Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a 2024 American crossover monster film directed by Adam Wingard. Produced by Legendary Pictures, it is a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise. It is also the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and the 13th film in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry, and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite with Godzilla to stop their tyrannical leader and a powerful, climate-changing Titan from destroying the surface.
Due to the box office and streaming success of Godzilla vs. Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, Legendary announced a sequel in March 2022 and that filming would commence later in the year. In May 2022, it was announced that Wingard would return to direct and Stevens cast as the lead. Filming began in July 2022 in Gold Coast, Queensland and finished in November 2022.
Because of the box office and streaming success of Godzilla vs. Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, Legendary announced a sequel in March 2022 and that filming would commence later that year. In May 2022, it was announced that Wingard would return to direct and Stevens had been cast as a lead. Filming began in July 2022 in the Gold Coast, Australia, and finished in November 2022.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on March 25, 2024, and was released in the United States on March 29. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot[]
After the defeat of Mechagodzilla, Kong establishes his territory in the recently discovered Hollow Earth. While on Earth's surface, Godzilla continues to maintain order between humanity and giant monsters, known as "Titans" — defeating Scylla in Rome and resting in the Colosseum afterwards. A Monarch observation outpost stationed in the Hollow Earth picks up an unidentified signal. On the Earth’s surface, the signal causes Jia, the last member of the Iwi tribe, to experience hallucinations and flashbacks, causing her and her adopted mother, Dr. Ilene Andrews, to worry. Also sensing the signal, Godzilla leaves Rome, attacks a nuclear plant in France to absorb the radiation, and travels to the Arctic; Monarch believes Godzilla is strengthening himself for an oncoming threat.
When a sinkhole opens near his home, Kong discovers an uncharted region hidden within the Hollow Earth and a tribe of giant apes — including an adolescent, Suko. After an initial confrontation where Suko and the other apes attempt to capture him, Kong wins over Suko's trust by caring for him. Suko leads Kong to the tribe's lair. Their tyrannical leader, Skar King, battles and injures Kong with the aid of an ancient ice-powered Titan, Shimo, that Skar King controls with pain using a crystal.
Andrews and Jia, alongside Titan veterinarian Trapper and conspiracy podcaster Bernie Hayes, travel to the Hollow Earth to find the source of the signal. They discover an uncharted subterranean section that houses the remaining members of the Iwi tribe, a group of people who communicate telepathically among each other and from whom Jia is descended. Inspecting some ruins, they surmise that the signal was a telepathic distress call sent by another civilization of Iwi that live in the Hollow Earth.
As Andrews observes Jia socializing with the Iwi, she voices her fears to Trapper that Jia may choose to stay with the Iwi and Andrews would have to accept it. Inside a temple, Andrews uncovers a prophecy: long ago, Skar King attempted to take over the surface world, and waged war against Godzilla's species in the process; Godzilla succeeded in trapping Skar King and his tribe deep within the Hollow Earth. The prophecy also states that Jia would be the key to reawakening Mothra. Kong, sensing Jia, locates the temple and is fitted by Trapper with an advanced prosthetic arm to treat his wounds.
Godzilla defeats the monster Tiamat in the Arctic in order to absorb the radiation from its lair. Hoping to lure Godzilla to the Hollow Earth to assist him in battle, Kong confronts him in Cairo. An empowered Godzilla gains the upper hand, but the reawakened Mothra intervenes to convince him to aid Kong. Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra battle with Skar King, his tribe, and Shimo in the Hollow Earth. Their fight carries them into Rio de Janeiro, where Shimo begins to induce a second Ice Age at Skar King's command. The factions are evenly matched until Suko destroys the crystal used to control Shimo. Freed from Skar King's control, the ape is destroyed when Shimo freezes him and Kong shatters his frozen body.
After the battle, Godzilla returns to rest in the Colosseum; Mothra restores the protective barrier of the Iwi’s home; Kong, together with Shimo and Suko, returns to the Hollow Earth where Kong becomes the new leader of the tribe. Jia alleviates Andrews' fears by choosing to stay with her adopted mother.
