Godzilla vs. Kong: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Film
{{Infobox Film|ratings=yes
|type1      =???
|type1      =???
|type2      =Red
|type2      =Red
|image      =Godzilla vs. Kong poster 1.jpg
|image      =Godzilla vs. Kong poster 1.jpg
|caption    =American Godzilla vs. Kong poster
|caption    =American poster for Godzilla vs. Kong
|name        =''Godzilla vs. Kong''
|name        =''Godzilla vs. Kong''|alt-titles=yes
|dt          =''Godzilla vs. Kong'' (2021)
|dt          =''Godzilla vs. Kong'' (2021)
|producer    =[[Mary Parent]], [[Alex Garcia]],<br>[[Eric McLeod]], [[Brian Rogers]];<br>[[Kenji Okuhira]], [[Yoshimitsu Banno]],<br>[[Jon Jashni]], [[Thomas Tull]] {{small|(executives)}}
|producer    =[[Kenji Okuhira]], [[Yoshimitsu Banno]],<br>[[Jon Jashni]], [[Thomas Tull]], et al.
|director    =[[Adam Wingard]]
|director    =[[Adam Wingard]]
|writer      =[[Eric Pearson]], [[Max Borenstein]] (script);<br>[[Terry Rossio]], [[Michael Dougherty]],<br>[[Zach Shields]] (story)<ref name="WGA">{{cite web|url=https://findawriter.wgaeast.org/project/1159682/godzilla-vs-kong/|title=Godzilla vs. Kong - WGA Directory|date=7 May 2019|work=Writers Guild of America East}}</ref>
|writer      =[[wikipedia:Eric Pearson|Eric Pearson]], [[Max Borenstein]] (script);<br>[[Terry Rossio]], [[Michael Dougherty]],<br>[[Zach Shields]] (story)
|composer    =[[Tom Holkenborg|Junkie XL]]<ref name="FMR">{{cite web|url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2020/06/10/tom-holkenborg-junkie-xl-scoring-adam-wingards-godzilla-vs-kong/|title=Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) Scoring Adam Wingard's 'Godzilla vs. Kong' |date=10 June 2020|work=Film Music Reporter}}</ref>
|composer    =[[Tom Holkenborg]]
|distributor =[[Warner Bros.]], [[Toho]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}
|vfx        =[[John DesJardin|John "DJ" DesJardin]]
|rating      ={{tt|PG-13|Intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language}}<ref name="MPA">{{cite web|url=https://www.filmratings.com/Content/Downloads/cara_rating_bulletin.pdf|title=Bulletin No: 2632 - Motion Pictures Rated by the Classification and Rating Administration|date=3 June 2020|work=FilmRatings.com}}</ref>
|funded      =[[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros. Pictures]],<br>[[Legendary Pictures]]
|budget      =$160<ref name="V">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/legendary-entertainment-warner-bros-hbo-max-deal-dune-godzilla-1234847605/|title='‘Dune’ Producer Legendary Entertainment May Sue Warner Bros. Over HBO Max Deal' |date=7 December 2020|work=Variety}}</ref>-200 million<ref name="March 26">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/godzilla-vs-kong-jumps-up-to-march-in-hbo-max-theatrical-debut-1234675129/|title='Godzilla Vs. Kong' Jumps Up To March In HBO Max & Theatrical Debut|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=15 January 2021|work=Deadline}}</ref>
|produced    =[[Legendary Pictures]]
|gross      =To be added
|distributor =[[Warner Bros.]] (worldwide);<br>[[Legendary Pictures|Legendary East]];{{sup|[[China|CH]]}}<ref name="Legendary distribution">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-godzilla-vs-kong-roars-with-20m-friday|title=China Box Office: 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Roars With $20M+ Friday|author=Brzeski, Patrick|date=26 March 2021|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> [[Toho]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}
|runtime    =To be announced
|rating      ={{tt|PG-13|Intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language}}{{sup|[[United States|US]]}},<ref name="MPA">{{cite web|url=https://www.filmratings.com/Content/Downloads/cara_rating_bulletin.pdf|title=Bulletin No: 2632 - Motion Pictures Rated by the Classification and Rating Administration|date=3 June 2020|work=FilmRatings.com}}</ref> G{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eirin.jp/list/index.php?title=&eirin_no=48835&s_year=2009&s_month=1&e_year=2021&e_month=12&x=40&y=13|title=Rated Films - Godzilla vs. Kong|work=Eirin (Film Classification and Rating Organization)|accessdate=12 June 2021}}</ref>
