[Movies] MonsterVerse (Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island)

[Hailey Knight]

Since this is a passion of mine, I might as well start what's sure to be the Most Popular Thread on Halforums.

Legendary has dubbed their new shared universe as the MonsterVerse, which so far will include the films:

Godzilla (2014)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla vs Kong (2020)

If some do better than others, they might branch out more, but for now this is the goal. Kong: Skull Island looks to be doing $60 million domestic for its opening weekend, which seems good from what the producers wanted. I don't think Kong's success was going to determine the overall franchise, just whether Kong would get a sequel of his own. The next shared universe movie is already underway.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters aka Godzilla 2 will be directed by Michael Dougherty, who has a mixed screenplay track record (X-Men 2, Trick r Treat, Krampus vs Superman Returns, X-Men Apocalypse), but a pretty solid director record. It looks like Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven from Stranger Things) is set to star. Things are looking good for that movie.

On the more mixed end of things, Legendary has assembled a group of writers to work on the Godzilla vs Kong script. I'm already not a fan of the committee format to screenwriting, and there's a mix of writing qualifications. My biggest concern is Terry Rossio, co-writer for the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies. You know, the pointless plot threads and macguffins team. I'm hoping the other writers and the director will help curb any of that kind of shit, but it's too early to tell where the project is going. At least they're starting work on it now rather than waiting until next year. If Godzilla vs Kong is coming in May 2020, only a year after Godzilla: KOTM, the last thing needed is a rushed script in a shared universe.

I know certain people want Pacific Rim to somehow join in on this, which would be fun, but unless Pacific Rim 2 introduces some parallel universe stuff that involves other versions of Earth, I don't see how it'd be possible.

But at any rate, it's an exciting time to be a fan of giant monster movies.

 

[bhamv3]

I want to see giant robots fighting these monsters, at least once. If not by including Pacific Rim, then at least give me Mecha-Godzilla.

 

[Sara_2814]

I admit, I was very disappointed when the final "biggest" kaiju to come through the rift in Pacific Rim wasn't Godzilla. Or at least "Godzilla-like".

I know certain people want Pacific Rim to somehow join in on this, which would be fun, but unless Pacific Rim 2 introduces some parallel universe stuff that involves other versions of Earth, I don't see how it'd be possible.

There's also fan theories of Pacific Rim being in the Valve universe with Aperture Labs/Black Mesa (seeing as GLaDOS was in the movie). So maybe some experiments go awry and they open a portal to MonsterVerse.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I admit, I was very disappointed when the final "biggest" kaiju to come through the rift in Pacific Rim wasn't Godzilla. Or at least "Godzilla-like".

There's also fan theories of Pacific Rim being in the Valve universe with Aperture Labs/Black Mesa (seeing as GLaDOS was in the movie). So maybe some experiments go awry and they open a portal to MonsterVerse.

There are ways to do it, depending on how much audiences are willing to believe, but I think Warner Bros is leery about mixing too much stuff together and potentially poisoning either side. You know, like they've kinda done with their DC universe .

 

[Covar]

Hopefully this means more counter-spite productions from Toho. I say, haven't not yet seen Shin Godzilla.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

 

[Hailey Knight]

Hopefully this means more counter-spite productions from Toho. I say, haven't not yet seen Shin Godzilla.

I don't think it's spite so much as seeing the time is ripe. Toho liked Godzilla 2014. But yeah, brofisting for hope of more from them. Shin Godzilla was incredible.

View attachment 23476

I kinda expect something like this . Both Godzilla and Kong are good guys in this continuity, so I'm sure there will be some third act turn that puts them on the same side.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/03/13/godzilla-anime-coming-netflix-year/

Huh. An animated Godzilla movie is coming.

 

[Hailey Knight]

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/03/13/godzilla-anime-coming-netflix-year/

Huh. An animated Godzilla movie is coming.

I'm sure it'll be better than the Hannah Barbera one . After Godzilla Anime gets a theatrical release in Japan, it'll hit Netflix. Not sure if it'll be dubbed or subbed.

