

That only makes Adam Wingard's praise for Godzilla Minus One doubly valid. Which one could definitely pick out while watching Godzilla x Kong’s second trailer, provided below for context: 

As Adam Wingard has now joined the choir of MonsterVerse creatives holding Godzilla Minus One up as a triumph, that’s just another reason to revel in the fact that there’s room for two different flavors on the market. If anyone needs further proof of that fact, they should consult Godzilla director Gareth Edwards’ comments on why Takashi Yamazaki’s entry beats even his own reboot as his favorite chapter overall. As well as the fact that when asked about his opinion of the MonsterVerse, Yamazaki was equally complimentary.  

Fans and creatives alike are hyped for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, as the film takes aim for crowning glory in the MonsterVerse, starting March 29th. Those of you looking to catch up with the most recent installment, Godzilla vs. Kong, can decrypt that top secret Monarch intel through the decryption key known as a Max subscription. 

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is one of the biggest releases slated on the 2024 movies calendar, with the two title Titans re-teaming three years after they clashed in Godzilla vs. Kong. However, these gigantic monsters don’t look quite the same as they did in that 2021 movie, with Godzilla now rocking pink spines and Kong looking a little older. With just several months to go until The New Empire begins playing on the big screen, director Adam Winged has addressed these tweaked aspects of these Titans.

Starting off, Wingard informed Total Film how when he was making Godzilla vs. Kong, he wanted the towering reptile to basically look the same as he did in Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the first and third MonsterVerse movies, respectively. But when Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire came along, it gave him a platform to put his own spin on the legendary monster’s appearance, with the filmmaker saying:

Given that he’s the first director to helm more than one MonsterVerse movie, Adam Winged was certainly well within his rights to come up with a new look for Godzilla, and it wasn’t purely for aesthetic reasons either. As you can see, there will be a narrative reason for the pink spines, though Winged stopped short of providing any specific details. That said, it’s already been speculated that the change in color is because Godzilla is now channeling gamma radiation.

As for Kong, who later joined forces with Godzilla to destroy Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong, and was last seen making himself at home deep within Hollow Earth, here’s what Adam Wingard had to say about the gorilla’s older look:

It is interesting to note that Kong’s look barely changed in the nearly five decades that passed between the events of Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong, with the only major difference being how much larger he was in the latter movie compared to the former. However, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire only takes place a few years after Godzilla vs. Kong, yet now Kong suddenly has gray hair. So it’ll be interesting to learn if there’s also a narrative reason for Kong’s new look or if this one was purely 

The fifth MonsterVerse movie will see Godzilla and Kong teaming up against The Skar King, another Simian Titan who’s wreaking havoc within Hollow Earth and is an original creation rather than one that originated from Toho. As far as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s cast of human characters goes, we’ll reunite with Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle’s characters, and the lineup of newcomers includes Alex Ferns, Fala Chen and Rachel House. Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater all worked on the script.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire hits theaters on April 12. In the meantime, you can watch a more familiar-looking Godzilla out and about in the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which can be viewed with an Apple TV+ subscription and checks in on the Titan both in the 1950s and the mid-2010s. 

At the end of March 2021, roughly a year after it was originally supposed to come out, Godzilla vs. Kong finally arrived in both theaters and on HBO Max. A month later, it was reported that Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures were moving forward with a new MonsterVerse movie in response to Godzilla vs. Kong’s critical and commercial success, with Adam Wingard sitting back in the director’s chair. Today now brings word that what’s unofficially being referred to as Godzilla vs. Kong 2 has cast its first actor, and it’s someone that Wingard directed in one of his previous movies.

Dan Stevens, who worked with Adam Wingard in The Guest, has signed on to star in Godzilla vs. Kong 2. Stevens played David Collins, the 2014 thriller’s lead antagonist, and now he’ll get to team with Wingard again within a MonsterVerse setting. Unfortunately, Deadline didn’t share any details about who Stevens is playing in Godzilla vs. Kong 2, so we have no idea yet how his character will factor into the upcoming movie… well, besides being astounded at seeing these two Titans in the flesh, just like everyone else.

The Guest was one of of Dan Stevens’ earliest movies, and was met with critical acclaim. Three years after its release, Stevens’ fame skyrocketed when he played Beast in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. 2017 also saw Adam Wingard delivering his live-action film adaptation of Death Note to Netflix. Prior to The Guest, Stevens was best known for playing Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey, and his other notable credits include Marshall, The Call of the Wild, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, Legion and the currently-airing Starz limited series Gaslit. 

Taking place five years after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and roughly five decades after what unfolded in Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs. Kong finally brought these two gargantuan creatures together in a Hollywood setting, as they previously clashed in the 1962 Japanese movie King Kong vs. Godzilla. Within the MonsterVerse, the Titans collided when Apex Cybernetics attempted to move Kong to Hollow Earth for two reasons. The first, Skull Island was no longer habitable enough for him to keep the towering gorilla there. Second, Apex was looking for a power source to use for a weapon capable of stopping Godzilla’s erratic rampages. However, as the story progressed, it became clear that Apex had wasn’t exactly the benevolent entity it presented itself as to the public.

Along with enjoying stronger overall critical reception than Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong made over $468 million worldwide, ranking as the eighth highest-grossing movie of 2021. When it was originally reported that a fifth MonsterVerse movie was entering development, Son of Kong was thrown out as one of the story ideas on the table. However, now it looks like we’re going a more straightforward sequel route with Godzilla vs. Kong 2, meaning that something will go down that leads to the two title Titans coming to blows again.

Godzilla vs. Kong 2 doesn’t have a release date yet, but filming is reportedly beginning this summer in Australia, so evidently Adam Wingard will tackle this movie before he helms the Face/Off sequel. If you’re in the mood to any or all of the prior MonsterVerse movies, they can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.

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Godzilla may be deemed the King of the Monsters, but he’s not the only Titan in the MonsterVerse franchise who’s royalty… or at least, not anymore. Following 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, which took place in 1973, moviegoers got to watch the giant gorilla fight the enormous reptile in the present day during Godzilla vs. Kong. But along with this tale delivering a different kind of clash of the Titans, Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard has confirmed that Kong walked away from the movie officially holding his king title.

Throughout Kong: Skull Island and most of Godzilla vs. Kong, Kong is simply referred to as just that, but in the real world, we’ve known him as King Kong since he first rampaged on the big screen in 1933. Well, in the “Behold Kong’s Temple” featurette that’s included on Godzilla vs. Kong’s home release, Adam Wingard stated that once Kong sat on the throne inside the Hollow Earth temple, he achieved “royal status.” As the filmmaker put it (via ScreenRant):

To be fair, Kong essentially held king status on Skull Island, because aside from the Skullcralwers, none of the other monsters messed with him, and the Iwi people worshipped him as a god. Unfortunately, by the time Godzilla vs. Kong began, Skull Island was suffering through severe thunderstorms, which wiped out the native population, reduced Kong’s kingdom to ruins and necessitated that Monarch find a new home for the gorilla. That home ended up being Hollow Earth, which is where Kong’s ancestors came from. In addition to the throne mentioned earlier, that temple contained an axe that Kong later wielded in battle against Godzilla.

Now as far as Earth as a whole goes, Godzilla is still the undisputed alpha of the Titans, as evidenced by all those monsters kneeling before him at the end of his 2019 movie, as well as defeating Kong in Godzilla vs. Kong before Mechagodzilla showed up. Nevertheless, we can now officially call classify Kong as King Kong within the MonsterVerse, and by the end of Godzilla vs. Kong, he’d become Hollow Earth’s ruler. Maybe there will come a day when Godzilla and King Kong have a rematch, and if the latter emerges victorious, then he can become the new King of the Monsters. For now though, he looks comfortable as Hollow Earth’s monarch.

While it was initially unclear if the MonsterVerse would continue after Godzilla vs. Kong, with the movie having scored a solid amount of positive reviews and doing incredibly well on the commercial front, it’s looking like the franchise will go on. It was reported in late April that Legendary Pictures was courting Adam Wingard to direct another MonsterVerse entry, with Son of Kong one of the potential ideas being floated around. If that’s what’s selected, hopefully we’ll actually hear someone say “King Kong” during the story.

If Son of Kong, or any new MonsterVerse movie, is announced, we’ll be sure to let you know. For now, you can buy Godzilla vs. Kong on Blu-ray, 4K, DVD or digitally now.

A ton of confusion reigned when director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett were announced as the creative team that would bring Paramount’s Face/Off back to life. Ultimately, it would be clarified that what was actually happening was that Face/Off was getting an R-rated sequel, rather than the reboot a lot of people were expecting to happen. According to Barrett himself, a remake of John Woo’s film was never even in the cards under their watch.

Speaking on behalf of his recent film Seance, Simon Barrett told the Overdue Rentals podcast a story about how he and his frequent partner Adam Wingard landed the Face/Off gig in the first place. Part of tale cleared the air, with Barrett stating that while a reboot may have been part of the overall history of past attempts, the Wingard/Barrett plan was always to make a direct sequel. That makes sense when you read these details about the road that led to the gig itself:

Most may have thought that the Face/Off project was a direct result of Adam Wingard’s success with Godzilla vs. Kong. As that news landed earlier this year, shortly before the press gears were whirring on the latest MonsterVerse entry, that assumption was probably based on the positive buzz the film was already receiving. However, it was actually the dogged determination of diehard fans like Wingard and Simon Barrett that made all the difference.

Even more interesting is the fact that Simon Barrett chalks up another film that he and Adam Wingard had made together as helping put Face/Off 2 into the works. In fact, fans of The Guest were almost assuredly the first people to come around to a Wingard/Barrett continuation of Face/Off, as the 2014 Dan Stevens thriller pays tribute to one specific plot point in the John Travolta/Nicolas Cage action classic. It's all thanks to one particularly handy weapon:

Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard are heading into Face/Off 2, or whatever the film will be called, with great confidence. Their familiarity with the source material, as well as the intent to continue doing what made John Woo’s original film so wonderful, are sure signs that no matter what happens next, the project looks to be in the best hands possible. Which, frankly, only makes the mystery surrounding how the pitch could possibly work in the first place all the more unbearable.

Simon Barrett’s Seance is currently available for rental on VOD, with a streaming premiere set to hit Shudder later on in the year. Meanwhile, you can see Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong, which is currently still in its theatrical run. And if you need to brush up on The Guest, you can head over to Netflix and see Dan Stevens kick ass in a very un-Downton Abbey manner.

2021’s been an eventful year for Blair Witch and Death Note director Adam Wingard. After being delayed for over a year, his biggest movie yet, Godzilla vs. Kong, finally premiered in theaters and on HBO Max at the end of March, but his time delivering blockbuster content isn’t ending there. Wingard has signed on to make Face/Off 2 and the ThunderCats reboot, and now he’s added yet another movie to his workload: a comic book adaptation.

