by Justin Cook
Legendary and Warner Bros. have officially set a 2020 release date for their upcoming King Kong/Godzilla face-off film. When Kong: Skull Island moved from Universal to Warner Bros. in September, it became clear that the two studios were planning a shared cinematic monster universe, but a press release sent out today further confirmed the news.
In the press release, Legendary CEO Thomas Tull said, “Audiences really responded to Godzilla. Today, I’m excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I’ve always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we’re pleased to be announcing that and more.”
Before we see the two monsters on screen together in Godzilla vs. Kong, Kong: Skull Island will be released on March 10, 2017; additionally, Godzilla 2 is set for release on June 8, 2018.
Kong: Skull Island has a diverse cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Sam Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham and Toby Kebbell. The Kings of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts will helm the project, which is penned by Godzilla writer Max Borenstein, John Gatins, Dan Gilroy and Derek Connolly.
For Godzilla 2, the studios will look to build on the success of last year’s Godzilla, which earned relatively positive reviews and turned out to be a massive success at the box office, bringing in over $500 million on a $160 million budget. Gareth Edwards, director of Godzilla, will return to direct, while Borenstein will write.
Also expect such classic Toho monsters as King Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan to make appearances in future films.
Source: Legendary