This is essentially the Japanese Godzilla movie for the year. I don't think we're going to see Toho return to annual live action films. They could get away with it right now if they wanted thanks to Shin Godzilla's financial and critical success, but they may have finally learned that doing a movie a year isn't the best way to maintain quality unless you have the money to spread around like Marvel. So maybe in 2018 there will be another Toho live-action Godzilla.

Someone on Tumblr suggested Legendary get the licensing rights to Gamera as well and get him involved in the MonsterVerse. I doubt it would happen or if they'd want to muddy their playground with a flying, fire-breathing turtle, especially one that really isn't well-known compared to Kong and Godzilla, but I'm certainly not against it. I've wanted a Godzilla vs Gamera movie since I was little.

 

[bhamv3]

To the average moviegoer, ie not one who's paid attention to Japanese cinematic kaiju, Gamera is probably approximately as well known as Rodan and King Ghidora (that is to say, not that well known). So, really, a flying fire-breathing turtle won't feel any more out of place than a giant atomic-breath lizard or a huge silk-spewing moth.

I, for one, would welcome Gamera's addition if they manage to pull it off.

 

[Tress]

Not to mention that Gamera would be no worse than whatever weird-and-vaguely-insect-thing they would come up with to fight Godzilla anyway.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Not to mention that Gamera would be no worse than whatever weird-and-vaguely-insect-thing they would come up with to fight Godzilla anyway.

No worse, certainly, but I feel like western general audiences are more willing to except something like the MUTOs or a generic giant bug than a giant flying turtle monster. The 90s Gamera films had their work cut out for them dislodging Gamera from the silliness of his roots and his concept, and did so by establishing a mythos before the monster showed up. (Shit, now I want to go watch Gamera: Guardian of the Universe again.)

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but it'd be more difficult. Maybe in a later film. This assuming they could even get the rights. But that Gamera movie that was supposed to come out in 2016 fizzled into development hell, so I don't know how receptive they would be to licensing him to Legendary. Shame, since 2016 was Gamera's 50th anniversary.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Tom Hiddleston was so lost. "What are you guys talking about?"

 

[Hailey Knight]

I'm going to use this thread for other crap of this nature, especially with Toho involved.

The good news: The Godzilla anime movie being distributed globally by Netflix is now going to be a trilogy! Godzilla: Monster Planet is the story of monsters attacking mankind and mankind saying "we out." Humans abandon Earth to colonize a distant world, only to get there and find it uninhabitable. A team heads back to Earth to see if they can fix things while there's still time, only to find that through relativity, 20,000 years have passed, Earth has changed entirely, and now Godzilla rules the world.

The bad news: you know that new Berserk anime with the weird CGI animation stuff? It's those guys. Maybe this will go better. I hope, since this is all the Godzilla we're getting from Toho for a couple years.

 

[Hailey Knight]

We knew which monsters were showing up thanks to the Kong end credits scene.

I didn't expect this plotline though. I'm even more intrigued. (Not that I wasn't going to be there opening night, or earlier, anyway.)

 

[bhamv3]

Wow I didn't expect them to unleash ALL the kaiju for the sequel.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Wow I didn't expect them to unleash ALL the kaiju for the sequel.

It was very important to remake Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster. Now we just need a princess who's possessed by the ghost of a Martian and we're all set.

Since Toho is so fickle about licensing, I have a feeling the producers only paid for the most popular monsters. No one was going to care if Megalon or Battra showed up. I think the only other really well-known one they could get would be Mechagodzilla.

 

[Tress]

I was always partial to Gigan, myself.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I was always partial to Gigan, myself.

Gigan has a big bunch of fans, and I'd say he's the next in notariety after the ones in the new movie + Mechagodzilla, but I don't know how many people in mainstream know of him. There's a reason he was given such a notable role in Godzilla: Final Wars when many other monsters were slapped aside in a few seconds.

Although my mom referred to Godzilla as Gonzalez at one point, so maybe I'm overestimating how well any of them are known.