Cast[]
- Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews
- Brian Tyree Henry as Bernie Hayes
- Dan Stevens as Trapper
- Kaylee Hottle as Jia
- Alex Ferns as Mikael
- Fala Chen as Iwi Queen
- Rachel House as Hampton
- Ron Smyck as Harris
- Chantelle Jamiesson as Jayne
- Greg Hatton as Lewis
- Kevin Copeland as Submarine Commander
- Tess Dobre as Submarine Officer
- Tim Cowell as Wilcox
Monsters[]
Titanus Kong tribe
Production[]
Development[]
In March 2019, producer Alex Garcia stated that Legendary Pictures hoped to produce more MonsterVerse films if they became successful, stating, "It's one brick at a time, each piece has to be as good as it can be, so right now it's all focused on this [Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)]. But could there be? Yeah, that's the hope if the movies turn out really well." In February 2021, Wingard commented on the future of the MonsterVerse, "I know where we could go potentially with future films." However, he noted that the MonsterVerse was created "to a certain degree" to lead towards Godzilla vs. Kong. He added that the MonsterVerse is at a "crossroads", stating, "It's really at the point where audiences have to kind of step forward and vote for more of these things. If this movie is a success obviously they will continue forward."
Godzilla vs. Kong was released on March 24, 2021 and became a box office and streaming hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film grossed $470 million worldwide against a break-even point of $330 million, and became the most pirated film of 2021. On April 4, 2021, Legendary's CEO Josh Grode commented on potential sequels, "we have a number of ideas for more movies." That same day, the hashtag #ContinueTheMonsterVerse began trending on Twitter, which was acknowledged by Legendary and garnered support from Jordan Vogt-Roberts, director of Kong: Skull Island (2017). On April 27, 2021, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Legendary was "quietly taking steps to stretch the series into one or more installments," while negotiating with Wingard to potentially return to direct. Various ideas were considered, with Son of Kong being one potential title. In August 2021, MonsterVerse writer Max Borenstein stated that "there will be some new, interesting installments coming" due to the success of Godzilla vs. Kong.
On March 20, 2022, it was announced that a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong was scheduled to commence filming later in the year in Gold Coast, Queensland and other locations in South East Queensland. In May 2022, it was announced that Wingard would return to direct and that Dan Stevens had been cast in the lead. Wingard and Stevens had previously worked together on The Guest (2014). On May 19, 2022, Production Weekly reported that the film's working title is Origins. On June 30, 2022, it was revealed that Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, Brian Rogers, Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni would return to produce. On July 1, 2022, Toho Co., Ltd. confirmed that the film would feature Godzilla.
Pre-production[]
In August 2022, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary announced a new synopsis and that Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle would reprise their roles from Godzilla vs Kong while Fala Chen, Alex Ferns and Rachel House would join the cast as well, Millie Bobby Brown who appeared Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs Kong didn't reprise her role due to her work The Electric State. It was also revealed that Wingard would collaborate once more with production designer Tom Hammock, editor Josh Schaeffer, composer Tom Holkenborg, and that Terry Rossio had returned to write the script with Jeremy Slater and Wingard's frequent collaborator Simon Barrett. Ultimately, Rossio, Barrett, and Slater received "screenplay by" credit, while Rossio, Wingard, and Barrett received "story by" credit; Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields, both of whom co-wrote Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong, shared off-screen "additional literary material" credit with James Ashcroft, Eli Kent, and Nicole Perlman.
Filming[]
Principal photography commenced in Gold Coast, Queensland, on July 29, 2022. At the start of production, Ben Seresin was confirmed to have returned as director of photography. In November 2022, it was reported that filming had finished in Australia and that crew gear revealed the film's potential title, at the time, as Godzilla and Kong.
Music[]
In August 2022, Tom Holkenborg was announced to return to compose the film's score, after previously doing so for Godzilla vs. Kong. In December 2023, it was announced that Antonio Di Iorio will co-compose the score with Holkenborg.
Release[]
Marketing[]
The marketing campaign began in April 2023 when Legendary released a teaser trailer unveiling the film's official title. Later in September, a banner, teasing a potential team-up, was displayed at the North American International Toy Fair in New York. In November, Legendary revealed that Wingard and the cast would participate in a panel at CCXP the following month. In December, Warner Bros. unveiled the film's first-look teaser trailer at CCXP and released online soon after.
Theatrical[]
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire held its red carpet premiere at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre on March 25, 2024. Afterward, it was released internationally on March 27 and released in the United States on March 29. It is scheduled to be released in Japan by Toho on April 26. It was previously slated to be released on March 15 and April 12. Incidentally, Toho's Godzilla Minus One was withdrawn from U.S. theaters eight weeks before the release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.