Universal Pictures has brought Adam Wingard onboard to direct and co-write Hardcore, which is based on the same-named Skybound/Image comic book series created by The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman and Cyberforce’s Marc Silvestri. As reported by Deadline, Wingard will work on the Hardcore movie script with Will Simmons, as well as executive produce the feature. Kirkman will produce Hardcore alongside fellow Skybound talent David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst.

For those unfamiliar with Hardcore, the comic book series follows the Hardcore Program, which can turn anyone into human drones to get to targets that normal soldiers can’t. Agent Drake is the Hardcore Program’s best operative, but after being stranded in someone else’s body, the opening arc of the series sees Drake having only 72 hours to figure out who hijacked the program while being hunted down. Writer Andy Diggle and artist Alessandro Vitti worked on Hardcore Volume 1, and Brandon Thomas and Francis Portella wrote and illustrated Hardcore Volume 2, respectively.

News of Adam Wingard tackling Hardcore comes nearly two full months after Godzilla vs. Kong became the biggest box office hit since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down movie theaters over a year ago. As of this writing, the fourth MonsterVerse movie has made over $432 million worldwide, so it’s no wonder that studios are interested in him tackling more action-packed stories. The question is where will Hardcore land on his list of priorities.

While it hasn’t officially been announced yet what Adam Wingard’s next movie will be, considering that it was announced that he would a new Face/Off movie back in February, a little over a month before Godzilla vs. Kong arrived, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s next on his agenda. On the other hand, considering how popular the ThunderCats brand is, it wouldn’t be surprising if Warner Bros. would prefer if Wingard deliver that reboot sooner rather than later. Wingard is writing both Face/Off 2 and ThunderCats with his partner, Simon Barrett.

Let’s also not forget that Adam Wingard reportedly isn’t departing the MonsterVerse just yet. While each movie in this franchise has been helmed by a different filmmaker so far, Warner Bros. and Legendary are apparently looking to bring Wingard back for another MonsterVerse installment. There’s no word yet on what the story would be about, although Son of Kong is one of the ideas supposedly being considered. In any case, with this, along with Face/Off 2 and ThunderCats, keeping Wingard busy, don’t be surprised if it takes a while for the Hardcore movie to appear in front of our eyeballs.

While we wait for more news about Hardcore and Adam Wingard’s other upcoming projects, learn what cinematic fare is coming out later this year by browsing through our upcoming 2021 movies schedule.

I called it! In a previous article, one of the possible directions that I wanted to see for King Kong’s future was a “Son of Kong” movie. And if the scuttlebutt is true, then we may be getting just that as a recent report says that the next film in the MonsterVerse could be a Son of Kong movie, directed by none other than Godzilla vs. Kong director, Adam Wingard. If this pans out, it would make him the first director to be handling two movies in this kaiju shared universe. And thankfully, based on THR's report on the matter, it might be another King Kong movie! Son of Kong is one of the titles said to have been discussed.

I'm happy to hear this because look, Godzilla is my homeboy and all, but I honestly think that Legendary has done a much better job with King Kong than Godzilla. I mean, even within the American Godzilla fanbase, there’s been some dissension. Just check social media. Most fans LOVE what Legendary has done with Godzilla in the 2014 movie and King of the Monsters. But some fans (myself included) have had much more lukewarm feelings toward the Legendary Godzilla films, citing complaints like too many boring human characters or (in 2014’s case) not enough Godzilla. But why am I talking about the big lizard? This article is all about the big monkey. So, here are five reasons why I think a new King Kong movie would be better than a new Godzilla film. Oh, and spoilers up ahead for Godzilla vs. Kong.

We Have Already Gotten Two Standalone Godzilla Movies, But Only One King Kong Film

I mentioned this in the intro, but we’ve already gotten two standalone Godzilla movies. And while fans are a little mixed on their feelings about both films, the fact remains, Godzilla has already gotten two solo affairs while King Kong has only gotten one with Kong: Skull Island. And that was an origin story no less. We still haven’t gotten a follow-up where Kong takes center stage yet.

But a Son of Kong movie would be interesting. Following the original 1933 King Kong, the next Kong film was actually a Son of Kong movie where the original Kong wasn’t even in the film since he died at the end of the first one. Instead, we got a return to Skull Island where Carl Denham (played by Robert Armstrong), found Kong’s son, who was a much, much smaller version of his papa. Given that King Kong is now in Hollow Earth by the end of Godzilla vs. Kong, might we have a similar version of that story where the human characters go back to Skull Island and find the progeny of Kong? Or, will a new story take place in Hollow Earth? Only time will tell if this project actually takes shape.

Kong Emotes More Than Godzilla, Meaning We Could Potentially Have Less Human Characters

Here’s something that’s also very important. King Kong is still alive at the end of Godzilla vs. Kong. Not only that, but he’s happy. This is a far cry from the end of the original 1933 film where Kong was shot down from the Empire State Building. So, one could speculate that King Kong would be in a movie that would also feature his son. And this would be a great thing, since King Kong emotes a lot more than Godzilla ever did in the MonsterVerse (Laughing Godzilla, aside).

We saw Kong doing sign language in Godzilla vs. Kong, and a film with a father and son dynamic could potentially explore a lot more of Kong’s thoughts and feelings, rather than meandering human plotlines. A big problem with these MonsterVerse films, in my opinion, is that we’ve gotten too many human storylines that somewhat take away from the main attractions. But as we saw in Godzilla vs. Kong, Kong was essentially the main character, and he carried the film since we could clearly see his emotions. So maybe a more monster-focused story of a father and his son could mean less emphasis on the human characters carrying the story through. Hey, it worked for the Planet of the Apes movies. Why not the next King Kong?

We Could Learn More About Hollow Earth, Which Means Even More New Monsters

As mentioned, at the end of Godzilla vs. Kong, the big ape is happily in Hollow Earth, so one would expect that the next movie would feature the underground realm as well. This would be really cool since we’ve already seen that all sorts of monsters are living there, which would mean that Kong or his son wouldn’t have to be stuck fighting a mechanized version of Kong (don’t ask) just because Kong doesn’t really have a huge stable of villains to pull from.

In fact, the MonsterVerse has set up a whole legion of Titans that King Kong could potentially fight. At the end of King of the Monsters, we see some of them bowing to Godzilla, but we never really got to see much of them since Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah took center stage in that film. Might we finally see titans like Leviathan or Sargon in the next MonsterVerse movie? I’m not sure, but it would be really cool if we did.

This Director Seems To Do A Better Job With Kong Than Godzilla

Adam Wingard, who also directed horror movies like Blair Witch 2016 and You’re Next, might not have seemed like the obvious pick for a giant monster movie at the time. But as sales have shown, people love what he did with Godzilla vs. Kong, which is why Legendary possibly wanted to work with him again. But one complaint that I’ve seen online is that this Godzilla doesn’t really match up with the Godzilla we’ve seen in the 2014 version or King of the Monsters. This Godzilla is a lot more expressive and maybe a little out of character from what came before in the MonsterVerse.

That said, Wingard does an amazing job with Kong, who seems to have evolved since we last saw him in Kong: Skull Island. In Wingard’s hands, Kong truly is the protagonist, which no other story in the MonsterVerse has been able to do thus far. Yes, we did have human characters again in Godzilla Vs. Kong, but one could argue that Kong carried that film. And while yes, that’s because it was in the script, it’s arguable that Godzilla Vs Kong is much more of a King Kong film than a Godzilla movie, and in Wingard’s hands, that still worked since he did such a good job with Kong. This brings me to my final and most contentious reason.

Kong: Skull Island Is Still Arguably The Best MonsterVerse Movie

I know this is debatable, but I still think that Kong: Skull Island is the best movie in the MonsterVerse. For me, it’s the film that feels the most enjoyable, as even the human characters don’t annoy me like the ones in the three other MonsterVerse films featuring Godzilla. And it’s certainly one of the best King Kong movies. That’s just one reason why I think another King Kong film would be the best course of action for the MonsterVerse.

Another would be that I just think Godzilla could use a break in America. And if Wingard could possibly make a film with a similar feel to it like Kong: Skull Island, then I think the MonsterVerse can feel somewhat fresh again, which I think is a very good thing for what could potentially be a very healthy series now that Godzilla vs. Kong was a hit.

Those are just some of the reasons I think the next MonsterVerse film should be a King Kong movie rather than a Godzilla one. But what do you think? Make your voice heard in the poll below! Oh, and for news about other 2021 movies make sure to swing by often!

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The return of the MonsterVerse seemed to come at the perfect time last month with Godzilla vs. Kong. Adam Wingard’s big crossover fight inspired more people to go to the theaters for a single Hollywood movie for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic dried up attendance. The action epic has seen its highest gross in China and was looking ahead to high expectations for the kaiju’s home country of Japan. Now, the movie’s release in the East Asian island country has indefinitely been postponed.

Godzilla vs. Kong was set to extend its impressive box office run by opening in Japan starting on May 14 until this news. This release date has now been cancelled for the time being due to a state of emergency in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Godzilla’s website for the region. The state of emergency is slated to last until at least May 11.

This past week Japan logged the highest count of new coronavirus cases in over three months, with 5,793 on Wednesday. A fourth wave of COVID-19 is looking to be on the way for residents of Japan, notably in Osaka and Fukuoka, inciting closures of movie theaters. The country is currently struggling with its vaccine rollout, with less than 2% of Japan’s population vaccinated so far, per Reuters. This is the lowest proportion of inoculated people among wealthy countries.

Godzilla vs. Kong's arrival in Japanese theaters now will be up to how the country deals with its state of emergency and if it manages to make enough progress to allow for larger gatherings like movie showings. While the top two global movie markets, China and the United States, are up and running and starting to bring in some solid numbers for the first time since the pandemic, Japan is the third largest market, and Godzilla vs. Kong is now missing out on some added dollars for an extended amount of time.

The MonsterVerse entry has made $406 million worldwide in the month it has been in theaters, surpassing its predecessor Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which made $386 million in spring 2019. The movie was at No. 1 for four weeks in a row domestically, only just being dethroned this past weekend with Mortal Kombat and Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train being released.

What’s especially impressive is Godzilla vs. Kong did this while also being available on HBO Max its first 30 days. It’s unprecedented for a movie to be at home and theaters at the same time, but it's a strategy Warner Bros has decided to implement for all its 2021 movies.

When the movie does get its time to shine in Japan, the movie could certainly boost the film’s success even further. It has already been announced that Adam Wingard is working on a followup to Godzilla vs. Kong along with developing a Face/Off sequel and Thundercats movie. Wingard will reportedly be the first director to make two MonsterVerse movies following a variety of visions for Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Godzilla vs. Kong is still playing in theaters. Check out what releases to get excited for this May with CinemaBlend’s 2021 release schedule for your next trip to theaters or home viewing.

