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{{Quote|Their reign begins<br>Long live the king|Taglines}}
{{Quote|Their reign begins<br>Long live the king|Taglines}}
{{Quote|The king awakens. ''({{ruby|王|キング}}が目醒める。)''<br>The king's awakening.|parenthetical={{ruby|王|キング}}の覚醒。|Japanese taglines}}
{{Quote|The king awakens. ''({{ruby|王|キング}}が目醒める。)''<br>The king's awakening.|parenthetical={{ruby|王|キング}}の覚醒。|Japanese taglines}}
'''''Godzilla: King of the Monsters''''' {{Nihongo|ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ|Gojira Kingu Obu Monsutāzu|lit. ''Godzilla: King of Monsters''}} is an upcoming [[2019]] [[United States|American]] science fiction [[:Category:Kaiju Films|monster film]] produced by [[Legendary Pictures]], and the third entry in the [[MonsterVerse]]. It will be released to American theaters on May 31, [[2019]].<ref name="Releasedate">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-2-doctor-sleep-movie-release-dates/|title=Godzilla 2 & The Shining Sequel Get New Release Dates|date=23 May 2018|work=Screenrant|author=Schaefer, Sandy}}</ref>
'''''Godzilla: King of the Monsters''''' {{Nihongo|ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ|Gojira Kingu Obu Monsutāzu|lit. ''Godzilla: King of Monsters''}} is a [[2019]] [[United States|American]] science fiction [[:Category:Kaiju Films|monster film]] produced by [[Legendary Pictures]], and the third entry in the [[MonsterVerse]]. It was released to American theaters on May 31, [[2019]].<ref name="Releasedate">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-2-doctor-sleep-movie-release-dates/|title=Godzilla 2 & The Shining Sequel Get New Release Dates|date=23 May 2018|work=Screenrant|author=Schaefer, Sandy}}</ref>
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Description==
==Description==
"''The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency [[Monarch]] as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]], who collides with [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]], [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]], and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed [[King Ghidorah/Legendary|King Ghidorah]]. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.''"<ref name="BW">{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170619005808/en/Warner-Bros.-Pictures’-Legendary-Pictures’-MonsterVerse-Kicks|title=Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse Kicks into Gear as the Next Godzilla Feature Gets Underway|work=Business Wire|date=19 June 2017}}</ref>
"''The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency [[Monarch]] as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]], who collides with [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]], [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]], and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed [[King Ghidorah/Legendary|King Ghidorah]]. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.''"<ref name="BW">{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170619005808/en/Warner-Bros.-Pictures’-Legendary-Pictures’-MonsterVerse-Kicks|title=Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse Kicks into Gear as the Next Godzilla Feature Gets Underway|work=Business Wire|date=19 June 2017}}</ref>
==Plot==
==Plot==
{{Spoilers}}
In [[2014]], [[Mark Russell|Mark]] and [[Emma Russell]] desperately search through the ruins of [[San Francisco]] for their son Andrew. As Mark comes to the realization that his son is gone, he witnesses [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] emerge from behind a building and walk past.
In [[2014]], [[Mark Russell|Mark]] and [[Emma Russell]] desperately search through the ruins of [[San Francisco]] for their son Andrew. As Mark comes to the realization that his son is gone, he witnesses [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] emerge from behind a building and walk past.


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{{Main|Godzilla: King of the Monsters/Videos}}
{{Main|Godzilla: King of the Monsters/Videos}}
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' is set to be the first [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] film released during the political [[wikipedia:Reiwa period|Reiwa period]] of [[Japan]].
*''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' is the first [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] film released during the political [[wikipedia:Reiwa period|Reiwa period]] of [[Japan]].
*The release gap between this film and its predecessor marks the longest gap between the first two entries of a series of Godzilla films, narrowly surpassing the almost exactly five-year gap between ''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' and ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' to begin the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]]. It is not however the longest period between a Godzilla film and its immediate sequel, a distinction which goes to the seven-year hiatus between ''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' and ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]''.
*The release gap between this film and its predecessor marks the longest gap between the first two entries of a series of Godzilla films, narrowly surpassing the almost exactly five-year gap between ''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' and ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' to begin the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]]. It is not however the longest period between a Godzilla film and its immediate sequel, a distinction which goes to the seven-year hiatus between ''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' and ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]''.
*While its predecessor ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' was noted by some for similarities with the [[1995]] film ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'',<ref name="Junpo">{{cite book|title=Kinema Junpo No. 1666|author=Sekiguchi Y|date=2014|publisher=Kinema Junpo|page=48|isbn=B006CDA5BI}}</ref> ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' also features some parallels with the other films of director [[Shusuke Kaneko]]. [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla's]] physical appearance has changed since the last film, much like how [[Gamera]]'s appearance evolved in each film of the [[Heisei era|Heisei]] trilogy. The film also incorporates the idea that the [[kaiju]] have inspired creatures from real-world mythologies, a concept featured in both ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' and ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''. Both [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]] and [[King Ghidorah/Legendary|King Ghidorah's]] new designs in this film share some traits with their revamped designs from ''GMK''. After seeing the film, Kaneko himself acknowledged the similarities between ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' and ''GMK''.<ref name="Hiho">{{cite book|title=Eiga Hiho July 2019 Special |date=2019|publisher=Yosensha|page=2|B07RQ3VBFM}}</ref>
*While its predecessor ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' was noted by some for similarities with the [[1995]] film ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'',<ref name="Junpo">{{cite book|title=Kinema Junpo No. 1666|author=Sekiguchi Y|date=2014|publisher=Kinema Junpo|page=48|isbn=B006CDA5BI}}</ref> ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' also features some parallels with the other films of director [[Shusuke Kaneko]]. [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla's]] physical appearance has changed since the last film, much like how [[Gamera]]'s appearance evolved in each film of the [[Heisei era|Heisei]] trilogy. The film also incorporates the idea that the [[kaiju]] have inspired creatures from real-world mythologies, a concept featured in both ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' and ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''. Both [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]] and [[King Ghidorah/Legendary|King Ghidorah's]] new designs in this film share some traits with their revamped designs from ''GMK''. After seeing the film, Kaneko himself acknowledged the similarities between ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' and ''GMK''.<ref name="Hiho">{{cite book|title=Eiga Hiho July 2019 Special |date=2019|publisher=Yosensha|page=2|B07RQ3VBFM}}</ref>

Revision as of 05:53, 31 May 2019

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Godzilla Films
GODZILLA: The Planet Eater
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Godzilla vs. Kong
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This article concerns a recently-released film or other piece of media.
More information will be added to the article as it becomes available.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
American poster for Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Alternate titles
Flagicon Japan.png Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019)
See alternate titles
Directed by Michael Dougherty
Producer Thomas Tull, Brian Rogers, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia
Written by Max Borenstein, Michael Dougherty,
Zach Shields[1]
Music by Bear McCreary[2]
Distributor Warner Bros.
TohoJP
Legendary EastCH
Rating PG-13[3]
Budget $170,000,000[4]
Box office To be added
Running time 132 minutes[5]
(2 hours, 12 minutes)
Do not confuse with Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) or any other media bearing the same title.
Their reign begins
Long live the king
„ 

— Taglines

The king awakens. ( (キング)が目醒める。)
The king's awakening.
( (キング)の覚醒。)
„ 

— Japanese taglines

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ,   Gojira Kingu Obu Monsutāzu, lit. Godzilla: King of Monsters) is a 2019 American science fiction monster film produced by Legendary Pictures, and the third entry in the MonsterVerse. It was released to American theaters on May 31, 2019.[6]

Description

"The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance."[7]

Plot

Spoiler.png SPOILER WARNING: This section may contain major plot and/or ending details.
Proceed at your own discretion.

In 2014, Mark and Emma Russell desperately search through the ruins of San Francisco for their son Andrew. As Mark comes to the realization that his son is gone, he witnesses Godzilla emerge from behind a building and walk past.