 

[figmentPez]

So, how long until we see tweets whining about "Why'd they have to go and put fake news climate change in the movie? Godzilla is about destroying things, not about the environment!"

 

[evilmike]

So, how long until we see tweets whining about "Why'd they have to go and put fake news climate change in the movie? Godzilla is about destroying things, not about the environment!"

At least we have an answer to that...

 

[Hailey Knight]

Designs for the monsters in Godzilla: King of the Monsters were revealed last night! Rodan looks as expected, Mothra has some interesting legs, Godzilla's design has been updated a little, and I think Ghidorah looks fantastic. These will make fun toys for kids next year!

 

[evilmike]

Old school

 

[Tress]

The director tweeted out some new posters of the iconic kaiju making their first appearances:

 

[Null]

I'm still gonna write out Category G, a Pacific Rim / Godzilla crossover.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Old school

I laughed so hard and also the shame of knowing each of those movies by shot.

 

[evilmike]

MovieBob reviews the new movie:

 

[Hailey Knight]

I'm not watching any reviews, just going in as cold as the horrible trailer allows, but IM SO PSYCHED FOR THURSDAY NIGHT

 

[ThatNickGuy]

Honestly, I was only mildly curious about seeing it before. I'm not a big kaiju nut like Hailey.

But Bob's review sold it for me. Seeing the movie give him that much child-like joy sells it.

Whenever he says, "Go see it. Just go see it," he's yet to steer me wrong.

I'mma go see it.

 

[DarkAudit]

Honestly, I was only mildly curious about seeing it before. I'm not a big kaiju nut like Hailey.

But Bob's review sold it for me. Seeing the movie give him that much child-like joy sells it.

Whenever he says, "Go see it. Just go see it," he's yet to steer me wrong.

I'mma go see it.

NGL, Kurtz's two panel review of Superman Returns got me the same way, and is one of my favorite PvP comics.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Honestly, I was only mildly curious about seeing it before. I'm not a big kaiju nut like Hailey.

But Bob's review sold it for me. Seeing the movie give him that much child-like joy sells it.

Whenever he says, "Go see it. Just go see it," he's yet to steer me wrong.

I'mma go see it.

I'll definitely watch his review after I see it.

 

[DarkAudit]

And here's that comic...

 

[Dave]

God that comic used to be so good.

 

[chris]

Just came back from a viewing of Godzilla 2.

I haven't seen Moviebobs review but I agree. "Go see it. Just go see it". Anybody who watched Godzilla movies will have a good time. It has all the stuff we like from the Godzilla movies of the past. So much so I'm surprised they didn't start the movie with the Toho logo. There are some stupid moments you will roll your eyes on but the nods and mythology gags to the Japanese kaiju movies compensate for this.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Godzilla: KOTM was a lot of fun. I have a weird rapport with it though because some of the references to the older movies made me grin, while others I was less enthusiastic about since they're story beats I've seen in a dozen other Godzilla movies. BUT, most American audiences haven't seen those movies, so it's new to them and I understand that.

Some little things that made me happy:

Spoiler

Ghidorah being coded Monster Zero at first
Mothra's theme
Godzilla's theme
The twins
Ghidorah's backstory

And climax spoilers/end credits stuff

Spoiler

HE ATE HIM. GODZILLA FUCKING ATE GHIDORAH. A character says "Jesus" in reaction, and I'm just like, yeah, yeah that's exactly the right reaction. Holy shit.
I wish Mothra hadn't died for the twentieth time, but holy craaaaap.
They do a good job setting up how Godzilla and Kong will probably be rival alphas next movie since various Titans seemed to split between them. The scene with some bowing to Godzilla felt so weird, and I'm struggling to remember what movie had a similar scene and vibe besides The Chronicles of Riddick.
The post-credits scene ... I'm not sure what it's implying, but my first thought was Mecha King Ghidorah.

After the post-credits, a brother and sister beside me were arguing about the monsters. I would've loved to hear the rest of that argument, but I had to go. When I was little, no one else cared, so it was just nice hearing kids so psyched about this stuff.