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Before the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, the fate of the MonsterVerse felt, at best, uncertain. Godzilla: King of the Monsters' performance had weakened what was a strong contender in a world of tentpole warfare. But now, after a Titan-sized victory has landed in the lap of Warner Bros and Legendary, a step forward of that very same magnitude may be underway. If current reporting is true, director Adam Wingard may not only be in talks for the next MonsterVerse film, there’s already a promising concept that could be in the works.

Per news breaking from THR, Adam Wingard is in early discussions to become the first director to return to the MonsterVerse. Previously, each entry leading to Godzilla vs. Kong had seen a fresh set of eyes settling into the director’s chair. However, after this clash of the Titans gave the pandemic box office a huge boost, it seems that Legendary is keen to keep the increasingly busy Wingard on board. Oh, and about that idea that’s allegedly floating around these negotiations? Well, we hope you’re ready for Son of Kong to become the first step in this new age of Titans.

Already, the largest question that Adam Wingard and MonsterVerse fans probably have is just where this will fit into the timeline of both Wingard and Warner Bros’ busy schedules. Mr. Wingard, in particular, is keeping quite busy, as he’s lined up a Thundercats movie with that very studio, as well as a Face/Off sequel he’s tackling with frequent collaborator Simon Barrett. While one of those projects could very easily be moved, obviously the follow up to the John Travolta/Nicolas Cage classic is going to be the more pressing engagement on the table.

Then again, it might not be that big of a deal, as whatever this Godzilla vs. Kong followup happens to be, it still needs a script. Undoubtedly, the concepts to choose from will come from the MonsterVerse writers room that’s seen a think tank of writers crafting scenarios to continue the good work from. But that’s not to say that there’s a complete, ready-to-go draft of anything sitting on Adam Wingard’s desk right now.

Even if a script for Son of Kong existed, there’s one more hurdle that could buy Wingard some time: the success of Godzilla vs. Kong. Just as that project had its own story obviously retooled after Godzilla: King of the Monsters failed to set the world on fire, the success of Adam Wingard’s movie will influence where this next project goes. All we’re left with at the moment is a very exciting prospect that could see the MonsterVerse hitting its stride, with Wingard along for the ride.

Speaking of rides, Godzilla vs. Kong is only a quick trip to your local theater, or an HBO Max account away from your very eyes. Though if you’re a newcomer to Warner Bros’ streaming playground, check out the six month prepaid offer they’re currently running. Just be sure to do it before April 30, as that’s the last day Godzilla vs. Kong’s initial streaming release will be available.

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While the MonsterVerse may have its fair share of serialized world building and storytelling, there are quite a few characters whose stories have yet to be concluded in Godzilla vs. Kong. One such loose end is the primary antagonist from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Alan Jonah, played by Game of Thrones legend Charles Dance. Well, if you were wondering why this particular character didn’t appear in this year’s monstrous hit, director Adam Wingard has an answer that just might make you laugh.

This supposed mystery was solved during Wingard’s big Reddit Q&A that saw him dish on everything from the Friday the 13th movie that inspired one particular Kong kill to Alan Jonah’s fate. From the looks of his final appearance in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, one would have thought that Jonah would have returned to try and meddle with the affairs of Titans even more. However, this is where Charles Dance’s character ended up, according to Adam Wingard:

At the end of what is supposedly his final moments in the MonsterVerse, we saw Charles Dance’s anti-Titan baddie buying the Ghidorah skull left over from one of Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ monster battle set pieces. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to save him from getting taken out by some atomic justice, as Adam Wingard jokingly suggested that Godzilla literally stomped out one of his greatest threats. Of course, even Wingard himself suggests that he’s joking, though there’s apparently more to the story.

Early on in the Godzilla vs. Kong novelization’s version of events, a man who isn’t explicitly named sells Walter Simmons two out of a potential three high ticket items. The entire exchange is cryptic, as it’s obviously starting off the plot that would eventually reveal those items to be Ghidorah skulls crucial to Apex Cybernetics’ big Mechagodzilla project. So putting together the context clues of this man’s cold appearance, and the wares he’s selling, it looks like Alan Jonah could have played a bit part in the first act of Godzilla vs. Kong, offloading his ill-gotten goods for a hefty sum.

Officially, it looks like Alan Jonah is another one of those mysteries that will be left in the shadows, unless future MonsterVerse installments revisit his character’s shady legacy. And if all we’re going to get is Adam Wingard’s joke about Godzilla squashing this rather vile villain, it honestly feels like as poetic an ending as we could ever expect. Though, could it have hurt to let Godzilla learn how to use a crossbow in the process?

You don’t need to have seen Godzilla vs. Kong in order to appreciate that story, but if you’re excited to watch Titans have a smashing good time, you can do just that. If you feel safe to go back to movie theaters, then that’s a prime option for getting this excitement in your eyeballs. Though if you’re an HBO Max subscriber, or looking for a good offer to convince you to take that leap, you’ll have until April 30th to watch Godzilla vs. Kong from your very own couch.

Godzilla vs. Kong fought its way to box office dominance -- roaring past box office expectations, reaching global milestones, and delivering the kaiju main-event it promised. It’s a movie that raises some questions about its human characters having major roles and its actors being aware of the fact that they aren’t what people are paying to see. Godzilla and King Kong are the main draws and everything was riding on the two iconic monsters coming to blows. The monsters pulled a lot of weight narratively, and director, Adam Wingard, revealed a hilarious advantage to King Kong knowing sign language in the movie.

King Kong's relationship with Jia was a surprisingly tender addition to the mayhem and destruction-heavy film. They use sign language to communicate with each other, and Jia is the go-between for Kong and the other humans in the movie. However, there are certain things you have to consider when it comes to Kong's use of sign language, and fans seem to be considering this. During a Reddit Q&A, director Adam Wingard addressed a hilarious question about Kong’s signing abilities:

Adam Wingard addresses the elephant in the room: can Kong give someone the middle finger? Wingard admits that Jia is the one who taught him sign language, so she would ultimately have to be the one to teach him how to flip someone the bird. However, she's honestly too innocent and sweet to ever teach Kong such things. However, Wingard says there is always room for growth, and I would not bet against Kong, who seems like an intelligent monster, picking up some unsavory sign language elsewhere.

Aside from any kind of gestures either creature might make, Godzilla Vs. Kong has inspired debate about whose movie it is Godzilla or King Kong? The film fulfilled Adam Wingard’s dream Monsterverse fights and has given the film industry some hope for a return to normalcy during the ongoing pandemic. The little details that come out about Godzilla vs. Kong just gives fans more and more to think and obsess over, which is a good sign for any franchise.

When it comes to King Kong, a lot of effort went into allowing the character to have the standout performance he had in Godzilla vs. Kong. Adam Wingard and the VFX team made certain that Kong could convey emotions and communicate with Jia in a believable way, which is why one detail about him was changed from 2017's Skull Island. In regard to any potential future films in the franchise, fans will surely be on the lookout for any development with King Kong’s sign language capabilities and if he picked up any bad habits since his clash with Godzilla.

Be sure to catch Godzilla vs. Kong in theaters and stream it before it leaves HBO Max at the end of this month.

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The past year has been a wild one, with various industries adjusting to new standards. The film world was no exception; sets were given new safety protocols while studios brought projects straight to homes. That was certainly the case with Godzilla Vs. Kong, which was available both in theaters and HBO Max. And director Adam Wingard recently revealed one sequence that was directly inspired by beloved horror franchise Friday the 13th.

Godzilla Vs. Kong is the latest installment in the MonsterVerse, and features a ton of thrilling action sequences. One of these sequences sees Kong fight a pair of winged titans, swinging them around as living weapons. It turns out that moment was actually inspired by 2001’s Jason X. As Adam Wingard explained,

Mind blown. While Jason X is one of the less successful installments of the Friday the 13th franchise, it still has managed to make an impact. So much so that Godzilla Vs. Kong was influenced by the futuristic slasher.

Adam Wingard’s comments come from his recent Reddit AMA, where he fielded questions from the public about Godzilla Vs. Kong and other projects from his career. While discussing his recently kaiju blockbuster, he revealed how the crossover event actually was informed by one particular sight gag in Jason X.

Godzilla Vs. Kong is available for a limited time on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Jason X puts the titular Friday the 13th killer in space, and is a campy science fiction take on the property. Toward the end of the movie, Jason is put in a holographic simulation of the infamous Camp Crystal Lake, where he murders two counselors by smashing them around from within their sleeping bags. You can check it out below, although the nudity makes it NSFW.

It should be interesting to see if the MonsterVerse continues to get new life. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was a box office disappointment, so the pressure was on for Godzilla Vs. Kong. But since that movie ended up releasing in homes as well as in theaters, it’s unclear how the movie’s success will be judged.

Godzilla Vs. Kong is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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The ongoing joke leading up to the release of Godzilla vs. Kong was that nobody really cared about the human characters, we just wanted to see the big scary monsters punch each other. And at the end of the day, it has to be said that whether or not the movie worked for audiences probably came down to just how much you enjoyed seeing the giant monsters duke it out. The battle scenes are a big part of the movie, and director Adam Wingard has revealed that of the three fights between Godzilla and Kong, there are two that he really wanted to make because there were certain elements that he really wanted to see in them.

Filming the massive fight scenes between two entirely CGI creatures gave the filmmakers freedom to make these battles take place just about anywhere they wanted, and have the creatures do just about anything. Director Adam Wingard recently told the Popcorn Podcast that there were some specific elements that he wanted from the battles, which helped to inform everything else. In the case of the movie's climactic battle, which takes place in Hong Kong, Wingard wanted to see the two creatures fighting in a neon-soaked city. The director explained,

And to be fair, that sequence looks pretty cool. Seeing Godzilla's atomic breath light up the sky like the neon building around him looks just as amazing as it probably did in the director's head. It's clear that everybody knew that Godzilla vs. Kong had to live up to its title and bring the battles to life and the movie certainly does that.

Godzilla Vs. Kong is available for a limited time on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While the big fights in Godzilla vs Kong may have included creatures the size of skyscrapers, their epic clash wasn't necessarily all that different than other movie action sequences. We like to see our heroes given difficult odds to overcome, which is apparently where the first fight scene between Godzilla and Kong came from. According to Adam Wingard, putting the fight on the water put Kong at a significant disadvantage, which was something he wanted because it made the scene more intense.

Of course, the one problem with the action scenes in Godzilla vs. Kong is that they've set the bar pretty high. If we see more movies in this universe, and a lot of people seem to want that, they'll have to find ways to keep the action just as exciting.

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Warning: SPOILERS for Godzilla vs. Kong are ahead!

Moviegoers know exactly what they’re getting when they decide to check out Godzilla vs. Kong in theaters and/or on HBO Max: two titans of pop culture, figuratively and literally, colliding on the big screen for the first time in nearly 60 years. But there’s a greater threat that emerges towards the end of the latest MonsterVerse movie: Mechagodzilla, another fan-favorite kaiju from the Toho monster film series. Unfortunately, a series of Godzilla vs. Kong toy leaks ended up spoiling the twist long ago, and needless to say that this was frustrating for director Adam Wingard.