Five years later, Emma is separated from her husband and lives with her now 12-year-old daughter Madison. Madison receives an email from her father asking to catch up. Upon reading it, Madison initially hesitates before beginning to type a response stating that she is worried about her mother. However, the smoke detector begins to go off as Madison realizes the bacon she was cooking is burning. Emma enters the kitchen and tries to turn the alarm off and asks her daughter what is going on. Madison responds that she was trying to make breakfast, but accidentally overcooked the bacon. Madison closes her laptop before Emma can see it, and says that her father has been contacting her. Emma asks if she has responded, and she replies that she hasn't yet. Emma then informs Madison that she has finally finished her sonar device: the ORCA. Suddenly, their apartment is shaken by a deafening screeching noise. Emma is contacted and told that she needs to go to the containment area immediately, prompting her to grab the ORCA and leave the apartment with Madison. Their apartment is actually in the middle of China's Yunnan rainforest, just outside of Monarch Outpost 61: the Temple of the Moth. As Emma and Madison enter the temple, adorned with ornate carvings of a huge moth, they are greeted by Monarch entomologist Dr. Tim Mancini, who informs them that the Titan housed there has suddenly become incredibly active after sleeping peacefully previously. As they enter an observation room overlooking a large chamber, they gaze upon a giant glowing blue egg. As the egg begins pulsating and glowing brighter, it becomes clear that the Titan inside is about to hatch. Soon, a gigantic mass breaks through the egg. As the hatchling sheds the amniotic fluid covering it, it reveals itself as a giant larva. Dr. Mancini introduces it as Titanus Mosura, better known as Mothra. A containment field is activated around the colossal larva, but inexplicably deactivates shortly afterward. Dr. Mancini informs Emma that it seems some outside party is interfering with their systems. As Mothra sees the armed men standing around her, she becomes agitated and lashes out. The men try to stun her with electrical rifles but she proceeds to spit silk at them and thrash about the chamber. Mancini prepares to activate a protocol to kill Mothra, but Emma begs him not to. She runs into the chamber holding the ORCA and gently sets it down in front of Mothra. As Emma tries to set the ORCA to the correct frequency, she only enrages Mothra further. Madison rushes to her mother's side, and just as Mothra bears down upon them both, Emma activates the ORCA and successfully pacifies Mothra. Mothra's red bioluminescent glow is replaced with the soft blue color she emitted when she hatched, and she backs down. Madison reaches out her hand and touches Mothra's face, with the creature releasing a strong blast of air through her nostrils. The peaceful moment is interrupted by a bomb explosion that strikes the observation room. Armed assailants enter the room and promptly gun down most of the Monarch personnel. Dr. Mancini gets to his feet and surrenders to the attackers, but is promptly shot in the head by their leader.

Meanwhile, Drs. Ishiro Serizawa, Vivienne Graham, and Sam Coleman are speaking before a Senate committee on behalf of Monarch, with Admiral William Stenz and other military officials in attendance as well. Sam explains that they are now witnessing the reemergence of the Titans, and that Godzilla, the MUTOs, and Kong are just the "tip of the iceberg." Monarch believes many such creatures are still in hiding around the world, and could awaken as well. Sam argues that Monarch is specially suited to determine which of the Titans are threats to humanity, and which may be able to protect them. Senator Williams of Hawaii is dismissive of Sam's arguments, believing that the Titans are nothing more than threats that must be dealt with. Serizawa and Graham interject that humanity should try to find a way to coexist with the Titans rather than kill them, effectively forming a symbiotic relationship. Williams sarcastically asks if Monarch intends to make Godzilla humanity's pet, but Serizawa responds that rather they would be his. When Graham and Serizawa receive a digital message about the events which just transpired in China, they excuse themselves from the meeting. Senator Williams angrily calls after them , but Sam attempts to ease the tension by bringing up a presentation on "Titan reproduction," showing a clip of the MUTOs performing their courtship in 2014, before leaving with Serizawa and Graham. The three travel to Colorado, where Mark Russell now lives in a secluded cabin and photographs wolves. Mark is in the middle of photographing a wolf pack feeding on a deer carcass before they are scared away by the Monarch Osprey. Inside Mark's cabin, the three explain the situation to him. Emma and Madison have been kidnapped by an unknown force, and the ORCA has been stolen with them. They convince Mark to accompany them to Monarch's underwater base, Outpost 54: Castle Bravo. Mark is introduced to Monarch scientists Ilene Chen and Rick Stanton, along with G-Team members Col. Diane Foster, Chief Warrant Officer Jackson Barnes, Staff Sergeant Anthony Martinez, and First Lieutenant Lauren Griffin. There, they discuss the situation. Emma and Madison have been kidnapped by a man named Alan Jonah, a misanthropic former British Army colonel and MI6 agent-turned eco-terrorist obsessed with using the Titans to end humanity's reign on Earth. Recently, Jonah has begun trafficking in Titan DNA. Undoubtedly, he now plans to use Emma and the ORCA for his own violent agenda. While Monarch initially presumes Jonah aims to use Mothra, who has now cocooned under a waterfall, for this purpose, Mark believes this is a smokescreen, and Jonah really has his eyes on a much bigger prize.

Mark's fear is right, as Jonah's terrorist mercenaries have commandeered a stolen Monarch V-22 Osprey and flown it to the off-the-books Outpost 32 in Antarctica. Upon landing, Jonah and his men exit calmly before opening fire and killing all of the Monarch guards, while Emma and Madison listen in horror from inside the Osprey. Jonah comes aboard and tells them both to disembark, and they all enter the Outpost. Inside, they are faced with a wall of ice containing what look like frozen serpents. Madison immediately recognizes this Titan as "Monster Zero." Jonah's men begin using machines to drill into the ice while Emma calibrates the ORCA to Monster Zero's frequency. Back at Castle Bravo, Monarch detects Godzilla approaching unusually close to the base. G-Team mans the base's Maser Turrets and prepares to open fire on Godzilla, but Mark tells them to stand down. While Mark wants Godzilla dead as much as anyone else, blaming him for the loss of his son, he says that unless Monarch believes they can win this fight that they have to stand down. Serizawa agrees and tells G-Team to deactivate the turrets. Godzilla's heart rate begins to decrease, and Mark says to lower the shields in order to signal that they are not a threat. While Stanton scoffs at the notion, Serizawa orders the shields to be dropped. As the shields open, everyone sees Godzilla slowly swimming toward them from outside, his dorsal fins emitting a bright blue glow. Graham identifies this as an intimidation display, akin to a gorilla beating its chest. Mark approaches the window to the ocean and watches Godzilla's approach, before the blue glow vanishes and Godzilla seemingly backs off. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief before Godzilla suddenly turns and charges past the base, leaving everyone shaken. Mark asks to see Godzilla's patrol patterns, and says that if he is leaving his hunting grounds he must feel threatened by something. Monarch studies Godzilla's current course and determines he can only be heading to one place: Antarctica. Monarch follows Godzilla inside their flying flagship the USS Argo, before Godzilla drops from detection. Stanton is certain that this is evidence of Dr. Houston Brooks' Hollow Earth hypothesis; Godzilla is using underground tunnels and pockets to move more quickly. Once the Argo reaches Antarctica, it deploys several Ospreys to Outpost 32. G-Team disembarks and finds the fatalities Jonah's men have left. The team enters the Outpost and searches through the long passageway inside, but can find nothing until the terrorists ambush them and open fire. G-Team engages in a firefight with the terrorists as Emma and Madison are escorted out by Jonah and some of his men. Hearing the gunfire, Mark exits his Osprey and grabs a gun from one of the bodies before charging in himself. He fights his way to a catwalk where he comes face to face with Emma and Madison, aiming his gun at Jonah. Col. Foster manages to shoot one of the terrorists, Asher, who was carrying a detonator. To Mark's shock, rather than run to him, Emma and Madison stay with Jonah. Emma grabs the detonator and apologizes to Mark before telling him to run. She presses the detonator, setting off charges planted in the ice and causing it to crack open. Jonah flees with Emma and Madison and gets back into his Osprey, while Mark tries to chase after them. However, Mark sees the members of G-Team still struggling to escape and takes the elevator back down to help them escape. Aboard Jonah's Osprey, Madison exclaims that they need to go back for her father, but is held back. Jonah tells Emma to wake Monster Zero, and she obliges. Emma activates the ORCA and emits a sonar that awakens the long-frozen creature. First, a spiked tail rises from the fissure in the ice, shaking like a rattlesnake's tail. Then, gradually three demonic dragon heads emerge one by one, shaking the ice from themselves. The members of G-Team look up bewildered at the creature before opening fire with their rifles. Monster Zero seems almost intrigued by them, dropping his heads to the ground and observing them. Then, Monster Zero stands up and a yellow glow moves along his necks before each of his mouth spews golden beams of pure bio-electricity, vaporizing several of the soldiers. Barnes and the others retreat to their Osprey, as a blue glow becomes visible underneath the ice. Godzilla bursts out from the ice and challenges Monster Zero, with the two Titans charging at each other. One Osprey is damaged in the battle and unable to take off. The Monarch scientists run to reach G-Team's Osprey amidst Godzilla and Monster Zero's clash. Godzilla fires his atomic breath, but his enemy's heads dodge it and counter with gravity beams that knock Godzilla off the ice shelf. Monster Zero again turns to menace the fleeing humans, and bites down on eats a huge chunk of ice, swallowing Dr. Graham with it. The Argo enters the battle area and opens fire on Monster Zero, who seems to have had enough and takes flight.

