(Updated 02/23/2024)
In 2021, GODZILLA VS KONG was one of the year's big surprises. The monster-verse battle movie was an entertaining success full of big moments and wild creature designs. Satisfying for fans of both Godzilla and Kong, the movie set a story cycle in motion that continues with GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE.
(Note: Since Toho's GODZILLA MINUS ONE has just been in theaters, we want to make clear that this film and the new Japanese Godzilla movie are unrelated and feature different interpretations of the title monster.)
Set to arrive in March, GODZILLA X KONG reunites the previous film's director and primary cast while adding new talents and expanding the roster of monsters. The first trailer has just been released, and we can tell you a few more things to complement that debut look at GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE.
When Does Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Come Out?
Warner Bros. will release GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE on March 29, 2024.
Watch the Latest Trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
The first GODZILLA X KONG trailer set up this movie as a direct continuation of of the previous film — and an expansion of its scope. This latest trailer hints at the new conflict in the movie, teases some big battles, and features King Kong wearing a giant power glove while he punches other monsters. Having seen that, we imagine that anyone who is even vaguely interested in this movie is already lined up for tickets.
(By the way, film director Jason Eisner, who made HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN and is now behind the excellent wrestling documentary series "The Dark Side of the Ring," says the Kong power glove is the direct result of him texting the concept to director Adam Wingard, using a couple of Masters of the Universe images to illustrate.
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What's the Plot of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire?
It's like this. The "Titans" such as Godzilla helped look over Earth, while Kong's descendants looked after humanity. They've had balance in the past, but it seems like a new Great Ape is trying to wrestle power away from Kong — and threatening a lot of life up on the top side of the planet in the process.
Who's in the Cast of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire?
Three actors return from GODZILLA VS KONG: Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews, Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes, and Kaylee Hottle as Jia. All three still have a position right out in front of the action on the human side.
Dan Stevens also plays a key role in THE NEW EMPIRE, thought even after a couple of trailers, we don't know any significant details about his role. This will be his second time collaborating with director Adam Wingard and co-writer Simon Barrett, after starring in their terrific action/genre movie THE GUEST.
Additionally, we know that Fala Chen, Alex Ferns, and Rachel House have all been cast as well.
The Filmmakers Behind Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
As mentioned above, Adam Wingard returns to direct following his work on the previous movie. He co-wrote the story as well, with returning writer Terry Rossio, who worked on the story for the previous movie. The screenplay is credited to Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater.
Wingard and co-writer Garrett have collaborated on more projects than we can list — notably they teamed for YOU'RE NEXT, THE GUEST, and BLAIR WITCH, but most of Wingard's directorial efforts have been written or co-written by Barrett. (One exception is Wingard's live-action adaptation of DEATH NOTE, which was written by another co-writer on this movie, Jeremy Slater.)
Many craftspeople from behind the camera returned for THE NEW EMPIRE as well. Cinematographer Ben Seresin, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Josh Schaeffer, and composer Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) are all back for round two. That should ensure that this sequel carries forward the look and tone of the previous movie, which is great to know!
GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE opens on March 29.
All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.