In a recent interview, Adam Wingard expressed gratitude that who ultimately emerged victorious in Godzilla vs. Kong managed to stay a secret, but it was nonetheless disappointing to him that the looks at Mechagodzilla in toy form emerged online long before they were supposed to. As he put it to io9:

You have to remember that although Godzilla vs. Kong was released last week, there was a time when the movie was supposed to come out in May 2020. So the tie-in toys had been put together long beforehand, but the longer a toy connected to a major franchise goes without being released, the likelier it is that a picture of said toy will be posted online. And yes, there are instances where tie-in toys don’t end up actually factoring into the plot of the movie, but that was not the case with Mechagodzilla.

Eventually the day came when the Godzilla vs. Kong toys were released to the public, but then Adam Wingard ended up drawing the ire of certain MonsterVerse fans because he posted something Mechagodzilla-related on social media ahead of Godzilla vs. Kong’s release. As the filmmaker recalled:

In any case, Godzilla vs. Kong is out now, so people know how Mechagodzilla precisely fits into the cinematic picture. Within the MonsterVerse continuity, the mechanical Titan was built by Apex Cybernetics and operated by Ren Serizawa using a neural uplink through the skull of one of Ghidorah’s heads. Apex CEO Walter Simmons intended to use Mechagodzilla to destroy Earth’s Titans and reassert humanity’s dominance, but upon being fully charged by the energy from Hollow Earth, the robot overcame its programming and went rogue. Luckily, Godzilla and King Kong put aside their differences and join forces to vanquish Mechagodzilla before it could wreak havoc past Hong Kong. Unless someone in this universe gets the bright idea to build Mechagodzilla 2.0, we don’t have to worry about this threat reemerging.

Godzilla vs. Kong will be available to watch on HBO Max until the end of the month, and you can use this link to sign up for the streaming service. Keep track of the movies that will play later this year with our 2021 release schedule.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links. Warning: spoilers for Godzilla vs. Kong are present. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you’ll want to back out of here before you move forward.

As the fate of the MonsterVerse remains uncertain, even in the afterglow of Godzilla vs. Kong’s amazing opening, there’s no question who won the title match at the heart of the film. However, there’s another question that has come up during the discussion of director Adam Wingard’s new entry in Warner Bros’ revitalized MonsterVerse. While the movie is titled Godzilla vs. Kong, is it more of a Godzilla movie or more of a prequel depicting the rise of the future King, Kong?

The Godzilla Movie In Godzilla Vs. Kong

If you were to follow Godzilla’s story in Godzilla vs. Kong, then this is a Godzilla movie akin to something like Diamonds Are Forever. On the trail of the evil corporation Apex Cybernetics and its plans to create a Mechagodzilla, the lizard god’s grudge against Walter Simmons (Demian Bichir) is like the epic rivalry between Bond and Blofeld. The big exception, of course, is that Godzilla’s actions force him to be painted as a villain to Monarch and a majority of the humans in the film.

That distinction leads to Godzilla’s plotline including Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) and her human friends trying to blow the lid off of Apex’s foul deeds. The Godzilla vs. Kong plot that Team Godzilla’s portion moves through is a tale of conspiracy and revenge, which helps ensure that Godzilla’s seen not as a total villain but is instead seen as a scorned anti-hero. Which, to be fair, is exciting stuff; unfortunately that’s also not the bulk of this particular movie.

The King Kong Movie In Godzilla Vs. Kong

Not yet a king, but not the young Titan from Kong: Skull Island, Kong’s world is one of seclusion and protection. With Skull Island sealed off by a Monarch dome, and overseen by the watchful eye of Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) Godzilla vs. Kong sets this particular Titan up as the underdog the audience can root for. Especially when, by all comparisons, Kong has historically been underpowered and smaller in stature compared to Godzilla.

Throughout Godzilla vs. Kong, Kong’s story reveals the existence of the Hollow Earth, which was introduced in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, as well as the history of his kind ruling that dominion. From this point, Kong becomes King, taking his throne in the center of the Earth, and fighting the various Titans that occupy that realm. Both of these plots sound like they’d drive an entire film, but who’s really the star of Godzilla vs. Kong?

Godzilla Or Kong: Whose Movie Is Godzilla Vs. Kong Anyway?

To me, Godzilla vs. Kong is, without question, a Kong movie. Yes, it’s got huge Godzilla fights and Kong does technically even lose to the lizard god in the third and final round. Yet, both of those components make the Kong portion of this MonsterVerse matchup the thematic fulcrum that the movie pivots on throughout.

Not only is the Hollow Earth that’s central to the film the actual home court of Kong’s kingdom, but most of the huge story beats revolve around Kong. Godzilla vs. Kong sees the Simmons family and Apex Cybernetics basically trying to hire Kong to find the Hollow Earth, leading to a way to defeat Godzilla. If it wasn’t for Kong, that grudge match between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla would have probably ended fatally for our large lizard friend.

The sprinkles that really seal this argument see Godzilla vs. Kong’s overall story hinging on Kong’s actions, as well ending things with his ascension to the Hollow Earth throne. Godzilla heads off to the sea, as he always does when the job is done; however, by this time we already know he’s going to do that because we dove into his story in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. With more details revealed about his lineage, and even more set up for his future being presented in its execution, I think it's safe to say Godzilla vs. Kong is totally a King Kong prequel.

What Adam Wingard Has To Say About Godzilla Vs. Kong

Director Adam Wingard promised the world that Godzilla vs. Kong would have a definitive winner, and he delivered on that promise. But just as the film has a surefire victor, it also has a clear focus as to which Titan it favors with its story, and Kong comes out on top once again. When talking to Film School Rejects about the matter, Wingard laid out why Godzilla vs. Kong follows the son of Skull Island’s story more prominently:

There you have it, dear readers. Even if there’s a case for talking out whether Godzilla vs. Kong is a Godzilla sequel or a King Kong prequel, Adam Wingard and the folks behind the MonsterVerse’s writers room have a definitive answer to this very question. Kong reigns supreme, and holds court in the bigger picture of Godzilla vs. Kong.

Though this seems to be the definitive take on the matter, that doesn’t mean the audience needs to roll over and accept the result. There’s still room to respectfully disagree with what’s been said above, in order to construct an alternate theory that sees Toho’s legendary creation still reigning supreme. Which means it’s time for some research on your part.

Godzilla vs. Kong is a key component to these studies, and can be found at a theater near you, or through streaming on HBO Max. However, if you want to revisit both previous Godzilla films, as well as Kong: Skull Island, you’re going to need a subscription to Warner Bros’ big ticket film library. If you’re not already in the HBO Max subscriber’s pool, then you should absolutely check out the six-month prepaid subscription offer that will fix your woes instantly.

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Theme park fans always have those rides they can remember every moment at the drop of a gift shop hat. For Universal Studios Orlando fans, Back to the Future: The Ride is one of those departed classic attractions that brings back such strong memories. And now Godzilla vs. Kong is the living proof. You can thank director Adam Wingard for that nostalgia blast, as the famed Universal Studios ride inspired a huge nod that was included during the climactic Hong Kong fight sequence.

If you thought the sequence where Alexander Skarsgard and Rebecca Hall ride an experimental craft right past the faces of both of Godzilla vs. Kong’s titular Titans looked familiar, this is probably why. As it turns out, Adam Wingard had several properties he wanted to invoke in his movie, which lead to references to such things as Lethal Weapon 2, and Back to the Future: The Ride. When speaking with Polygon, Wingard explained why Doc Brown’s Orlando adventure was such an important thing to reference:

While the effects of Godzilla vs. Kong are lightyears away from those used in Back to the Future: The Ride, Adam Wingard’s not wrong when it comes to the charm that the attraction retains with theme park fans. With the last variant of the ride closing down in 2016, the attraction sadly only exists in the ride videos that can be found online and on some home video editions of Back to the Future. And when you watch the video of the simulator ride’s adventure, provided below, you can clearly see where the influence came from.

Even if the video above constitutes your first time experiencing Back to the Future: The Ride, it’s hard to watch that scene from Godzilla vs. Kong and not see the resemblance. Whether it’s tunneling through the Hollow Earth or smashing through a random Hong Kong skyscraper, the motion and the thrill of such an adventure is present in Adam Wingard’s dramatic conclusion. And if that wasn’t enough, not one, but two close calls with the jaws of a Titan were included to seal that visual deal.

Some inspirations are harder than others to nail when it comes to the world of visual medium. And making a film like Godzilla vs. Kong feel like a theme park simulator without even moving your seat is one of those rare moments that generates quite a thrill for audiences. While the fight choreography of such scenes needed to have a grounded, but still fantastical approach. The action involving humans and their technological advances to play in the world of Titans got to be as wild, and ultimately as successful, as Adam Wingard wanted them to be.

Much like the rest of Warner Bros.’ 2021 theatrical slate, Godzilla vs. Kong is currently in theaters, with HBO Max offering the film simultaneously for the first 30 days. As the platform is currently offering a six month prepaid subscription discount, now’s a good time to sign up and get a feel for what’s available in the entire library. Unfortunately, Six Flags simulator films are not part of that library, so there's no chance of properly reliving The Right Stuff Mach 1 Adventure at this time.

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The movie business has spent more than a year on its heels. Theaters have been closed and major releases have been delayed. The entire industry has been waiting to see when things would start to really shift towards getting better, and while it's tough to say for sure, the best evidence yet that things might be starting to return to normal has arrived in the box office response to Godzilla vs. Kong. The massive monster showdown had a solid box office debut both domestically and around the world, and director Adam Wingard is thankful for what this means both for his film and the theatrical experience overall.

Over the first five days of Godzilla vs. Kong's release the movie brought in nearly $50 million domestically with a global take of just under $300 million. Those are some pretty solid numbers, especially considering that some significant number of people watched the movie on HBO Max who very likely, under other circumstances, would have gone to the theater. Director Adam Wingard posted a big thank you to fans on social media, not just for his movie doing well but he seems even more focused on what this means for theatrical distribution. As he put it,

Godzilla vs. Kong's $48.5 million domestic opening covers the first five days of its release. It is lower than the other movies in the MonsterVerse franchise, but considering the 1-2 punch of the HBO Max option and the fact that many are likely still unsure about theaters, the number is quite impressive under the circumstances.

Godzilla Vs. Kong is currently available on HBO Max. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

A movie like Godzilla vs. Kong is exactly the sort of film that massive movie screens were made for. The box office numbers show that not only did people want to see this specific movie on a big screen, but a significant number of people were also confident enough to return to theaters. That's really the bigger item of note here. Whether it was this movie specifically, or just a general confidence in going back to the theater and this film came along at the right time, it seems clear that theaters are not dead.