Having been knocked unconscious after one of Monster Zero's gravity beams struck near him, Mark awakens aboard the Argo. Aboard the ship, members of Monarch discuss what just happened while Serizawa quietly grieves for Graham. Col. Foster insists that she saw Emma set off the detonator, but Sam is in denial that she would do such a thing. Mark enters the room and interjects that Foster is right: Emma acted of her own volition and was responsible for unleashing Monster Zero. Monster Zero has vanished into a tropical storm over Brazil, while Godzilla appears to be following Jonah's Osprey to Isla de Mara, Mexico: the site of Monarch Outpost 56. Monarch concludes that Jonah and Emma aim to awaken the Titan within the volcano there. The Argo then receives a transmission from Emma, who explains her actions. Human activity has damaged the environment to the point a mass extinction is inevitable, she says. She believes the Titans are essential to saving the world from the apocalypse mankind has created, but the U.S. government is intent on exterminating them all instead. So, she took matters into her own hands and is awakening them herself before this can happen. Mark and the others are horrified at Emma's actions and accuse her of gambling with lives and having lost her mind, but she maintains her resolve and warns them to seek shelter before signing off. Monarch finds that Emma's broadcast did not come from Isla de Mara, rather the signal was being bounced off of multiple satellites and she could really be anywhere. G-Team lands in the village near Isla de Mara to evacuate civilians while Emma deactivates the containment field on Outpost 56. The terrified civilians witness the volcano begin to erupt, after which a huge flaming creature emerges from the crater. Dr. Chen informs Mark that according to local legends, the creature is called Rodan, the Fire Demon. G-Team's fighter jets open fire on Rodan as does the Argo, angering him to the point he takes flight and pursues them. As Rodan flies above the nearby village, the resulting shockwave tears buildings from the ground and launches debris, vehicles, and even people into the sky. G-Team saves as many citizens as they can and evacuates them onto an Osprey. While chasing after the Argo, Rodan engages in a dogfight with G-Team's jets, gradually destroying them each with his talons, by creating sonic booms, and finally performing a spinning maneuver that crushes several jets with his wings. Eventually, only the Argo is left, and Rodan is hot on its heels. Monarch has also determined that the tropical storm into which Monster Zero disappeared is actually being generated by the creature himself, and is heading right toward them. The Argo lures Rodan directly into the storm and dives out of the way before reaching Monster Zero. Rodan initially evades the creature before charging directly at him and attacking. The two monsters tear into each other with their claws and teeth, prompting Stanton to remark that they're killing each other. Admiral Stenz contacts the Argo and informs Monarch that the U.S. military is taking over the situation. He says they have developed an experimental chemical weapon, the Oxygen Destroyer, to kill the Titans. The weapon has already been launched and will kill everything in a five mile radius on impact, so he warns the Argo to evacuate immediately. Monster Zero overpowers Rodan, restraining his wings with his side heads and firing a gravity beam from his middle head that blasts Rodan into the ocean below. Mark is able to force open the doors on the Argo and allows the Osprey to make an emergency crash-landing inside of it. While everyone survives the impact, Monster Zero quickly closes in on the Argo. Just before he can reach it, Godzilla leaps from the water and drags Monster Zero into it. The two Titans struggle underwater, with Godzilla fighting to keep all three heads submerged. Godzilla is able to bite down on Monster Zero's right head and forcefully tear it off. Despite Godzilla nearly being victorious, the Argo is forced to retreat as the Oxygen Destroyer draws near. The missile carrying the weapon strikes the water where the Titans are fighting, and produces a massive green explosion. The blast produces a mushroom cloud, and when the smoke clears countless dead fish float to the surface. Shortly after, the two-headed Monster Zero flies from the sea, seemingly unaffected by the blast. Godzilla, however, is seriously wounded and begins to sink into the deep, his vital signs dropping drastically. Finally, all signs of Godzilla vanish and Dr. Stanton regretfully informs everyone that he is gone.

Monster Zero touches down on the Isla de Mara volcano, where a truly hideous display takes place. An elongated tongue sprouts from the stump where the creature's right head once was, followed by sinews, skull bones, and lumps of flesh which become surrounded in a placenta-like sac. The other heads remove the sac with their mouths as the head beneath it fully regenerates in a matter of moments. Whole once more, Monster Zero shrieks out to the heavens, his call serving as a mass awakening for all of Earth's Titans. The spider-like Scylla emerges from underground in Arizona, and the horned, mountain-backed Methuselah erupts from underground near Munich, Germany. It becomes clear that Monster Zero is no ordinary Titan, he has awakened all of the others and seemingly taken command of them. Dr. Chen determines from further mythological research that Monster Zero may not be part of the natural order at all. She says that ancient legends called him "Ghidorah, the One Who is Many." A demon that fell from the stars, Ghidorah seemingly fought Godzilla in the ancient past as evidenced by cave paintings of the two locked in battle. Monarch concludes that Ghidorah must be an alien creature, explaining his unnatural abilities such as his immunity to the Oxygen Destroyer and his instant regeneration of his missing head. Rodan lands at the foot of the volcano and submits to Ghidorah, as do the other Titans all around the world. All except one. In China, a Monarch team including Dr. Brooks and Dr. Chen's twin sister Dr. Ling is observing Mothra's cocoon. They both witness the creature's beautiful imago stage emerge from the cocoon and spread her glowing wings. At Castle Bravo, Admiral Stenz addresses the current crisis before Monarch. Titans are assaulting the globe. Not only are Ghidorah, Rodan, Scylla, and Methuselah loose, but others such as the sloth-like Behemoth and a six-legged MUTO are on the rampage as well. When Stenz describes the Titans' behavior as "erratic," Mark interjects that they are actually demonstrating pack behavior. They are responding to an alpha, Ghidorah. If they can stop Ghidorah, he says, they might stop them all. Unfortunately, the only creature seemingly capable of combating Ghidorah was just killed by the military. Mark prepares to leave Castle Bravo aboard an Osprey to search for Madison himself, but is interrupted by a bright light in the sky. Mark exits the Osprey to get a better look and witnesses the clouds part as the imago Mothra appears in the sky above. Monarch detects that Mothra is emitting a sonar frequency and receiving a response... from Godzilla. They conclude that Godzilla is still alive, and that they have to find him before Ghidorah destroys the world. Mark, Chen, Stanton, and Serizawa depart via a submarine and follow Mothra to Godzilla's location, while G-Team boards the Argo and heads to the U.S. to battle Ghidorah and Rodan alongside the military.