|budget      =$155<ref name="V">{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Godzilla-vs-Kong-(2020)#tab=summary|title=''The Numbers''|work=The Numbers}}</ref>-200 million<ref name="March 26">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/godzilla-vs-kong-jumps-up-to-march-in-hbo-max-theatrical-debut-1234675129/|title='Godzilla Vs. Kong' Jumps Up To March In HBO Max & Theatrical Debut|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=15 January 2021|work=Deadline}}</ref>
|gross      =$100,916,094 {{small|([[United States|U.S.]])}}<ref name="Box Office Mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5034838/|title=Godzilla vs Kong|work=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=30 March 2021}}</ref><br>$369,200,000 {{Small|(foreign)}}<ref name="Box Office Mojo"/><br>$470,116,094 {{Small|(total)}}<ref name="Box Office Mojo"/>
|runtime    =113 minutes<br>{{small|(1 hour, 53 minutes)}}
|aspectratio =2.39:1
}}
}}
{{Future}}
{{Notice|Not to be confused with ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' or ''[[Godzilla vs. King Kong]]''.}}
{{Spoilers|page}}
{{Quote|One will fall|Tagline}}
{{Quote|One will fall|Tagline}}
'''''Godzilla vs. Kong''''' is an upcoming [[2021]] [[United States|American]] science fiction [[:Category:Kaiju Films|monster film]] produced by [[Legendary Pictures]], and the fourth entry in the [[MonsterVerse]]. It will be released to American theaters on March 26, 2021,<ref name="March 26"/> becoming available to stream via [[HBO Max]] the same day for a period of one month.<ref name="HBO Max same-day">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/warner-bros-2021-movie-slate-hbo-max-matrix-4-dune-in-the-heights-1234649760/|title=Warner Bros Sets Entire 2021 Movie Slate To Debut On HBO Max Along With Cinemas In Seismic Windows Model Shakeup|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=3 December 2020|work=Deadline}}</ref>
{{Quote|[[Earth]]'s greatest ultimate showdown.|par=地球最大の究極対決。|Japanese tagline}}
'''''Godzilla vs. Kong''''' {{Nihongo|ゴジラvsコング|Gojira buiesu Kongu}} is a [[2021]] [[United States|American]] science fiction [[:Category:Kaiju Films|monster film]] directed by [[Adam Wingard]] and written by [[wikipedia:Eric Pearson|Eric Pearson]] and [[Max Borenstein]] from a story by [[Terry Rossio]], [[Michael Dougherty]], and [[Zach Shields]], with visual effects by [[John DesJardin|John "DJ" DesJardin]]. Funded by [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros. Pictures]] and [[Legendary Pictures]] and produced by the latter, it is the fourth Hollywood-produced ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' film and the 36th ''Godzilla'' film overall, as well as the fourth entry in the [[Monsterverse]]. It stars [[Alexander Skarsgård]], [[Millie Bobby Brown]], Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, [[Kyle Chandler]], Demián Bichir, and Kaylee Hottle. The film was released to American theaters by Warner Bros. on March 31, 2021,<ref name="March 31">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/godzilla-vs-kong-release-date-moves-1234889930/|title=‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Release Date Moves Back a Week|author=Rubin, Rebecca|date=26 January 2021|work=Variety}}</ref> becoming available to stream via [[HBO Max]] the same day until April 30.<ref name="HBO Max same-day">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/warner-bros-2021-movie-slate-hbo-max-matrix-4-dune-in-the-heights-1234649760/|title=Warner Bros Sets Entire 2021 Movie Slate To Debut On HBO Max Along With Cinemas In Seismic Windows Model Shakeup|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=3 December 2020|work=Deadline}}</ref> [[Toho]] released it to [[Japan]]ese theaters on July 2.