Warner Bros. hedged its bets on Godzilla vs. Kong by putting the movie on HBO Max but it seems that many people were more than willing to visit the theater even though the other option was available to them. This is good news for the studio as a whole, as every other movie released by the studio this year, with the possible exception of Dune, will be getting the same treatment. Disney has also decided, following numerous delays, to release Black Widow both in theaters and on Disney+, but with a premium price tag attached.

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Godzilla vs. Kong is gearing up to be the biggest blockbuster since the COVID-19 pandemic and wow, does it feel good to be back. King Kong’s expansive roar against Godzilla’s electric cries could not be more perfect for the big-screen experience, and audiences are catching on. Following a huge opening overseas last weekend, Godzilla vs. Kong is being welcomed to domestic audiences this week, and director Adam Wingard made it a family affair.

The filmmaker celebrated his biggest film yet at a Los Angeles drive-in premiere on Wednesday. He took to Instagram to share some photos he took with his mom at the event, and they're just too cute:

Adam Wingard and his mother looked like they were having a blast at the outdoor screening, as they posed in their own fighting positions next to a sign for Godzilla vs. Kong. Movie premieres used to be huge events before COVID-19 and, while he didn’t assemble the entire cast together to celebrate the massive movie, he did have some family beside him to celebrate the major accomplishment.

At the premiere, the Godzilla vs. Kong director was also joined by his fellow MonsterVerse filmmakers, Gareth Edwards of 2014’s Godzilla, Jordan Vogt-Roberts of 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and Michael Dougherty from 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Check ‘em out:

Godzilla vs. Kong is the culmination of the three MonsterVerse movies before it, so it is only fitting that the directing team would come together and view the film in the same place. The four directors made their rounds on Wednesday to a number of theaters together in Los Angeles to cap off the release and promote viewing the film in theaters, for those who feel safe to do so. Check out the trailer below:

Along with its big debut in theaters, Godzilla vs. Kong is available on HBO Max during the month of April. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service. Warner Bros is releasing every one of its 2021 films to both theaters and HBO Max, giving audiences options when it comes to viewing the film. The industry is certainly on edge and curious about how this strategy will affect Godzilla vs. Kong’s box office gross but so far, things are looking good.

Godzilla vs. Kong has already made $151 million worldwide after about a week in theaters across international markets and is now heading into the domestic market’s first weekend. Its domestic earnings have already roared past $27 million, beating out Tenet’s $20 million first weekend pandemic best last September. And the best part is a ton of fans are really enjoying the movie as well.

While Godzilla vs. Kong isn't set to make its domestic debut until this Wednesday, director Adam Wingard has been busy making some massive follow-up plans. Back in mid-February it was reported that he had signed on to make a sequel to John Woo's Face/Off, one that is apparently looking to bring back Nicolas Cage and Jon Travolta – and while you'd think developing that project would be enough to handle for the filmmaker, he is expanding his upcoming slate by also working on a big screen Thundercats movie.

Deadline has broken the news of Adam Wingard's involvement with extensive quotes from the filmmaker expressing his incredible love for the original animated series – which first premiered in 1985 and ran for 130 episodes across four seasons. Apparently when the director was a sophomore in high school his obsession actually had a devastating impact on his grade point average, as he spent all of his time ignoring his studies and instead hand-writing his own epic Thundercats blockbuster. Said Wingard,

For those who don't know, the general rule in screenwriting is that one page equals about a minute of screen time, so what teenage Adam Wingard put together was a version of Thundercats that was four-and-a-half hours long. This won't be the movie that he is now developing (perhaps he can at the very least port over some details?), but the passion for the material is still very much a part of his life.

As he explained, he was riding on a high after finishing work on Godzilla vs. Kong (a movie he says the studio "loves"), and it was at that time that he learned a big screen version of Thundercats was being developed by people with whom he previously worked. Wingard decided to take a shot at landing the gig, and they have given him the opportunity. He said,

Obviously one of the biggest challenges for the film is going to be translating what was originally 2D, hand-drawn animation into modern style, and Adam Wingard has some ambitious plans to get that done. He doesn't want to make a live-action Thundercats movie (respectfully citing Tom Hooper's Cats as a worst case scenario), but instead wants to make a kind of hybrid that we've never seen before. Said Wingard,

What's unfortunately not clear is how Adam Wingard is developing this project alongside his Face/Off 2, but that's information that will come in time (it's probably more likely that the latter comes first, if not because it is the movie that will have a much shorter total production schedule). It may be a minute before we get more updates about the Thundercats movie, but the director's excitement surely gets us excited for his vision.

Godzilla vs. Kong arrives in theaters this Wednesday, March 31, in theaters and on HBO Max.

It was back in late 2015 that the plan for what would become the MonsterVerse started to really take shape. Following the release of Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla the year prior, the idea grew that the lizard-like kaiju would be established as part of an expanded canon that would also include King Kong – setting up a cinematic rematch nearly 60 years in the making after Ishiro Honda’s King Kong vs. Godzilla. The franchise grew with Jordan Vogt-Roberts' Kong: Skull Island and Michael Dougherty's Godzilla: King of the Monsters, establishing characters, locations, and key events, and now we are seeing the arrival of the promised capstone blockbuster that is Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong.

Unfortunately, it’s not really much of a capstone blockbuster. Despite having three full movies to set things up, and a half-decade in development time, the film still has to spend its entire first act introducing brand new heroes and villains and all varieties of plot points. It’s an aspect of Godzilla vs. Kong that may disappoint fans who were hoping for more impactful usage of the canon, and it also results in the beginning of the story being way more of a slog than you’d hope for – but it’s also a film that sees a sputtering start turn into a fun ride stocked with some spectacular monster action, silly-but-enjoyable narratives, and wonderful design.

Written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, the movie unfolds across two separate storylines – one being a follow-up to the adventure in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and the other feeling like the continuation of a Kong: Skull Island sequel that never got made (you can probably take a good stab and which of the two is overstocked with exposition). What kicks off both storylines, however, is the same event, which sees Godzilla make a surprise appearance in Pensacola, Florida and decimate the American headquarters of the company Apex Cybernetics.

Fearing that Godzilla’s behavior is only going to become more erratic and more destructive, the head of Apex, Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir), reaches out to discredited scientist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgard) and provides him with the resources to continue his research. Lind believes that there is a Titan homeworld that exists at the core of the Earth, and Simmons believes that there exists a power there that could finally give humanity a fighting chance against the King of the Monsters. The only way that they can find what they are looking for, though, is with the help of another Titan, which leads Lind to reach out to former colleague Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), who has Kong in containment and has been studying his behavior.

Those on Team Kong worry about the giant ape’s safety when another alpha Titan is loose in the world and constantly looking to prove its dominance – but there is another party that believes that the threat isn’t what people think it is. Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), an Apex whistleblower and conspiracy theorist podcaster, is on a mission to prove that his employer is up to some sinister activity, and while he gives off some serious crackpot vibes, one person that believes him is young Godzilla advocate Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown), who tracks Bernie down with some help from her reticent friend, Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison).

There’s no questioning that Godzilla vs. Kong’s story is silly, but it ultimately gets the job done.

The plotting of Godzilla vs. Kong is so obvious that the marketing for the movie has felt totally free to spoil the big reveal in the third act, but what can be applauded is its creativity and commitment to its own weirdness. Its introduction may be crazy ham-fisted, featuring dialogue that could easily be replaced with “MacGuffin Energy MacGuffin Hollow Earth MacGuffin MacGuffin,” but once Kong, followed by advanced airships, starts swinging on support beams built to support an Antarctic tunnel on his way down to a gravitational inversion that separates the Titan’s world from ours, it’s hard not to just lean back and enjoy it.

As has been the case in the last two Godzilla movies (less so in Kong: Skull Island), the most significant issue in the film is its human characters, who just have a really hard time rating high on the interest scale when they are sharing the screen with skyscraper-sized monsters. It’s really here that the lack of development in the MonsterVerse is most glaring, as Godzilla vs. Kong would be vastly improved if the ensemble was comprised of heroes and villains we already knew about going in.

With Nathan Lind and Ilene Andrews, for example, we’re told about the death of the former’s brother during an early attempt to enter the Hollow Earth, and the latter discusses the destruction of Skull Island in a horrible storm that killed all of the natives. And while these stories are being spelled out in conversation you can’t help but think, I really wish I got to see this in a movie. Not only would it have allowed a proper execution of “show, don’t tell,” but it would give the two protagonists more emotional weight (which they don’t really possess in the movie).

Team Godzilla certainly has the advantage in this department thanks to Godzilla: King Of The Monsters’ Millie Bobby Brown, and the fact that her two cohorts are one-dimensional (albeit funny) characters. There’s a lot less heavy lifting required – though it should be recognized that there is also a swing-and-a-miss bringing back Kyle Chandler as Madison Russell’s father, Mark, as his entire role is talking into a radio and observing monster action from a distance.

It should surprise absolutely nobody that it’s the monster vs. monster action that truly sells Godzilla vs. Kong.

Truly the most important job that Godzilla vs. Kong has is just establishing proper set pieces to highlight the titular conflict, and that’s certainly the job that the movie does best. There are two clashes between the titular Titans in the film, and while that seems like a small number on paper, both conflicts are momentous and exhilarating (and it should be noted that they aren’t the only battles featured – just the only battles between the eponymous monsters). Without giving too much away, the scenes are unique in their stakes and their staging, and exercise the incredible powers of the characters well. Those who are seeking kaiju destruction action won’t be disappointed.

From creatures to advanced technology, Godzilla vs. Kong is filled with some fantastic design work.

Not only are said kaiju beautifully rendered and realistic (possessing shocking weight and depth), they are part of a world that throws a number of freaky and awesome ideas at audiences – from eagles with batwings to otherworldly dragon-like creatures that attack while Team Kong is in the Hollow Earth. It’s not just limited to the creatures either, as the design work all around is exciting, from the sleek airships that are used to follow Kong, to the dangerous secrets that Team Godzilla winds up finding in Apex Cybernetics’ Hong Kong headquarters.

Five years ago it sounded like Godzilla vs. Kong was being prepared as an Avengers-like event that would coalesce an expansive MonsterVerse franchise as a next-level blockbuster, and while it’s disappointing that the film very much isn’t that, its merits outweigh its flaws. It’s certainly not going to convert anyone who doesn’t already take pleasure in the storied genre, but those with an open mind will find plenty to appreciate.

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It’s been a long year of box office disappointments, as the movie industry greatly moved onto streaming and VOD. Could Godzilla vs. Kong be the movie to turn a giant corner? Adam Wingard’s epic MonsterVerse duel just opened in China ahead of its domestic release next week, and the movie is already outperforming 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, proving that the box office is back!