Madison has come to grasp the horror of what her mother unleashed, and takes it upon herself to set things right. After overhearing her mother discuss with Jonah the potential to use the ORCA to control the Titans, she steals it and escapes the bunker where they are hiding in Boston. Emma makes her way to Fenway Park, where civilians are being evacuated, and begins to attach the ORCA to the stadium's sound system. The submarine comes upon a whirlpool that pulls it deeper underwater. Stanton concludes that this whirpool is actually an entrance to the Hollow Earth, and is where Godzilla retreated. The doctors are all shocked to see ancient ruins on the ocean floor. Proceeding further, they come upon an entire sunken city. Mark notes that the ruins resemble those of ancient Egypt or Rome, but Stanton states that they are considerably older. Adorning the city's walls are paintings of humans worshiping a figure that is unmistakably Godzilla. Finally, the sub detects an air pocket, and sends drones inside to investigate. They find an incredibly radioactive chamber surrounded by molten lava flows where Godzilla is lying atop a giant altar. They realize that this is Godzilla's lair, and where he goes to recover and feed on the natural radiation. Unfortunately, Godzilla may take years to recover through this process, meaning he won't be able to stop Ghidorah in time. However, it may be possible to accelerate the process by exposing Godzilla to one of the sub's nuclear torpedoes. Unfortunately, the sub sustained damage from the whirlpool and cannot fire its torpedoes. Furthermore, the radiation in Godzilla's lair is so lethal that no one could survive manually placing the warhead and arming it. However, Serizawa declares that he will do it himself. Serizawa dons a radiation suit to protect him long enough to arm the warhead, and bids farewell to Stanton, Dr. Chen, and Mark. Before leaving, he entrusts Mark with his notes. When Mark asks Serizawa if he is sure about this, he says he firmly believes that Godzilla is not only proof that man can coexist with the Titans, but he is the key to coexistence. Serizawa takes the warhead aboard a smaller submarine and departs. As the sub travels along the ruined city, Serizawa observes even more murals of Godzilla. The sub finally surfaces in the air pocket and Serizawa disembarks. Fighting through the lethal radiation and heat, Serizawa drags the warhead to the top of the altar and arms it. He removes his helmet and approaches Godzilla, who opens his eyes and looks at him. Serizawa gently places his hand on Godzilla's face and says his final words: "Goodbye, old friend." The warhead explodes, annihilating the sunken city and propelling the submarine back to the surface. Mark and Chen exit the sub and look to see if Serizawa was successful. They witness a whirlpool open near them, from which Godzilla emerges fully rejuvenated and pulsing with nuclear energy. Godzilla triumphantly fires his atomic breath into the sky, then leans forward and observes the humans. He briefly locks eyes with Mark before turning and making his way to the East Coast of the U.S. for a final confrontation with Ghidorah.

In Boston, Madison activates the ORCA, which causes the Titans around the world to suddenly cease their rampage. Ghidorah, however, is alerted to the disturbance and makes his way from Washington D.C. to Boston. He is accompanied by a massive storm that sweeps through the city before he lands at the ballpark and searches for the source of the signal. Ghidorah bites down on the loudspeakers and destroys them, then peers into the pressbox to see Madison inside. He charges his gravity beams and fires them, with Madison barely being able to evade the blasts. Madison flees into the center of the stadium but is knocked down by a nearby blast from Ghidorah. She defiantly throws the ORCA at Ghidorah, who looks down at Madison and prepares to finish her with his gravity beams before being knocked off his feet by a blast of atomic breath. Madison turns to see Godzilla triumphantly march into the city, accompanied by a full military escort. After Ghidorah gets back up, Godzilla begins running at his foe and the two Titans collide with each other, producing a shockwave that reaches the Argo. Now back aboard the Argo with the others, Stanton determines that the amount of radiation Godzilla absorbed from the explosion is too great, meaning he will explode like an atomic bomb in about 12 minutes. The priority becomes rescuing Madison before this happens, and Mark accompanies G-Team to Fenway Park in an Osprey while Godzilla and Ghidorah battle to the death. Upon realizing Madison has taken the ORCA, Emma sets out to rescue her. Before she can board a jeep to leave, Jonah and his men surround her. Jonah mocks Emma's preoccupation with finding her daughter over their mission, but she draws a gun on him. Jonah tells his men to let her leave, as they already have everything they need. As Ghidorah gains the upper hand over Godzilla, Mothra arrives and pins his heads against a building by spitting silk at them. Ghidorah frees his heads and calls out to Rodan, who attacks Mothra. With Godzilla and Ghidorah fighting on the ground while Mothra and Rodan duel in the sky, Madison seeks refuge in her and her mother's former home in Boston. Back at Fenway, Mark and G-Team cannot find Madison though they do find the damaged ORCA. Emma pulls up in her jeep and orders them all to get in. They are able to track Madison down to the house, and find her unconscious hiding inside a bathtub. Fortunately, she regains consciousness and the family is reunited at last in an embrace. Rodan seriously injures Mothra by burning her wings, and pins her against a skyscraper. Mothra dodges as Rodan attempts to stab her with his beak, and impales him through the chest with her stinger. Rodan looks down in shock as the venom immobilizes him, and he soon falls screaming furiously into the flaming city below. Ghidorah feeds on a nearby electrical transformer, charging his body with electrical energy that he projects from his wings in countless directions. He leaps at Godzilla and restrains him with his legs and tails, and begins pulling him into the air. Ghidorah wraps his middle neck around Godzilla's throat and strangles him until he goes limp, all while flying progressively higher into the sky. After soaring above the clouds, Ghidorah releases Godzilla and sends him plummeting back to the ground. Godzilla strikes the ground lifelessly, and can barely move as Ghidorah lands to finish him off. However, the injured Mothra crawls onto Godzilla and defiantly spreads her wings at Ghidorah. She then flies directly at him, only to be disintegrated by gravity beams from all three of his heads. Mothra's glowing blue energy descends onto Godzilla, causing red cracks to begin to form on his skin. Ghidorah seizes the opportunity and constricts his necks around Godzilla then bites down on him, draining his energy through his mouths. Emma and Mark race to repair the ORCA so that Ghidorah can be drawn away from Godzilla before he kills him. Mark, G-Team, and Madison board the Osprey as Emma stays behind to finish calibrating the ORCA. Once it is activated, Ghidorah releases Godzilla and begins making his way in the humans' direction. As Ghidorah draws near the Osprey, Emma realizes that it won't be able to escape him with the ORCA aboard. She takes the ORCA and enters the jeep, causing Ghidorah to chase after her while the Osprey escapes. Ghidorah pursues Emma furiously before destroying the jeep with a gravity beam. Emma is thrown from the vehicle and lands on the ground mortally wounded. As Ghidorah looms over her, she utters the phrase "Long live the king." Godzilla appears behind Ghidorah, the radiation inside his body built to critical levels to the point his skin is covered in fiery fissures and everything around him melts from the intense heat. Godzilla roars at his nemesis as his dorsal fins spark and glow. A huge nuclear pulse of energy bursts forth from Godzilla, taking the shape of Mothra's wings and making the sound of her chirp. The pulse incinerates the flesh from Ghidorah's wings, causing him to reel back. Godzilla presses his advantage and emits another pulse that disintegrates both his left and right heads. Ghidorah falls onto his back, and Godzilla proceeds to stomp on his chest. The energy inside Godzilla finally explodes, leveling a huge portion of Boston in a fiery burst of energy. The rubble left behind begins to move, after which the burned but recognizable head of Ghidorah emerges. However, it is soon revealed to be nothing more than Ghidorah's final disembodied head, and is hanging from Godzilla's mouth. Godzilla fires his atomic breath, igniting Ghidorah's head until it finally burns away into nothing. Godzilla turns to see that Scylla, Behemoth, Methuselah, and the MUTO are approaching him, and prepares to fight again if necessary. Rodan, bearing a massive wound in his chest but still very much alive and mobile, approaches Godzilla and roars up angrily at him. Godzilla stares down at Rodan, and his expression convinces the winged Titan to back down and submit to Godzilla. The other Titans follow suit, each "bowing" in their own way to the new King of the Monsters.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Titans have become docile under Godzilla's reign and have helped to rebuild the world's ecosystems. Rodan has nested in a volcano near Fiji, while Monarch has uncovered a new Titan egg. Not all is well though, as Skull Island has become unstable and Kong may not be able to keep it under control. The waters around Isla de Mara are still contaminated by the Oxygen Destroyer, and local fishermen can no longer make a living. However, one fisherman uncovered something else from the water, something which Jonah and his men have come to Mexico to see. The man leads Jonah into a room, where he shows the object in question: the head Godzilla had torn off of Ghidorah in their second battle. Jonah observes the head with diabolical intent before simply saying "We'll take it."