The second film to pit [[Godzilla]] and [[King Kong]] against each other, ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' will be the culmination of every entry in Legendary and [[Warner Bros.]]' MonsterVerse so far. When [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] and [[King Kong/Legendary|Kong]] engage in a battle for supremacy, [[Monarch]] embarks on a quest to discover the [[Titan]]s' origins while a human conspiracy threatens to wipe out all of the ancient creatures.
The second film to pit [[Godzilla]] and [[King Kong]] against each other, ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is the culmination of every entry in Legendary and [[Warner Bros.]]' Monsterverse before it. Five years after the events of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]] unexpectedly turns against humanity. [[Monarch]] organizes a mission with [[Apex Cybernetics]], a powerful technological company, to lead an expedition with the primate [[Titan]] [[King Kong (Monsterverse)|Kong]] into the [[Hollow Earth]] to retrieve a power source for a weapon capable of stopping Godzilla's rampages. As the two Titans cross paths in a ferocious conflict for supremacy, a smaller group of humans attempts to uncover a conspiracy behind Apex's activities, only to discover the company's ultimate weapon: [[Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)|Mechagodzilla]], a mechanical colossus built to replace Godzilla as the Alpha Titan and end the ancient creatures' reign for good.
 
''Godzilla vs. Kong'' will be followed by ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]'', scheduled for release in American theaters on March 29, [[2024]].
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Description==
==Description==
''Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond.  But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth''.<ref>https://www.godzillavskong.com/?synopsis</ref>
{{Quote|Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. [[King Kong (Monsterverse)|Kong]] and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home and with them is [[Jia]], a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond.  But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]], cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two [[Titan]]s—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the [[Earth]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.godzillavskong.com/?synopsis|title=Synopsis|work=godzillavskong.com|accessdate=26 January 2021}}</ref>}}
==Plot==
The year is [[2024]]. Five years have passed since [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]] defeated [[King Ghidorah (Monsterverse)|King Ghidorah]] and took the title “King of the Monsters.” Somewhere on [[Skull Island]], [[King Kong (Monsterverse)|Kong]] awakens as a flock of [[Leafwing]]s flies overhead. Kong strolls into a nearby lake and stands underneath a waterfall, letting the water run down his body. Kong uproots a tree as the young [[Iwi]] girl [[Jia]] finishes putting together a doll of him. Jia approaches Kong and presents her doll, causing Kong to briefly lean forward to observe. Kong then turns and throws the tree into the sky, where it suddenly collides with a disguised barrier. The sky is merely a projection, part of [[Monarch]] Outpost #236, the Kong Containment unit. The rest of Skull Island is now enveloped in the perpetual raging storm that once surrounded it. Dr. [[Ilene Andrews]], an anthropological linguist, observes Kong while another Monarch member says to her that the Outpost can no longer contain him, as he has grown too large. Andrews dismisses the notion of relocating Kong, as the second he leaves the island Godzilla will undoubtedly come for him, since there cannot be two Alpha [[Titan]]s. Jia approaches Dr. Andrews and signs to her that Kong is angry, and she signs back to Jia to wait in the car for her.
 
In Pensacola, Florida, [[Bernie Hayes]] records an episode of his ''Titan Truth Podcast'', explaining that he is about to obtain incriminating evidence of [[Apex Cybernetics]]’ illicit activities. He exits his car and enters the Pensacola Apex facility, where he works under deep cover as an engineer. Bernie enters the office of another Apex employee, who tells him he is not supposed to be here. Bernie annoys the employee before he finally dismisses himself, allowing Bernie to insert his flash drive into the office’s computer and begin downloading data. Bernie observes unusual shipping manifests which show technology being shipped to Apex headquarters in [[Hong Kong]]. While the download is proceeding, an alarm suddenly sounds alerting the facility of a Titan attack. Godzilla surfaces from the ocean and comes ashore to attack the facility. Bernie begins to evacuate with the other employees, but he slips through a door into a restricted area. On a rooftop, Apex CEO [[Walter Simmons]] and Chief Technology Officer [[Ren Serizawa]] flee the scene in a helicopter. Fighter jets open fire on Godzilla, who swats them aside and fires his atomic breath. Two guards demand to see Bernie’s clearance and aim their guns at him, only for a blast of Godzilla’s atomic breath to burst through the wall and incinerate them. Bernie looks through the ruins and sees a suspicious piece of glowing machinery resembling a gigantic robotic eye nearby. Godzilla then decimates the rest of the facility with his atomic breath.
 
In the aftermath of the attack, public opinion has turned against Godzilla, who is no longer viewed as humanity’s savior. [[Madison Russell]] views a CNN report on the situation in her classroom, then after school heads to Monarch’s relief camp in Pensacola. There, she tries to convince her father, acting Monarch director [[Mark Russell]], that Godzilla is being provoked somehow. However, Mark dismisses his daughter’s belief in the ''Titan Truth Podcast'' and says that creatures, just like people, can change.
 