Godzilla vs. Kong had an impressive Friday debut in the Middle Kingdom with a reported $21.5 million start. Those numbers beat out King of the Monsters, which earned $20.9 million on its first day, before finishing off the weekend with $70.9 million, per The Hollywood Reporter. The 2019 film made a total of $135.4 million by the time it left theaters, while Chinese ticketing app Maoyan is currently projecting Godzilla vs. Kong to make $166 million by the end of its run.

While it's bit too early to know if Godzilla vs. Kong will in fact pull these huge numbers at China’s box office, it certainly looks like it's on track to become the most-successful Hollywood movie since COVID-19 in the offshore market. Thus far, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet holds that title, as the time-centric action flick had a $29.8 million first weekend and a final $66.6 China box office gross. Godzilla vs. Kong looks like it will beat that, easy.

Godzilla vs. Kong is also receiving highly positive ratings on Chinese ticketing apps Maoyan and Taopiaopiao, with a reported 9 out of 10 audience score and 7.1 review score. The MonsterVerse movie is also garnering overall positive reviews from this end, with first reactions that include CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes calling it a “hell of a ride!” The movie is currently playing at a number of offshore markets and will debut domestically this Wednesday.

Godzilla vs. Kong will hit theaters and HBO Max simultaneously on March 31. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service. The release follows Warner Bros.’ 2021 plan to put out everyone of its movies to theaters with a day-and-date streaming release as well. Check out the trailer:

This weekend in China, the MonsterVerse movie will go up against the re-release of James Cameron’s Avatar and Chinese comedy film Hi, Mom. According to the report, Godzilla vs. Kong dominated Friday ticket sales with an 87.6% share, whilst Avatar and Hi, Mom both had 2.8%. The projections for Godzilla vs. Kong is great news for the return of the theatrical market, especially as Hollywood hopes to release a wealth of exciting big movies globally this summer. Take a look at CinemaBlend’s 2021 movie schedule to plan your next trip to theaters.

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It's become fairly common practice these days for big movies to have big run times. Avengers: Endgame was more than three hours long, and Marvel movies regularly run over two hours. For Zack Snyder to complete his version of Justice League he needed more than four hours. So, if one was making a movie where two of the most popular monsters of all time went head-to-head, you might expect that movie to be quite long. Instead, Godzilla Vs. Kong is slightly less than two hours long, but director Adam Wingard doesn't have a problem with that.

Both the previous Godzilla films in this franchise, 2014's Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters clock in at over two hours. Kong: Skull Island is two minutes short of the two hour mark. This makes Godzilla vs. Kong, which clocks in at a reported one hour and 53 minutes, the shortest movie in the franchise so far. But don't expect Adam Wingard to get his own "Snyder Cut" as he tells Variety that the movie is exactly as long as he wants it to be, and fans hoping for more likely wouldn't get what they were looking for if it was any longer. According to Wingard...

So if you were hoping for a three hour long movie, you aren't going to get it when Godzilla vs. Kong opens next week, or possibly ever, as the sub-two hour version is exactly the movie director Adam Wingard was trying to make. It sounds like he's generally not a an of longer movies and feels that in many cases films over two hours probably didn't need to be that long.

And if we're all honest, if a longer movie is only going to give us more scenes of people talking about monsters, which would certainly be the case, then none of us really need a longer movie, right? We're all here to see the monsters fighting, and as long as we get a lot of that in our two hour flick, it's all good.

And that's actually where the two hour movie works better. The same amount of action in a three hour film is just going to have to spread that action over a longer period, but here, it will all be more compact, and likely make everything move at a much faster pace, making the movie seem even shorter than it is.

Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard joins the show this week! We discuss how they built scenes surrounding two CGI characters, why Kong is so effective for an audience emotionally and we even touch on some of his previous work in established franchises like Blair Witch and Death Note. You know we couldn’t have the director of the upcoming Face/Off sequel on without asking him about it, and he gave us a massive hint at where they’re headed with it. 

In rare fashion, we had some major news break during the episode rather than after. Black Widow and pretty much the rest of Disney’s remaining 2021 slate has shifted. We discuss Warner Media confirming that Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be his last in what they now consider to be a completed trilogy. 

This week’s BlendGame looks at the work of Antoine Fuqua. Next week, we celebrate the incredible Kate Winslet, and try to narrow down our favorite performances from her staggering career. Send in your pick on Twitter using #KateWinsletBlend.

Timestamps (approx. only)

2:24 - Weekly Poll: Who will win, Godzilla or Kong?

6:34 - Adam Wingard Interview

36:38 - Face/Off Bringing Cage Back?

42:27 - Warner Bros. New Release Window

53:18 - The SnyderVerse Isn’t Getting Restored

1:06:05 - Black Widow and Disney Slate Shift

1:18:43 - This Week In Movies

1:23:18 - Our Favorite Antoine Fuqua Movies

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After Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard brings his long-awaited MonsterVerse showdown to the big screen and HBO Max, the filmmaker has signed on to direct and co-write the script for a Face/Off sequel. Yes, the totally off-the-rails 1997 face-swap movie that starred Nicolas Cage and John Travolta is expected to be revisited, and Wingard has learned a little something about his plans for it from Godzilla vs. Kong.

Adam Wingard has been tapped to helm his take on Face/Off since February, from a script he and Blair Witch collaborator Simon Barrett are writing together. When the director was asked how Godzilla vs. Kong may influence how he approaches the followup, here’s what he said:

Adam Wingard recently clarified that his plans for a Face/Off sequel involve a direct continuation of the story centered on John Travolta’s Sean Archer and Nicolas Cage’s Castor Troy – also teasing that the actors could be involved in the movie if he closes the right deal with Paramount. Per these words with Variety, the filmmaker spoke about making the followup an epic movie with major action set pieces. Of course we want to see Face/Off go a step further and be wackier if it’s going to happen. Wingard also recently said this to CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast:

Hmmm… it definitely sounds like his Face/Off is picking up where the original story left off. He also explained that he’s looking to make a “definitive follow-up” to the original with “everything that entails,” and if it doesn’t include what he’s imagining, he’s simply not going to make it. These are inspiring words from Adam Wingard as he gets ready to reveal Godzilla vs. Kong to the world.

The action megafight initially wrapped back in early 2019. The event film continues the Warner Bros and Legendary’s MonsterVerse, which has so far consisted of 2014’s Godzilla, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and 2019’s Godzilla: King of Monsters. So far, the new movie has inspired positive reviews from those who have seen it on our staff.

CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes called it “one hell of a ride,” whilst Adam Holmes said it was “solid” and Eric Eisenberg said it was a “fun watch.” None of the reactions deem it perfect, but it seems to do its job and deliver some solid entertainment between Godzilla and King Kong.

Adam Wingard’s words about what he has us in store for Face/Off 2 has me interested! He seems to be focusing on the character element of the story, and plans to make it a massive epic action flick like the original was. But first, we’ll have to see which monster reigns victorious when Godzilla vs. Kong comes to HBO Max and theaters on March 31.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Godzilla vs. Kong. If you do not wish to know key details about the upcoming blockbuster, proceed at your own risk!

While the pandemic continues to be a part of our everyday lives, blockbusters are finally starting to make a comeback – and a massive one is coming at the end of this month. Godzilla vs. Kong, the capstone movie of the MonsterVerse, will be playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max come March 31, and fans are excited to watch the two titans collide. Unfortunately, some surprise aspects of the film have leaked out early via merchandise, but rather than raging against the early reveal, director Adam Wingard seems to be leaning into it.

Godzilla vs. Kong is still nine days away, but Wingard took to his personal Instagram this weekend to highlight one of the new toys from the movie: a plastic Mechagodzilla. With the post, the filmmaker confirms a theory that fans have had for a while now, going back to the release of the first trailer at the start of the year. You can check out his post below:

In an effort towards full disclosure, I have personally seen Godzilla vs. Kong, and therefore am fully aware of how Mechagodzilla factors into the new film – but I am going to allow that much to be a surprise that the blockbuster delivers itself. If you're reading this part of the article you now know for sure that you will get to see a modern update of the metal titan in the 2021 movie, but you'll just have to speculate about how he plays into the part.

For what it's worth, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures haven't done a great job hiding Mechagodzilla from fans who were always going to deeply examine every bit of promotion for Godzilla vs. Kong. Not only is there a brief glimpse at the monster in the first trailer for the upcoming film, but he is very clearly teased in the latest footage released in the run up to the movie:

For what it's worth, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures haven't done a great job hiding Mechagodzilla from fans who were always going to deeply examine every bit of promotion for Godzilla vs. Kong. Not only is there a brief glimpse at the monster in the first trailer for the upcoming film, but he is very clearly teased in the latest footage released in the run up to the movie:

Mechagodzilla is a fitting inclusion for Godzilla vs. Kong, as he has been a part of the franchise's legacy for decades, and it will be exciting for fans to see him brought to life with a major blockbuster budget. The character was first introduced as the titular antagonist in 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and in addition to getting a direct sequel in 1993 (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II) the mechanized beast has appeared in multiple other Japanese productions over the years.

As noted, the wait for audiences to see this new Mechagodzilla in action is short, as Godzilla vs. Kong will be stomping its way to theaters and HBO next Wednesday. The film is surely to generate a lot of conversation, to check it out when it launches, and be on the look out for all varieties of takes in the coming days and weeks here on CinemaBlend.

Most action-movie fanatics consider John Woo’s 1997 thriller Face/Off to be a stone-cold classic. Hallowed ground in the action genre, even. Remaking it would be criminal, and extending the franchise flirts with being questionable. Why mess with over-the-top perfection, no matter how solid your take on the material seems to be. When The Guest and Blair Witch director Adam Wingard revealed that he’d be writing and directing a Face/Off sequel that he’s co-writing with Simon Barrett, purists panicked.

Wingard quickly calmed the waters of discontent by proving how much he cares about the source material as he continues to explain the duo’s approach. In fact, during a recent appearance on CinemaBlend’s own ReelBlend podcast, Wingard was asked how they planned to get past the fact that Nicholas Cage’s villain, Castor Troy, appeared to die at the end of Face/Off. And Wingard noted to us:

He’s right. Castor Troy (in John Travolta’s body… because Face/Off) does have bandages where his fatal wounds would be. Does this mean that the medic swooped in quick enough to prevent Castor from bleeding out? This seems to be what Adam Wingard is suggesting to us. Here, watch the scene for yourself:

Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett clearly are approaching this sequel as die-hard fans of the original movie. When pressed on the film’s concept, Wingard told ReelBlend:

And he talked about his previous films, from the Blair Witch sequel that he delivered to his live-action take on the popular Manga Death Note, as vital experiences that helped him fully understand how fans feel about cherished properties. Wingard, when opening up about Blair Witch, told ReelBlend:

Adam Wingard is quick to note that his Face/Off script needs approval from both Nic Cage and John Travolta before it moves forward. But given his work on the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong, and the way that he passionately speaks about Face/Off, I’ve gone from skeptical to hopeful. Let's see where this story goes.

