Sound the alarm, stay off the streets, we’re getting another Godzilla x King Kong movie: the fifth release for the so-called MonsterVerse (and the 38th film of the entire Godzilla franchise).
Directed by celebrated Horror director Adam Wingard, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will follow the two titular protagonists who must unite to fight against an unknown giant species that lives beneath the Earth’s surface to save the human race that they’ve inevitably come to quite like.
Distributed by Legendary and Warner Bros., Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is based on the legendary kaiju (Japanese for giant ancient monsters) Godzilla, a prehistoric creature awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation, and King Kong, a giant ape that resides on Skull Island.
Godzilla is a towering, dinosaur-like creature first seen in Japanese cinema in the 1950s; he lives in Earth’s oceans with rough, reptilian skin, large dorsal plates along its back, sharp teeth, and a powerful tail; and is considered the King of the Monsters.
Here’s everything we know about Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Cast
English actor Dan Stevens (Downtown Abbey) takes the lead as Trapper; although details surrounding his character are still somewhat under wraps, Wingard revealed to Total Film that Trapper is “a specialist in these creatures… If you’ve got a sick titan, Trapper is your guy.”
Rebecca Hall returns to the cast as Ilene Andrews, a scientist who first featured in the 2021 sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong; Brian Tyree Henry (Bullet Train) also reprises his role as Bernie Hayes after featuring in Godzilla vs. Kong, within the MonsterVerse.
Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), who portrayed the character of Madison Russell, the daughter of two scientists who were central to the plot, will not be returning to the franchise following the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The film left the door open for potential future appearances by Madison, as her character played a significant role in the storyline and was left unresolved by the end of the movie, but has not been confirmed for the 2024 release.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Plot
Godzilla: King of the Monsters ended with Godzilla defeating King Ghidorah in an epic battle, establishing himself as the dominant Titan and, naturally, King of the Monsters…
The other Titans, who were previously under King Ghidorah’s influence, bow down to Godzilla, acknowledging him as the new alpha Titan as Godzilla returns to the depths of the Earth’s oceans, waiting for the next threat.
“This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the mighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own,” a Legendary and Warner Bros. synopsis read.
“The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.”
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will see Godzilla return to defend the planet and team up with a familiar foe, King Kong, to defeat a rogue giant ape called Skar King.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Villain
The Skar King will be the central antagonist of the film; the antithesis of King Kong. The orangutan-like Simian titan is instantly recognisable by his striking red hair and is causing havoc in the Hollow Earth where he rules with fear.
“What’s interesting about this new film is that we go in a direction that I don’t think this series has ever seen before, which is that the Skar King is, in a way, the closest that the human threat has ever been juxtaposed onto a titan itself,” director Adam Wingard told Total Film.
“The Skar King almost represents an upscaled version of the worst parts of humanity, just as Kong represents some of the best parts of humanity. I would say the Skar King is the greatest threat that we’ve seen in these movies. It’s really going to take a full team together to bring it down because it’s too big for just one titan!”
Watch the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer below
Check out the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire poster below
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Release Date Australia
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire releases in cinemas on 29 March 2024 in Australia.