Development

Gareth Edwards stated that he wanted Godzilla to work as a standalone film with a definitive ending, and opposed suggestions that the ending should leave the film open for a sequel.[8] While Edwards wasn't against the possibility of future sequels, his main concern was delivering a satisfying experience with the current film; "I want a story that begins and ends, and you leave on a high. That's all we cared about when we were making this; just this film. If this film is good, the others can come, but let’s just pay attention to this and not get sidetracked by other things."[9]

On May 18th, 2014, after Godzilla's successful opening weekend, a sequel was officially given the green light from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Edwards was confirmed to be directing the sequel but it was unknown if any of the previous cast would be returning. In a previous interview with Gareth Edwards, he said that if the film were to have a sequel that he would like to do a Destroy All Monsters-like film.[10]

On July 26, 2014, the official Legendary Twitter announced that Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah would be appearing in the sequel.[11]

A piece of "Classified Monarch Footage," a teaser for Godzilla 2, was shown at Comic-Con 2014. According to eye-witnesses, it looked like it was put together in the 1960's, with audio of John F. Kennedy talking about threats and dangers. Text comes on the screen saying that there was one more secret: "There were others." A pterodactyl-like shadow and "CODENAME: RODAN." An extreme close-up of a giant moth creature and "CODENAME: MOTHRA." Then a silhouette and quick cuts around a dragon-like shape figure and "CODENAME: GHIDORAH." Finally, "THREAT ASSESSMENT: CONFLICT INEVITABLE," followed by "LET THEM FIGHT."[12]

On Thursday, August 14, 2014, a release date of June 8, 2018 was set for Godzilla 2.[6] The four-year gap between Godzilla and Godzilla 2 was due in part to Gareth Edwards directing the film Star Wars: Rogue One and as a result being unavailable to begin work on Godzilla 2 until 2016.

On December 8, 2014, Toho announced production of a new Japanese Godzilla film for 2016. Despite being released between Legendary's Godzilla films, the new Toho film, Shin Godzilla, will be a standalone film not connected to Legendary's series, and will have no effect on the production of Godzilla 2.

On July 9, 2015, Legendary Pictures' spokesperson at Comic-Con, Barnaby Legg, told Dread Central that Legendary was aware of fans' complaints about Godzilla's lack of screentime in the 2014 film, and that the sequel would give fans "exactly what you're hoping for."[13]

In an interview with Collider conducted in early August 2015, writer Max Borenstein revealed that he is currently writing the script for the film, and promised that the sequel would do "bigger and even better things" than the first film. Borenstein also expressed his excitement for the film, and enthusiasm for working with Gareth Edwards once again.[14]

On October 14, 2015, Legendary Pictures officially announced production of a remake of King Kong vs. Godzilla titled Godzilla vs. Kong set for release in 2020. The film will follow both Godzilla 2 and Legendary's Kong: Skull Island.[15]

On May 10, 2016, an article revealed that the release dates of both Godzilla 2 and Godzilla vs. Kong had been changed to March 22, 2019 and May 29, 2020 respectively.[16] Only three days later, it was reported that Gareth Edwards had left the film in order to pursue other projects.[17]

On October 17, 2016, it was announced that Godzilla 2 will be shot at the Qingdao Movie Metropolis facility in China alongside Pacific Rim 2.[18]

On October 20, 2016, Variety reported that Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields, who had recently co-wrote Legendary's Christmas horror-comedy Krampus, would be stepping in as the new writers for Godzilla 2. In addition, sources indicated that Legendary was planning to set up a writer's room to further expand the Godzilla-Kong cinematic universe leading up to Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020.[1]

On December 14, 2016, in a press release announcing the hiring of new production executives, Legendary revealed the official titles for both Godzilla 2 and the Pacific Rim sequel. Godzilla 2's official title is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, while the Pacific Rim sequel's official title is Pacific Rim Uprising.[19]

On January 23rd, 2017, Variety reported that writer Michael Dougherty would also direct the film.[20] Four days later, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown would star in the film.[21] Variety reported on February 21st that Kyle Chandler had officially joined the cast and would be playing the father of Millie Bobby Brown's character. In the same article, Variety mentioned that of the previous film's stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, and Ken Watanabe, only Watanabe was expected to reprise his role.[22] On February 27, Variety reported that Vera Farmiga would also be starring in the film, and would be playing the mother of Millie Bobby Brown's character.[23] On March 27, Variety reported that Straight Outta Compton star O'Shea Jackson Jr. was in negotiations to join the film's cast.[24]

Issue #1036 of Production Weekly, published on March 30, 2017, revealed that the film's working title would be Fathom.[25]

On April 18, Deadline reported that Aisha Hinds had joined the film's cast. The article also stated that both O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Ken Watanabe were part of the cast as well.[26] On May 1, Deadline reported that Hamilton star Anthony Ramos had joined the film's cast, and would be playing a character named Cpl. Mendoza.[27] On May 18, Deadline reported that Charles Dance had joined the film's cast, and that Sally Hawkins would also be returning to reprise her role as Vivienne Graham from Godzilla.[28]

On May 20, 2017, director Michael Dougherty confirmed via Twitter that creature effects artist Tom Woodruff Jr. would be designing the monsters for the film.[29] On May 23, 2017, Dougherty confirmed via Twitter that practical monster effects would be used in the film.[30] The next day, Dougherty announced on Twitter that Randy Havens had joined the film's cast.[31] On May 31, Variety confirmed that Thomas Middleditch had joined the cast.[32] On June 2, Variety reported that Bradley Whitford had joined the film's cast.[33]

On June 8, 2017, The Tracking Board reported that Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi had joined the cast of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and would be playing a prominent member of Monarch.[34] On July 10, 2017, Deadline reported that The Walking Dead star Elizabeth Ludlow had joined the film's cast.[35]

On June 21, a Monarch timeline video was uploaded to the Kong: Skull Island Twitter account.[36] Another one was uploaded on June 25.[37] Another one, revealing that Monarch set up a base around Isla de Mona in 1991, was uploaded on July 5.[38]

On July 12, another timeline video was uploaded.[39] Three of the entries on the timeline appear to hint at the discoveries of Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah, with a year and brief description given for each.

1991; ISLA DE MONA - A covert Monarch team establishes a quarantine zone around the island's dormant volcano, under the guise of 'environmental research'. Over the coming years, what began as a small scientific outpost will expand to become a full containment facility around the mouth of the volcano.
2009; TEMPLE OF THE MOTH - Mythographic studies of Chinese temples leads Monarch to the high-altitude jungles of the Yunnan province. Dr. Emma Russell and her team follow a mysterious bio-acoustic signature to a previously undiscovered megalithic temple, within which lies a gigantic cocoon. A quickening heartbeat is detected inside.
2016; MONSTER ZERO - When Monarch discover an extraordinary superspecies sealed beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, Dr. Vivienne Graham leads the effort to build a covert containment and research facility around the dormant creature. Her classified field notes contain a mysterious footnote: "The devil has three heads."

On April 26, 2018, TheWrap reported that Jason Liles, who had recently portrayed the giant gorilla George through motion capture in the film Rampage, would be acting as one of King Ghidorah's motion capture actors in the film.[40] The same day, Empire explained that Liles would specifically be portraying King Ghidorah's middle head, with Alan Maxson and Richard Dorton playing the other two heads and additional motion capture actors performing as the monster's body.[41] On May 23, 2018, the movie's release date was pushed back to May 31, 2019.[6]

On July 7, Michael Dougherty confirmed that Godzilla: King of the Monsters would be featured in Warner Bros.' Hall H panel at San Diego Comic Con.[42] Vera Farmiga offered some details about her character Dr. Emma Russell in a July 10 interview with Metro US: "I play a paleobiologist. She has figured out a way to communicate with the creatures and potentially control them using their bioacoustics on a sonar level. So she is like a DJ for the monsters.”[43] Entertainment Weekly published a first-look article on the film on July 13, including two stills, one showing Dr. Emma Russell and her daughter Madison in an icy chamber and another depicting Godzilla firing his atomic breath into the sky, and some basic plot details from Dougherty.[44] Dougherty revealed that the story would take place five years after Godzilla. Godzilla has not appeared since battling the MUTOs in San Francisco, but the prospect of his return and the potential emergence of other giant monsters has filled the world with terror. When Dr. Russell and her daughter Madison are kidnapped by a "mysterious organization" seeking to control the monsters, and her ex-husband Mark, along with Drs. Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham, try to rescue them. He also described the still of Godzilla firing his atomic breath into the sky as a "call to arms."