At the Denham University of Theoretical Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Simmons and Serizawa visit the office of former Monarch geologist Dr. [[Nathan Lind]]. Simmons compliments Lind’s writing on the [[Hollow Earth]], which Lind dismisses by citing the negative reviews of his book. Serizawa presents Lind with a schematic of the Hollow Earth, which shows a tremendous energy signature similar to that possessed by Godzilla. Simmons says that if they can harness this energy, they can develop a weapon capable of competing with Godzilla. Lind says that Hollow Earth exploration is impossible, as the gravity inversion experienced when entering it instantly crushes anyone who dares to venture within. Simmons apologizes for the loss of Lind’s brother David in an earlier failed exploration mission, but he says Apex has developed a vehicle capable of withstanding the harsh gravity inversion and making exploration possible: the [[HEAV|Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle, or HEAV]]. Convinced, Lind tells Simmons he has an idea. He asks the two men if they are familiar with the concept of genetic memory, the idea that Titans are naturally drawn to their place of origin, like spawning salmon or homing pigeons. By this logic, Serizawa deduces, a Titan could show them the way to the energy source.
 
Lind travels to Outpost #236 to meet with Dr. Andrews and proposes that they have Kong lead them into the Hollow Earth. Andrews is again against the idea, saying that Godzilla will come after Kong as soon as he leaves the island. Lind says that Kong obviously cannot stay on the island; they can find him a new home in the Hollow Earth. He tries to convince Andrews, saying that they need to find this energy source in order to stop Godzilla. Finally, Andrews agrees, but on the condition that she is in charge of Kong. Lind agrees ecstatically and kisses Andrews, then apologizes and shakes her hand. He promises that she won’t regret this, but Andrews immediately tells Jia she regrets it.
 
Kong is loaded onto a ship in chains, escorted by a Naval fleet, bound for the Hollow Earth entrance in [[Antarctica]]. Lind heads to the deck to greet Apex executive [[Maia Simmons]], the CEO’s daughter, who says she is here to “babysit” them on this mission. She tells Lind about the HEAVs, which she says are far more advanced than anything else Monarch has flown and have enough power to “light up Las Vegas for a week.” On the bridge, Lind explains the plan. They will bring Kong to Antarctica, after which they will enter the Hollow Earth. He warns that the gravitational inversion will be intense, but if the HEAVs are as good as Apex says they are, they should be able to withstand it. That night, Kong becomes restless and begins pulling at his chains, prompting Jia to come onto the deck and hold out her finger to him. Kong responds by touching his finger to hers. Andrews runs to Jia and signs to her that it is dangerous. Jia responds that Kong is sad and angry. Andrews replies that Kong doesn’t understand they are trying to help him, but Jia signs that Kong doesn’t believe that. When Andrews asks how Jia knows, she replies that Kong told her. To Andrews’ amazement, Kong signs the word “home.”
 
Madison’s friend [[Josh Valentine]]  travels to her house in his brother’s van. Madison immediately gets into the driver’s seat and sets out to find the host of ''Titan Truth Podcast'' and figure out the secrets of Apex. En route, she explains to Josh that she tracked the host down by tracking the purchase of large amounts of bleach, which he uses to shower in order to avoid biological trackers. The two arrive in Chinatown and ask a store clerk about the host’s whereabouts. The clerk is unhelpful until Josh tries to bribe him, after which the clerk says they must mean Bernie. He says he will tell them where Bernie lives if they buy a live fish. The two track down Bernie and come to his door, but he refuses to let them in until Madison reveals her name, with Bernie recognizing her as Mark’s daughter. At a restaurant, the three discuss the situation. Madison says she believes Godzilla was provoked into attacking the Apex facility, and Bernie says he is of the same opinion. He presents her with his flash drive, which he says contains suspicious shipping manifests for cargo headed to Apex HQ in Hong Kong, which is suspicious as the facility was not supposed to be equipped for heavy shipping. Josh asks what is in Bernie’s gun holster, which he reveals to be a flask of whiskey, a keepsake from his late wife Sarah. The three then decide they will break into Apex to figure out what is really happening.
 
In the Tasman Sea, Andrews asks Jia why she didn’t tell her that Kong could communicate with her before, and Jia responds that Kong didn’t want anyone to know. Andrews signs that everyone knows now, then leaves to talk to Lind. Lind remarks that it is incredible that Kong is capable of communication, and Andrews responds that she had tried to establish communication with him before. Though he showed signs of recognition of some basic commands, she had no idea he actually understood sign language. Lind asks if Jia could give commands to Kong, but Andrews says she cannot and is just a child. Lind says they have to try, and that they need Kong to find the energy source. Jia, meanwhile, feels vibrations through the ship and runs to Andrews, warning her that Godzilla is coming.
 