Which announcement do you think enraged fans of director John Woo’s action classic Face/Off more: the fact that it was initially reported as a reboot, or that director Adam Wingard corrected that announcement by revealing its true status as a direct sequel? Either way, it’s enough to put fans who could watch Nicolas Cage and John Travolta banter for hours in a bit of a predicament.

Despite all of the uproar about potentially “ruining a classic,” I’m actually really optimistic that both Wingard and his writing partner, Simon Barrett, are on the right track to making a Face/Off sequel that could totally work. But before you hear me out on this, let’s take a trip back to the original film, as well as a rather interesting piece of alternate history, that may hold the key to the freaky future.

How Did Face/Off End Again?

For an action/adventure classic that’s known for scenes where Nicolas Cage is grabbing choir girls mid-concert and John Travolta just happens to perv on Sasha (Dominique Swain), the ex-girlfriend of the man whose face he’s supposed to be wearing, Face/Off does have a pretty sappy ending that works like a charm. After FBI agent Sean Archer kills the villainous Castor Troy, he undergoes the operation to regain his face and become his John Travolta-y self once more. Bringing home Sasha's son Adam (David McCurley) and adopting him into the family, we’re given the happiest of endings where Sean and his family get to put the trauma of a dead family member. Of course, there’s another ending that director John Woo was interested in that could have totally changed how things played out for Face/Off, and it still could.

How Face/Off Almost Ended

On the Special Collector’s Edition of Face/Off, there’s an alternate ending included that is the ultimate mind trip. In a scene that picks up after the happy ending we already get at the end, we see Eve Archer (Joan Allen) and her husband Sean getting a start on their day. While Sean’s in the bathroom, he takes a beat to look in the mirror and hang his head in concern. One moment, he looks like himself, but after hanging his head, he brings it back up and sees Castor Troy’s face in the mirror.

Eve walks in and is startled, as if she’s having the same hallucination, and eventually it leads to the two ending the scene in a hug. But while they embrace, Sean lets an ambiguous smile play out on his face, hinting that he may have been psychologically fractured by playing both sides of the law. John Woo admits on the commentary for that scene that he wanted to leave the story of Face/Off on this really big cliffhanger, but ultimately it was rejected and the happy ending stayed as the proper finale.

Face/Off Is A Ridiculous Enough Universe That A Sequel Isn’t Impossible

If the huge action set-piece at the beginning of the movie, or the humorous tone of the Face/Off universe, didn’t already clue you in, this is a universe that doesn’t take itself 100% seriously. So if there’s any doubt as to how a sequel could work, whether the original ending is still in play or not, Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett pretty much have an open canvas to play with when it comes to making Face/Off 2.

On the one hand, we could see John Travolta and Nicolas Cage return as the two sides of Sean’s mental coin. Think of it as a sort of scenario akin to Two Face in the Batman mythos, where one moment, Sean Archer is the top law man at the FBI, and the next, he’s indulging in his darker side and slipping back into his approximation of the Castor Troy legacy. That’s probably the best case scenario to see the two iconic actors returning to their roles; but there’s another option that opens the doors to a lot of other ideas.

New Leads In A Face/Off Sequel Means Unlimited Potential

Just because Face/Off is getting a direct sequel doesn’t mean it needs to follow Sean and Castor’s stories per se. In fact, if Adam Wingard is going to play his round in the overall mythology based on the happier ending we saw in the first film, this second installment would need a fresh pair of leads. With two new lead actors, and by extension two new characters to follow in the Face/Off universe, there’s unlimited potential for a totally fresh idea to come out of merely using the concept of two characters swapping faces.

An easy connection to the original film would be following John Travolta’s Sean Archer as the top dog at the FBI who just happens to be familiar with this procedure and its side effects. Our new law enforcement lead would be able to learn from him when it comes to becoming another person, as they’ll have to take the fight to whomever inherits Castor Troy’s reign of terror in a new Face/Off movie. Also, with the potential for new lead actors and characters, that Ryan Reynolds/Hugh Jackman pairing the internet is dying for could finally happen, and that seems to be the best option at the moment.

Adam Wingard And Simon Barrett Are Proven Face/Off Fans

Face/Off has no shortage of creative alleyways it could use to turn itself into a viable franchise possibility. But the greatest reason that a sequel to John Woo’s amazing, over-the-top action classic is the fact that Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett are both obviously fans of that very film. In fact, Wingard has even gone on record as saying that if he can’t make this movie as the perfectly aligned version of Face Off Two, he’s not going to make it.

So long as the Wingard/Barrett machine is allowed to work to its fullest potential, there should be no problem in getting Face/Off’s sequel into the air. And if you need any proof of this fact, you should watch their previous film, The Guest. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say this: The Guest is what happens when you take the plotline where John Travolta acts all slimy towards his on-screen daughter, and turn it into a twisted (and less pervy) main character. There’s even a scene covering the proper usage of a butterfly knife, which, intentionally or not, vibes heavily with John Woo’s film.

For once, a sequel to a classic film that feels just obscure enough to warrant a resurrection is in play. Face/Off isn’t something we’ve seen on and off again in the decades following its original release, but it's a movie people love that somehow still goes under other people’s radars. As Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett are people that take this sort of genre fair seriously, with a heartfelt dedication to making an enjoyable ride, this Face/Off continuation could work extremely well. (And honestly, that Ryan Reynolds/Hugh Jackman idea is killer. Keep that baby in consideration, and the internet will thank you.)

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The future of the MonsterVerse is at a crossroads, especially heading into the release of Godzilla vs. Kong. With this fourth entry in Warner Bros and Legendary’s Titan fueled ambitions comes the hope that maybe these iconic creatures will be around for some time. But when director Adam Wingard was approached about how fans should view Godzilla vs. Kong’s sequel prospects, he was honest in answering that it all comes down to one very decisive body: the fandom.

During the recent IGN Fan Fest event, Wingard was on hand to field some big questions surrounding Warner Bros’ potential blockbuster. And right out of the gate, he was put on the spot and quizzed on whether Godzilla vs. Kong is merely a stop in the road to greater things, or the end to the Godzilla trilogy. Adam Wingard, optimistic but pragmatic as ever, had this to say:

The greatest impediment to the future of the MonsterVerse is, obviously, the theatrical performance of director Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. That film didn’t rack up the record breaking success that Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla scored in 2014, on top of some questions and complaints pertaining to the more human angle to the story. As such, the entire universe seems to be at a moment of crisis. With plenty of monsters and stories in the Toho catalog yet to be touched, and a lot of different threads already presenting themselves at the end of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, that’s an even more dangerous place to be.

Should Godzilla vs. Kong be the final MonsterVerse film in the line, there’s undoubtedly going to be a lot of potential left unexplored. As a shadowy corporation known as Apex is making the scene, and MechaGodzilla just might be in the mix, the story to Adam Wingard’s next film doesn’t feel like it’s something that’s ready to settle the books once and for all. Still the point stands: if the fans don’t want more MonsterVerse stories, Warner Bros will certainly divert those resources keeping the franchise alive to other properties.

Maybe this is why long standing concerns like the darkness of Godzilla’s picture are being corrected. Not only would this move for the 4K re-release of the first monstrous case file in this saga tweak the visuals to an even better level, but it might just help earn some goodwill at a time when Godzilla vs. Kong could use as much as Titanly possible. March is the month that could determine the fate of the MonsterVerse, and Godzilla vs. Kong’s March 31st release will be when the first signs will be spotted. So if you’re a fan that wants to support the MonsterVerse, but isn’t ready to get back to theaters just yet, you should be sure to have a valid HBO Max subscription that allows you to take part in the fun.

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While it’s not set to debut until the end of the month, Godzilla vs. Kong is probably the most monstrous debut to hit the world this March. So there’s a lot of talk that’s going to surround the anticipation of this prize fight between the Titans of the MonsterVerse. And a new topic has just landed on the table as director Adam Wingard’s movie may have had its running time leaked; with the rumors clocking in as the shortest runtime in the series.

But this possible honor reportedly won't be won by a wide margin. That is if these whispers from AlloCine (via Kaiju News Outlet) are accurate. As it stands, Godzilla vs. Kong has been rumored to be a cool, crisp affair clocking in at an hour and 53 minutes. Surely, it sounds short, especially when thinking back to the pretty rich stories told in the previous entries. But, as you’ll see below, the film’s supposed stature as the shortest runtime is only won by a margin of seven minutes:

The subject of running times is one that has been discussed a lot in the past couple of years, but it seems to have taken flight over the past year or so. So some might be rather pleased to read that Godzilla vs. Kong is sailing into port at a sub-2 hour clip. Then again, some will surely be worried about whether or not there was any sort of studio tinkering involved in Godzilla vs. Kong’s brisk pacing; especially in light of Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ performance at the box office.

If there’s any sort of tie-breaking information that could be provided to help settle this matter, it has to be Adam Wingard’s filmography. More specifically, the fact that two of his most popular films, the thrillers You’re Next and The Guest, are both sub-2 hour movies, is something that should be considered. After all time is relative, and doubly so when it applies to the world of cinematic storytelling.

Godzilla vs. Kong will arrive on the shores of theaters and HBO Max streams on March 31st, and as the clock ticks down, the issue of running time will be just one of many topics coming up among fans of the MonsterVerse. Of course, you’ll either have to head to a theater near you, or sign up for an HBO Max subscription, in order to see the action for yourself.

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Director Adam Wingard is set to make a big splash next month when Godzilla vs. Kong is released in theaters on HBO Max. But with that movie having already been completed for a long time, Wingard is now turning his attention to his next project: a new Face/Off movie. While it was initially believed that this would be a reboot of the 1997 movie starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, Wingard clarified that this project is actually a direct sequel, and now he’s elaborated on what he has planned.

While speaking with IGN as part of Fan Fest 2021 to promote Godzilla vs. Kong, Adam Wingard made it abundantly clear that the new Face/Off will not fall into the reboot or remake categories in any way. He then said the following:

So let’s get this straightened out once and for all: Face/Off 2, or whatever you want to call this project until the official title is announced, is not going to be a straightforward reboot/remake/reimagining of the original John Woo-directed movie that saw Sean Archer and Castor Troy clashing. This will directly follow the first Face/Off, although given how things ended in that movie, it’s reasonable to assume that we’ll be following along with a new lineup of leading characters. Though that’s not to say that a familiar face or two couldn’t pop in.

As for how far along he is on this new Face/Off movie, here’s what Adam Wingard had to say:

That’s all Adam Wingard was willing to divulge about the next Face/Off movie, and considering that it’s still early into the creative process, that’s understandable. This project was first announced in September 2019, though at the time, Paramount Pictures tapped 22 Jump Street and The Cloverfield Paradox’s Oren Uziel to write the script. Wingard and Simon Barrett’s involvement was revealed earlier this month, and while it’ll likely be a long time before specific plot details are made public, at least those who were worried about seeing a simple rehash of Face/Off can take comfort knowing that this will take place in the same world as the original, where face transplants are all the rage.