@MonarchSciences, a Twitter account Legendary previously used to promote Kong: Skull Island, deleted all of its Tweets and began posting again on July 18.[45] The account soon added a link to a new site where visitors could view Monarch outposts around the globe, as well as information on Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. The previously-dormant @GodzillaMovie Twitter Tweeted a short video of Madison Russell attempting to contact Monarch. Godzillamovie.com was also updated with a poster for the film.

On July 21, a presentation for the film was held in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. Director Michael Dougherty and cast members Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Thomas Middleditch, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. were present for a panel on the film. During the panel, Dougherty confirmed that composer Bear McCreary, whose past work includes 10 Cloverfield Lane and Colossal, would be scoring the film and would incorporate the main theme from the original Godzilla and the other monsters' classic motifs into his score.[2] The film's first official trailer was also screened for the first time during the panel, and was subsequently uploaded to Warner Bros.' YouTube channel.

On August 23, Alex Maxson Tweeted an announcement from his agency Coolwaters Productions, clarifying the motion capture roles of its clients in the film. The announcement reiterated the fact that Maxson would be portraying King Ghidorah's right head, with Jason Liles playing the center head and Richard Dorton playing the left head. It also revealed that Liles would also be portraying Rodan in the film, while TJ Storm would be reprising his role as Godzilla from the previous film.[46]

On September 6, a listing appeared on Amazon for an official graphic novel prequel to Godzilla: King of the Monsters to be released on April 16, 2019. It will be written by Arvid Nelson, who previously wrote all four issues of Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, and illustrated by Drew Johnson.[47] On October 14, MonsterVerse Mythology Manager George Tew announced via Twitter that he would be part of a Legendary Comics panel called "Godzilla: Secrets of the MonsterVerse" held at Los Angeles Comic Con on October 26. This panel, also attended by SVP of Creative Strategy Barnaby Legg, SVP of Comics Robert Napton, and illustrator of the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters tie-in graphic novel Drew Johnson, will explore the history of Monarch in both the films of the MonsterVerse and its tie-in comics Godzilla: Awakening and Skull Island: The Birth of Kong. The panel will also discuss Legendary Comics' upcoming work with Godzilla in 2019, and reveal previously unseen information about Monarch. The first 500 fans in attendance will also receive an exclusive signed Godzilla poster.[48]

On October 23, Dougherty confirmed via Twitter that King Ghidorah will have his iconic cackling roars, reiterating what he has said in previous interviews.[49] On October 25, Legendary Comics revealed the official title of the film's graphic novel prequel, Godzilla: Aftershock, and released a teaser image and plot description for it. It revealed that the graphic novel will pick up after the events of Godzilla, and will introduce characters from the sequel such as Dr. Emma Russel. Godzilla: Aftershock will also feature Godzilla battling against a new original monster. During the "Godzilla: Secrets of the MonsterVerse" panel held at Los Angeles Comic Con on October 27, new photographs related to the film and Godzilla: Aftershock were revealed, including a cave painting depicting a battle between Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. In addition, a teaser trailer for Godzilla: Aftershock was screened, revealing the design of Godzilla's new opponent, which has been stated to be a relative of the MUTOs from the previous film.

@MonarchSciences began posting new images of potential Titan sightings on November 26. On December 1, a major presentation for the film was held at Tokyo Comic Con. Michael Dougherty commented on concept art and storyboards for the film before showing teaser footage for the second trailer. A portion of Bear McCreary's rendition of Godzilla's Theme played during the panel. Afterwards, a two-meter statue of Godzilla's updated design was revealed, as well as Tamashii Nations' S.H. MonsterArts figures for Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, the first public look at their full designs.

The second trailer premiered on December 9 at Comic Con Experience in São Paulo, Brazil, and debuted online the following day.

In an interview published by Empire on March 20, Dougherty discussed Rodan's role in the movie, describing him as "a bit of a rogue" and explaining that it is not known where his loyalties lie.[50] Dougherty further discussed Rodan's role in an interview with Toho Kingdom's Chris Mirjahangir published on March 21. When asked whether or not he and Godzilla would be allies, Dougherty replied that Rodan is the wildcard and that he thinks his loyalties can sometimes falter.[51]

On March 21, multiple news outlets published articles detailing visits they had made to the film's set back in 2017, revealing several new details about the film such as the names of new Titans, character specifics, and more.[52]

Warner Bros. screened a five-minute clip from the film at WonderCon in Anaheim, California, on April 2; it also played before IMAX screenings of Shazam! on its opening weekend of April 4-7.[53]

On April 12, Toho announced that the rock band [ALEXANDROS] would be performing the theme song "Pray" for the Japanese release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The band's lead vocalist and guitarist, Yohei Kawakami, describes himself as a big Godzilla fan and had previously written an "unofficial" theme song for Shin Godzilla titled "kaiju," which he submitted to Toho in 2016 to no avail. However, Toho contacted the band with an offer to perform the Japanese theme song for Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the winter of 2018. Kawakami describes the song as a "magnificent rock ballad" which was written after the band had viewed a preview of the film. Michael Dougherty approved of the song, saying it "complements the dramatic ending perfectly."[54]

Warner Bros. premiered the third and final trailer on April 23. On May 7, Monarch Sciences updated with detailed information on the film's human characters. On May 9, the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California set up a giant inflatable Godzilla head on its roof, with rubble surrounding him to suggest he was bursting out of the structure. A blue light radiated from Godzilla's mouth at night, mimicking the film's "call to arms" scene. An advance screening was held at the theater the following day.

Staff

A transcript of Godzilla: King of the Monsters' end credits are available on SciFi Japan.

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

Cast

Spoiler.png SPOILER WARNING: This section may contain major plot and/or ending details.
Proceed at your own discretion.

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Kyle Chandler   as   Dr. Mark Russell, former Monarch Senior Anthrozoologist
  • Vera Farmiga   as   Dr. Emma Russell, Monarch Chief Paleobiologist and Director of Bioacoustic Studies
  • Millie Bobby Brown   as   Madison "Maddie" Russell, Mark and Emma's daughter
  • Ken Watanabe   as   Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, Monarch biologist
  • Ziyi Zhang   as   Dr. Ilene Chen, Monarch Senior Mythographer[55][56] / Dr. Ling, Monarch scientist
  • Bradley Whitford   as   Dr. Rick Stanton, Monarch Crypto-sonographer[55][56]
  • Sally Hawkins   as   Dr. Vivienne Graham, Monarch Senior Paleozoologist
  • Charles Dance   as   Col. Alan Jonah, defected British Army Colonel and rogue MI6 agent[52]
  • Thomas Middleditch   as   Dr. Sam Coleman, Monarch Director of Technology[55]
  • Aisha Hinds   as   Col. Diane Foster, Monarch G-Team leader[55]
  • O'Shea Jackson Jr.   as   Chief Warrant Officer Jackson Barnes, Monarch G-Team member[55]
  • David Strathairn   as   Admiral William Stenz
  • Anthony Ramos   as   Staff Sergeant Anthony Martinez, Monarch G-Team member[55][56]
  • Elizabeth Ludlow   as   First Lieutenant Lauren Griffin, Monarch G-Team pilot[55]
  • Jonathan Howard   as   Asher Jonah
  • CCH Pounder   as   Senator Williams
  • Joe Morton   as   Dr. Houston Brooks, retired Monarch geologist
  • Randall P. Havens   as   Dr. Tim Mancini, Monarch entomologist
  • Lyle Brocato   as   Executive Officer Bowman
  • Jimmy Gonzales   as   Commander Crane
  • TC Matherne   as   Master Sergeant Hendricks
  • Kenneth Israel   as   USS Argo Deck Officer Zellner
  • Justice Leak   as   Monarch Officer Martin
  • Al Vicente   as   Isla De Mara Fisherman
  • Rose Bianco   as   Isla De Mara Grandmother
  • Gabriel Silva   as   Isla De Mara Grandson
  • Skylar Denney   as   USS Argo Officer Arvin
  • Kelli Garner   as   USS Argo Officer Cross
  • Tyler Crumley   as   Young Andrew
  • Alexandra Rabe   as   Young Madison
  • Zac Zedalis   as   Sergeant Travis
  • Tracie Garrison   as   Asaj
  • Natalie Shaheen   as   Lieutenant Bottin
  • Jesse O'Neill   as   Corporal Winston
  • Joshua Leary   as   Sergeant Baker
  • Vince Foster   as   G-Team Officer Tippett
  • Shauna Rappold   as   G-Team Officer Harryhausen
  • Fiona Hardingham, Orelon Sidney, Paul Ryden, Laurie Dhue   as   News Anchors
  • Kevin Shinick   as   Weather Man
  • TJ Storm   as   Godzilla (motion capture)
  • Jason Liles   as   King Ghidorah (motion capture, middle head) / Rodan (motion capture)
  • Alan Maxson   as   King Ghidorah (motion capture, right head)
  • Richard Dorton   as   King Ghidorah (motion capture, left head)