Battleships open fire on Godzilla as he approaches, but do nothing to slow his approach. Fighter jets fire at him, but also fail to harm him before he uses his tail to swat one out of the sky. Godzilla plows through a ship and dives, then swims up underneath Kong’s ship. Kong roars into the sea below, after which Godzilla bursts up from the water and capsizes the ship. As the ship fills with water, Lind releases Kong’s chains, allowing him to fight back. Godzilla and Kong grapple underwater, with Kong breaking free and climbing back aboard the ship as it shifts back to its original position. Godzilla circles around the fleet, and Kong leaps across the fleet onto an aircraft carrier. Kong grabs a fighter jet and throws it at Godzilla as he approaches. Godzilla climbs onto the carrier, only to be greeted by a punch from Kong. Godzilla retaliates with a vicious slap that knocks Kong down, then charges his atomic breath. Missile fire from jets interrupts his charge, allowing Kong to ram Godzilla off of the carrier. Godzilla fires his atomic breath from under the carrier, with Kong leaping off just in time as the carrier explodes. Godzilla grabs Kong in the water, trying to pull him under. Kong kicks himself free and tries to surface, but Godzilla wraps his tail around Kong and drags him deeper and deeper. Andrews tells the commander of the fleet to fire depth charges to disorient Godzilla before Kong drowns, and he gives the order. The attack works, as Kong is able to free himself and pull himself back onto the ship. Lind tells the commander to deactivate all of the fleet’s weapons and engines, in order to “play dead” and make Godzilla think he’s won. Godzilla surfaces and observes the destroyed fleet around him, and is seemingly satisfied before swimming away. Jia waves to Kong from the bridge, signing her thanks to him. Andrews asks what they will do now, since the second they move Godzilla will come back. Lind then asks how Kong deals with heights.


==Development==
Madison, Josh, and Bernie arrive at the ruined Apex facility in Pensacola and infiltrate it. They reach the area where Bernie had earlier seen the strange robotic eye but find it gone. Madison finds an elevator, which the three take to Sub-Level 33. There, they find a tram car and hide inside of it when they hear people approaching. Inside the car they see several [[Skullcrawler]] eggs, prompting Madison to ask what Apex is doing with them. The door to the car closes, and the tram system begins sending the car through an underground tunnel to Hong Kong.
Rumors of a ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' remake began as soon as [[Legendary Pictures]] announced ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' in [[2014]]. On September 10, 2015, ''Deadline'' reported that the project's move from [[Universal Pictures]] to ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' distributor [[Warner Bros.]] was meant to facilitate a rematch between the two monsters.<ref name="Deadline">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/king-kong-godzilla-legendary-monster-movie-warner-bros-1201521004/|title=King Kong On Move To Warner Bros, Presaging Godzilla Monster Matchup|work=Deadline|author=Fleming Jr, Mike|date=10 September 2015}}</ref> ''The Hollywood Reporter'' published its own article on the impending crossover six days later.<ref name="THR">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-gorilla-warfare-s-universal-823715|title=Hollywood Gorilla Warfare: It’s Universal vs. Legendary Over ‘Kong: Skull Island’ (and Who Says "Thank You")|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Masters, Kim|date=16 September 2015}}</ref> On October 14, 2015, Legendary confirmed its intent to launch a [[MonsterVerse|cinematic universe]] featuring both [[Godzilla]] and [[King Kong]], as well as other giant monsters including [[Mothra]], [[Rodan]], and [[King Ghidorah]]. ''Godzilla'' was the first entry in this cinematic universe, later officially dubbed the [[MonsterVerse]], and it was to be followed by ''Kong: Skull Island'' and the ''Godzilla'' sequel ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' before finally culminating with ''Godzilla vs. Kong''.<ref name="Legendary">{{Cite web|url=http://www.legendary.com/legendary-and-warner-bros-pictures-announce-cinematic-franchise-uniting-godzilla-king-kong-and-other-iconic-giant-monsters/|title=LEGENDARY AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES ANNOUNCE CINEMATIC FRANCHISE UNITING GODZILLA, KING KONG AND OTHER ICONIC GIANT MONSTERS|work=Legendary|date=14 October 2015}}</ref> Initially, the release date for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was simply given as [[2020]]. On May 10, 2016, ''The Wrap'' reported that ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' and ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' had been given new release dates of March 22, 2019 and May 29, 2020, respectively.<ref name="Wrap">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/godzilla-2-godzilla-vs-kong-stomp-out-new-release-dates/|title=‘Godzilla 2,’ ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Stomp Out New Release Dates|work=The Wrap|author=Geier, Thom|date=10 May 2016}}</ref>