Naturally we’ll keep you apprised on more Face/Off 2 updates as they trickle in, but for now, you can see how Adam Wingard’s work on Godzilla vs. Kong turned out when it drops on March 31. You’re also welcome to peruse our 2021 release schedule to learn what other movies arrive later this year.

Based on the response to the trailer, a lot of people are looking forward to the release of Godzilla vs. Kong next month. This is likely good news for studio Warner Bros. as the movie follows on the somewhat lukewarm audience response to the previous film in the franchise, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. That film made $386 million at the global box office, far less than other franchise entries Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island. However, Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard says that the response to the last movie didn't cause anything to change for the new movie, for the simple reason that Godzilla vs. Kong was always planned to be something a little different.

Godzilla vs Kong will be the fourth film in this modern franchise, and Adam Wingard marks the fourth director in the series. While there may be story elements between each installment which keep the narrative together, the tone of each movie has been quite different. That's been by design, as Adam Wingard recently explained in a Zoom roundtable that CinemaBlend attended, there was no need to change the plan for Godzilla vs. Kong. Namely because the plan was always for this to be something different than King of the Monsters, especially related to its bright colors. Wingard explains,

Whenever a big tentpole movie fails to connect with audiences there will always be questions about how and why that happened. Those issues are often then addressed in any sequels or similar movies. In the case of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, making major changes to its sequel would have been tough, as Godzilla vs Kong was already filming when King of the Monsters was released. But even if making changes had been easy, Adam Wingard doesn't think they would have happened.

Some of the criticism of Godzilla: King of the Monsters is that the film was too dark, both in terms of tone and actual lighting-- which was clearly a very intentional choice at the time. We can tell from the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong this movie will look and feel differently, but that was always the plan. However, the director does say that he was conscious of the criticisms of the last movie. Perhaps they did impact this film, even subconsciously. Wingard goes on...

Of course, if you actually liked Godzilla: King of the Monsters (and I did) you have to wonder if going in this different direction will actually work out. The studio wants to appeal to the widest possible audience, but you can rarely really make everybody happy. We'll find out how well Godzilla vs. Kong works when the movie arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on March 31.

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Team-up movies are one of the hardest concepts to crack when it comes to the world of cinematic universes. Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard absolutely understands that fact, particularly when it comes to introducing those two titular Titans in the showdown of the century. But when he was given the task to push the MonsterVerse forward in a major way, Wingard actually took an important lesson from Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and it was something that even classic Godzilla franchise history had reinforced. In order to make a proper fight night, you need to have the proper stakes surrounding your combatants.

During a recent virtual roundtable I attended on behalf of CinemaBlend, Adam Wingard was on hand to talk all things Godzilla vs. Kong, and his approach to the film couldn’t have been clearer. A fan of sequels and their awesome power to expand a universe, Wingard threw out some of the most revered titles in progressing the stories of massive and iconic stories. But when it came to what Wingard wanted to avoid in Godzilla vs. Kong, he had a clear vision of how both Godzilla and Kong needed to be grounded in a particular way before they could ever believably fight. And thanks to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, this is how that thought process played out in Adam Wingard’s head:

Now, in all absolute fairness, and with great deference to Ben Affleck’s exemplary performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman, one of the problems that most people agree befell Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was the fact that it kind of rushed the DCEU into that big, blockbusting match-up. We were being introduced to Bruce Wayne later in his career, as well as Affleck’s interpretation of the character, in a film that was technically a sequel to Henry Cavill’s introduction as Superman in Man of Steel. No matter how you feel about Zack Snyder’s DC Comics output, it can at least be agreed upon that Batman v. Superman was putting the cart before the horse a bit.

What makes Adam Wingard’s approach to avoiding such problems in Godzilla vs. Kong is the fact that, if he really wanted to, he could have put more of his own signature on the film. Hearing him tell the next part of the story was rather surprising, as that gorgeous trailer for Mr. Wingard’s MonsterVerse follow-up seemed to already be coated in that colorfully gorgeous aesthetic that the director has used in the past; especially with his 2014 barn-burner The Guest. Continuing his discussion of having the proper stakes involved with these gigantic creatures fighting it out for dominance, Adam Wingard continued to outline his intent as follows:

When Godzilla vs. Kong was initially announced, people were already concerned with how the Kong we saw in director Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Kong: Skull Island would measure up against the Godzilla we’d already seen in the big 2014 reboot. Their relative sizes were an issue that a lot of people worried would make this adventure hard to take seriously, even though the caveat that Kong was a young man when we first met him was already in place. So right there is all the justification you need for Adam Wingard to be as concerned as he was that, if he wasn’t careful, he’d make a Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice style misstep.

It all ties back into Adam Wingard’s love of sequels, which in itself is yet another Hollywood construct that fans already love to hate. While we all want more of what we love, getting what we want isn’t always the happiness we’d hoped for, as seen through the scores of subpar second acts we’ve seen throughout history. Perhaps the greatest asset that Adam Wingard had in his director’s toolbox, especially when tackling a movie like Godzilla vs. Kong, is the fact that he absolutely loves the medium of sequels, invoking two of the greatest examples to have ever existed in this final quote:

As a sequel and a team-up movie, Godzilla vs. Kong already felt like it had two strikes against it from the start. Though, thanks to a trailer so impressive fans everywhere lost their minds over its contents, Adam Wingard’s film seems to have started its journey to crowd pleasing off on the right foot. March 31 will prove to be the big day of destiny for the massive undertaking, and if you don’t feel like heading to a theater near you, you’d better have an HBO Max subscription to enjoy the fun.

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Following his work in the horror genre with movies like You’re Next, The Guest and Death Note, Adam Wingard was brought in to direct Godzilla vs. Kong, the fourth entry in the MonsterVerse franchise. The colossal clash between these pop culture titans is only weeks away from release, but Wingard is already looking to the future with his next project. Word’s come in that he’ll be tackling the Face/Off reboot.

It was announced in September 2019 that 1997’s Face/Off, starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, was getting the reboot treatment, and at the time, 22 Jump Street and The Cloverfield Paradox’s Oren Uziel was attached to write the screenplay. But things have changed since then, with Deadline reporting that Paramount Pictures has hired Adam Wingard to both direct and co-write the Face/Off reboot with Simon Barrett “from scratch.” Neal Moritz is attached to produce and David Permut will serve as executive producer.

Directed by John Woo and written by Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, the original Face/Off was a wild action movie that saw John Travolta’s Sean Archer, an FBI agent, literally swapping faces with Nicolas Cage’s Castor Troy, the sociopathic terrorist who murdered Sean’s son, through an experimental transplant surgery as part of a mission to find a bomb Castor hid in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the mission is severely compromised when Castor awakens from his coma and starts causing trouble while disguised as Sean. Face/Off’s cast also included Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola, Gina Gershon, Dominique Swain and Nick Cassavetes, among others.

Make no mistake, Face/Off is one of the more bonkers ‘90s action offerings, but it was met with a lot of positive critical reception and made over $245 million worldwide off a reported $80 million budget. It also marked John Woo’s first Hollywood movie where he was given major creative control, and as a result, it’s often labeled as one of his best movies, if not at the top of the list. Nearly 25 years after Face/Off’s release, now Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett will reinterpret the story for a new generation. Wingard later clarified on Instagram that rather than this being a full-blown reboot, the new Face/Off movie will be a direct sequel to the original.

No details have been provided yet on how the new Face/Off will stand out from its predecessor other than starring a new cast, but evidently Paramount is confident that Adam Wingard is the right person to deliver a fresh take on the material. As far as his next immediate movie, Godzilla vs. Kong, is concerned, this will be the first time these two beasts have come to blows in a Hollywood production, having previously done so in the 1962 Japanese movie King Kong vs. Godzilla. Wingard directed off a script by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, and the cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Eiza González, among others.

While we wait for more news on what’s in store for the Face/Off reboot, you can see how Adam Wingard’s directorial efforts on Godzilla vs. Kong turned out when the movie hits theaters and HBO Max on March 31 (you can use this link to sign up for the streaming service). Our 2021 release schedule is also available for you to learn what other movies are supposed to open later this year.

The trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong is already a viral success, with the first look at director Adam Wingard’s MonsterVerse entry breaking all sorts of records for Warner Bros.. Clearly this clash of Titans could be a smash hit, and the fortunes for the film are looking pretty rosey ahead of its debut at the end of March. A recent video shared by Wingard himself shows just how hyped this rumble reel has got the folks at home, with the director taking time to issue a heartfelt thanks to those who have made the journey so far, so sweet.

Shared through Adam Wingard’s Instagram feed, a collection of fan reactions to the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer were pulled and sampled in a montage that shows the pure joy that has arisen from the footage. Even if you’re not a fan of reaction videos on the internet, it’s hard not to join in on the excited feelings that the YouTubers featured in this clip show are legitimately expressing over those insane moments we saw last week. Check out the footage, and prepare to smile… while also remembering to click the arrow for part 2:

That’s not the all of the love that Godzilla vs. Kong’s director has given to the fans. In fact, there’s a full seven minutes of reactions that Adam Wingard has shared, edited by his own hand. Reading him talk about how making a film including Godzilla and King Kong “takes years off of your life,” it makes his efforts even more astounding. Much like the folks who lost their minds over Titans socking each other in the face and fighting in various colorful settings, Wingard has really poured his heart out in tribute to these larger than life colossuses of crash.

Honestly, the video amps up the sort of fight night atmosphere that the Godzilla vs. Kong fandom is pouring into their anticipation for the delayed blockbuster. While the film was originally set to be released in theaters November 2020, obvious world events pushed the film into 2021’s calendar year. That delay also came with the promising news that, after some corporate wrangling and tense negotiations, saw Godzilla vs. Kong becoming another Warner Bros. movie to become a part of the simultaneous streaming release model the company is engaging in throughout this year. So whether you’re feeling ready to head back to the movies, or if you would rather stay home and watch the fight from your couch, HBO Max will continue the tradition of the premium cable giant bringing the fights to you.

After all of this talk, you might still be interested in seeing that full seven-minute reel of folks fanning out over Godzilla vs. Kong. I can't blame you, because the people being showcased are really excited, and the positivity of shared enthusiasm is something we could all use right now. Provided below is the YouTube video that Adam Wingard mentioned on his social media posting, so clear your calendar for seven minutes of gleeful carnage:

March 31st will see Godzilla vs. Kong fighting it out on the fight card of the year, which leaves almost two months for fans to watch the trailer, and fan reactions, to hype themselves up. It’s enough to have people wondering what sort of reaction videos will come out of the film itself, as there's plenty of potential joys hidden within that ver film. Also, there's plenty of time for Adam Wingard to contemplate his next potential feature film: a highlight reel of those reactions to the finished product.