Japanese Dub

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

Appearances

Spoiler.png SPOILER WARNING: This section may contain major plot and/or ending details.
Proceed at your own discretion.

Monsters

  • Godzilla (DougheGoji)
  • Mothra
  • Rodan
  • King Ghidorah
  • Methuselah
  • Scylla
  • Behemoth
  • MUTO
    • Six-legged MUTO
    • Winged male MUTO (stock footage)
    • Eight-legged female MUTO (carcass; stock footage)
  • King Kong
  • Baphomet (computer screen)[52]
  • Typhon (computer screen)
  • Abaddon (computer screen)[52][58]
  • Leviathan (computer screen)
  • Sargon (computer screen)[58]
  • Bunyip (computer screen)[52]
  • Mokele-Mbembe (computer screen)
  • Quetzalcoatl (computer screen)

Weapons, Vehicles, Races, and Organizations

Production

Principal photography on Godzilla: King of the Monsters began on June 19, 2017, at Blackhall Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.[59] To aid the actors in reacting to the off-camera monsters, Dougherty used a iPad-controlled speaker system called "The Behemoth" to play their roars.[60] Scenes set in the historic center of Mexico City were shot on location from August 19 to 22. Production wrapped on September 27.

Gallery

Main article: Godzilla: King of the Monsters/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Alternate Titles

  • Godzilla II: King of the Monsters (international title)[61]
  • Godzilla II: King of the Monsters (Godzilla II: Rey de los monstruos; Spain)
  • Godzilla II: The King of the Monsters (Godzilla II: el Rey de los monstruos; Latin America)[62]
  • Godzilla 2: King of Monsters (Годзилла 2: Король монстров Godzilla 2: Korol' monstrov; Russia)
  • Godzilla 2: King of Monsters (Годзила 2: Краљ чудовишта Godzila 2: Kralj čudovišta; Serbia)
  • Godzilla II: King of Monsters (Godzilla II: Rei dos Monstros; Brazil)
  • Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters (哥斯拉2:怪兽之王 Gēsīlā 2: Guàishòu zhī wáng; China)
  • Godzilla II: King of the Monsters (哥吉拉II:怪獸之王 Gējílā II: Guàishòu zhī wáng; Taiwan)
  • Godzilla II: King of the Behemoths (哥斯拉II: 王者巨獸 Go1si1laai1 II: Wong4ze2 geoi6sau3; Hong Kong)
  • Godzilla: King of Monsters (ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ,   Gojira Kingu Obu Monsutāzu, Japan)
  • Godzilla 2 (Early title)
  • Fathom (Working title)

Theatrical Releases

  • United States - May 31, 2019
  • Japan - May 31, 2019
  • Belgium - May 29, 2019
  • France - May 29, 2019
  • United Kingdom - May 29, 2019
  • South Korea - May 29, 2019
  • Sweden - May 29, 2019
  • Australia - May 30, 2019
  • Brazil - May 30, 2019
  • Denmark - May 30, 2019
  • Germany - May 30, 2019
  • Greece - May 30, 2019
  • Serbia - May 30, 2019
  • Hong Kong - May 30, 2019
  • Hungary - May 30, 2019
  • Italy - May 30, 2019
  • Lebanon - May 30, 2019
  • Netherlands - May 30, 2019
  • Philippines - May 30, 2019
  • Portugal - May 30, 2019
  • Russia - May 30, 2019
  • Saudi Arabia - May 30, 2019
  • Singapore - May 30, 2019
  • Slovakia - May 30, 2019
  • Ukraine - May 30, 2019
  • Bulgaria - May 31, 2019
  • Estonia - May 31, 2019
  • India - May 31, 2019
  • Cambodia - May 31, 2019
  • Sri Lanka - May 31, 2019
  • Lithuania - May 31, 2019
  • Norway - May 31, 2019
  • Romania - May 31, 2019
  • Turkey - May 31, 2019
  • Spain - June 21, 2019

Premium Formats

  • RealD 3D (post-converted)
  • IMAX
  • 4DX
  • ScreenX[63]
  • Dolby Vision and Atmos

Japanese Release

Japanese Godzilla: King of the Monsters poster

Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be released theatrically in Japan by Toho, as Godzilla: King of Monsters (ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ,   Gojira Kingu Obu Monsutāzu). Whereas the first entry in the MonsterVerse, Godzilla, was released in Japan over two months after its U.S. release, the sequel will be released in Japan on May 31, the same day it is released in the U.S. A Japanese dub for the film was recorded at Toho Studios, while the rock band [ALEXANDROS] provided a theme song titled "Pray" exclusively for the Japanese-dubbed version of the film. In addition to the dubbed version, the film will also be screened in its original English language with Japanese subtitles. A special early screening event for the film will be held at the Toho Cinema Shinjuku on Monday, May 27, with a blue carpet ceremony featuring many of the film's staff and cast members taking place beforehand.

Videos

Main article: Godzilla: King of the Monsters/Videos.

Trivia

External Links

References

This is a list of references for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Kroll, Justin (20 October 2016). "Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields to Write 'Godzilla 2' for Legendary (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Sciretta, Peter (21 July 2018). "Bear McCreary Will Compose 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Score, Incorporating Classic Themes [Comic-Con 2018]". /Film.
  3. Hood, Cooper (12 September 2018). "Godzilla: King of the Monsters Gets Official MPAA Rating". ScreenRant.
  4. D'Alessandro, Anthony, and Nancy Tartaglione (29 May 2019). "'Godzilla: King Of The Monsters' To Crush 'Aladdin's Lamp With $230M+ Global Bow; 'Rocketman' & 'Ma' To Rock In Counter-Programming Play". Deadline.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "View Title". Australian Classification. 9 April 2019.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Schaefer, Sandy (23 May 2018). "Godzilla 2 & The Shining Sequel Get New Release Dates". Screenrant.
  7. "Warner Bros. Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse Kicks into Gear as the Next Godzilla Feature Gets Underway". Business Wire. 19 June 2017.
  8. Busch, Anita (18 May 2014). "'Godzilla' Sequel In The Works At Warner Bros. & Legendary". Deadline.
  9. Nemiroff, Perri (12 March 2014). "Gareth Edwards Talks GODZILLA, Godzilla's Origins, Making Him a Character with Layers, Hints at Additional Monsters, And More". Collider.
  10. Julian, Mark (25 July 2013). "GODZILLA Director Game For 'DESTROY ALL MONSTERS' Type Sequel". Comic Book Movie.
  11. @Legendary on Twitter: "It's the news you've been waiting for. Monarch confirm Godzilla is not alone. Rodan! Mothra! King Ghidorah! #LegendarySDCC #SDCC"
  12. Goldberg, Matt (26 July 2014). "GODZILLA 2 Announced at Comic-Con; Will Feature Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah". Collider.
  13. Barton, Steve (9 July 2015). "#SDCC15: Godzilla Sequel Promises to Deliver More Godzilla!". Dread Central.
  14. Trumbore, Dave (10 August 2015). "Godzilla 2: Expect a "Bigger" and "Better" Sequel from Screenwriter Max Borenstein". Collider.
  15. "LEGENDARY AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES ANNOUNCE CINEMATIC FRANCHISE UNITING GODZILLA, KING KONG AND OTHER ICONIC GIANT MONSTERS". Legendary. 14 October 2015.
  16. Geier, Thom (10 May 2016). "'Godzilla 2,' 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Stomp Out New Release Dates". The Wrap.
  17. Fleming Jr, Mike. "Director Gareth Edwards Exits 'Godzilla 2'". Deadline.
  18. Galuppo, Mia (17 October 2016). "Wanda Unveils Plans for $8 Billion 'Movie Metropolis,' Reveals Details About Film Incentives". Hollywood Reporter.
  19. Evry, Max (14 December 2016). "Godzilla Sequel and Pacific Rim Sequel Titles Revealed". SuperHeroHype.
  20. Kroll, Justin (23 January 2017). "'Godzilla 2' Finds Director in Michael Dougherty". Variety.
  21. Kit, Borys (27 January 2017). "'Stranger Things' Breakout Millie Bobby Brown Set to Star in 'Godzilla' Sequel (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter.
  22. Kroll, Justin (21 February 2017). "Kyle Chandler to Co-Star as Millie Bobby Brown's Dad in 'Godzilla' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  23. Kroll, Juston (27 February 2017). "Vera Farmiga to Star as Millie Bobby Brown's Mom in 'Godzilla' Sequel". Variety.
  24. Kroll, Justin (27 March 2017). "'Straight Outta Compton' Star O'Shea Jackson Jr. Eyes 'Godzilla' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  25. Production Weekly #1036. 30 March 2017. External link in |title= (help)
  26. N'Duka, Amanda (18 April 2017). "'Underground's Aisha Hinds Boards 'Godzilla: King Of The Monsters'". Deadline.
  27. N'Duka, Amanda (1 May 2017). "Anthony Ramos Books 'A Star Is Born' & 'Godzilla' Sequel". Deadline.
  28. N'Duka, Amanda (18 May 2017). "Charles Dance & Sally Hawkins Join 'Godzilla: King Of The Monsters'". Deadline.
  29. ZDoughterytwitter.png
  30. 5454545.png
  31. Dougherty Twitter 3.JPG
  32. Kroll, Justin (31 May 2017). "'Silicon Valley' Star Thomas Middleditch Joins 'Godzilla' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  33. Kroll, Justin (2 June 2017). "Bradley Whitford Joins 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters'". Variety.
  34. Sneider, Jeff (8 June 2017). "ZHANG ZIYI JOINS "GODZILLA" SEQUEL AND LEGENDARY'S MONSTERVERSE AS KEY MONARCH FIGURE". The Tracking Board.
  35. N'Duka, Amanda (10 July 2017). "'Godzilla: King Of The Monsters' Adds Elizabeth Ludlow; Kevin Chapman Cast In 'Slender Man'". Deadline.
  36. @kongskullisland on Twitter: "Every great organization has a beginning. Follow the timeline to learn about the history of Monarch. #KongSkullIsland"
  37. @kongskullisland on Twitter: "1973: Monarch launches its first expedition to the mythical “Skull Island.” #KongSkullIsland"
  38. @kongskullisland on Twitter: "1991: A covert Monarch team establishes a quarantine zone around a dormant volcano in Isle de Mona. #KongSkullIsland"
  39. Kong: Skull Island on Facebook: "2016: An extraordinary superspecies is discovered beneath the Antarctic ice. #KongSkullIsland"
  40. ‘Rampage’ Breakout Star Jason Liles Joins ‘Godzilla: King of Monsters’ (Exclusive) - TheWrap
  41. White, James (26 April 2018). "Rampage's Jason Liles Playing King Ghidorah In Godzilla: King Of Monsters". Empire.
  42. Mike Dougherty on Twitter: "Yes."
  43. Wakeman, Gregory (10 July 2018). "Vera Farmiga talks us through her 'Godzilla: King Of The Monsters' character". Metro US.
  44. Collis, Clark (12 July 2018). "Godzilla unleashes 'atomic breath' in Godzilla: King of the Monsters first look". Entertainment Weekly.
  45. [MONARCH] on Twitter: "Monarch’s primary mission is to ensure the survival of humanity in the shadow of the ancient monsters threatening our world. And we need YOUR help."
  46. Alex Maxson on Twitter: "I'm very excited to be part of this team and working with @coolwatersprods! I'll being seeing all you G-Fans at many conventions and events this year! #Godzilla #Kingghidorah #ghidorah #monsterverse #Coolwatersprodcutions"
  47. GODZILLA 2 Movie tie-in - Amazon
  48. George Tew on Twitter: "Very excited to head to @comicconla on 10/27 with my fellow monster wranglers to discuss what we have in store for the big guy in 2019! #Godzilla 🦖"
  49. Dougherty Confirms Ghidorah's Iconic Sounds.jpg
  50. Travis, Ben; Jolin, Dan (20 March 2019). "Rodan Is Like A 'Massive A-Bomb' In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters – Exclusive Image". Empire.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  51. Chris Mirjahangir (21 March 2019). "Visiting the Set of Godzilla: King of the Monsters - Toho Kingdom". Toho Kingdom.
  52. 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 52.4 Walkuski, Eric (21 March 2019). "Set Visit: Everything we learned from the Godzilla: King of the Monsters set". JoBlo.
  53. Domanico, Michael (4 April 2019). "Godzilla: King of the Monsters Extended Sneak Peek to Play Before Shazam!". IGN.
  54. 54.0 54.1 54.2 "ゴジラに"ドロス"![ALEXANDROS]がゴジラ主題歌 愛が実った". Daily. 12 April 2019.
  55. 55.0 55.1 55.2 55.3 55.4 55.5 55.6 "Monarch Sciences".
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 Outlaw, Kofi (23 March 2019). "'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Set Visit: A Bigger, Better Monsterverse Begins". Comicbook.
  57. 57.0 57.1 57.2 "日本語吹替え版キャストに #芦田愛菜 #木村佳乃 #田中圭 が決定✨ 3人は本作で中心となる親子を演じます!! モンスターに負けず劣らずのゴジラ級豪華俳優陣が、愛する人を守るために奮闘する親子の絆をどう演じてくれるのか楽しみです! ちなみに圭さんは吹き替え初挑戦! #キングオブモンスターズ". GodzillaMovieJP. 18 April 2019.
  58. 58.0 58.1 Paul, Zachary (21 March 2019). "Putting the 'God' Back in 'Godzilla': Our Visit to the Set of 'King of the Monsters'". Bloody Disgusting.
  59. "WARNER BROS. PICTURES' AND LEGENDARY PICTURES' MONSTERVERSE KICKS INTO GEAR AS THE NEXT GODZILLA FEATURE GETS UNDERWAY". Warner Bros. 19 June 2017.
  60. Decker, Sean (21 March 2019). "Set Visit: GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS". Dread Central.
  61. Godzilla II King Of The Monsters - Trailer Ufficiale
  62. GODZILLA 2: EL REY DE LOS MONSTRUOS - Trailer 1 - Oficial Warner Bros. Pictures
  63. "GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS To Be Shown in ScreenX Format". SciFi Japan. 1 March 2019.
  64. Sekiguchi Y (2014). Kinema Junpo No. 1666. Kinema Junpo. p. 48. ISBN B006CDA5BI Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help).
  65. Eiga Hiho July 2019 Special. Yosensha. 2019. p. 2. Text "B07RQ3VBFM" ignored (help)

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Legendary
Warner Bros.
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Movie
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