On March 10, 2017, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that Legendary would be assembling a writers room to come up with the story for the film, comprised of [[Terry Rossio]] (who previously worked on the [[Godzilla (1994 film)|original version]] of [[Godzilla (1998 film)|TriStar's Godzilla film]]), Patrick McKay, J.D. Payne, Lindsey Beer, Cat Vasko, T.S. Nowlin, and J. Michael Straczynski.<ref name="THR2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/kong-skull-island-sequel-plans-godzilla-kong-sets-writers-room-984992|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Film Sets Writers Room (Exclusive)|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Kit, Borys|date=10 March 2017}}</ref> On May 3, Warner Bros. announced that it had moved the release date for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' up a week from May 29, 2020 to May 22.<ref name="UpAWeek">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/godzilla-vs-kong-game-night-tag-scooby-warner-bros-release-date-changes-1202083542/|title=‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’, ‘Game Night’ Among Many Warner Bros. Release Date Changes For 2018 & Beyond – Update|work=Deadline|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=3 May 2017}}</ref> [[Adam Wingard]] finalized a deal to become the film's director on May 30.<ref name="Wingard">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/godzilla-kong-finds-director-adam-wingard-1008773|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Finds Its Director With Adam Wingard (Exclusive)|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Kit, Borys|date=30 May 2017}}</ref> In an interview with ''ScreenCrush'' on August 18, he described ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' as a "massive monster brawl movie." He said the film would contain "lots of monsters going crazy on each other" but also stated "at the end of the day I want there to be an emotional drive to it."<ref name="ScreenCrush">{{Cite web|url=http://screencrush.com/adam-wingard-godzilla-vs-kong-emotional/|title=ADAM WINGARD SAYS ‘GODZILLA VS. KONG’ WILL BE MORE EMOTIONAL THAN THE AVERAGE MONSTER MOVIE|work=ScreenCrush|author=Whitney, E. Oliver|date=18 August 2017}}</ref>
A fleet of helicopters and [[Osprey]]s carries Kong in a net to Antarctica and sets him down near the entry point to the Hollow Earth. Kong investigates the unfamiliar snow around him, then turns to see Jia standing on a nearby platform. She signs to Kong that his home is through the entrance, but Kong does not go through. Lind asks Andrews if Kong will go if he thinks there are others like him through there. Andrews tells Jia to tell Kong his family might be through there, and she obliges. Kong immediately charges through the entry point, and the expedition members pursue him in three HEAVs. Kong swings along the ceiling of the tunnel before falling into a pit, with the HEAVs hot on his tail. After passing through a vortex, they find themselves within the Hollow Earth. Kong runs across the landscape with the HEAVs behind him, before a [[Warbat]] flies past and destroys one. Before the Warbat can destroy another HEAV, Kong grabs the Titan’s tail and slams the beast onto the ground, with a rock impaling its head and killing it. A second Warbat flies at Kong, who swings the dead Warbat into it. The second Warbat recovers and constricts its body around Kong, then tries to smother him with its wing. Lind’s HEAV fires missiles at the Warbat, causing it to release Kong. Kong punches the Warbat to the ground and pounds it with his fists until it goes limp, then tears off its head and eats the contents of its skull. Kong resumes running across the landscape until he comes to a cliff near a number of floating rocks. Kong jumps off the cliff and floats across to another surface.


On June 1, ''That Hashtag Show'' revealed that ''[[wikipedia:Deadpool 2|Deadpool 2]]'' star Julian Dennison had been cast in the film in a supporting role, while [[Millie Bobby Brown]] and [[Kyle Chandler]] would both be reprising their roles from ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. The article also reported that Legendary had offered Frances McDormand a starring role in the film.<ref name="THS">{{Cite web|url=http://thathashtagshow.com/2018/06/exclusive-deadpool-2-julian-dennison-joins-godzilla-vs-kong/|title=Exclusive: ‘DEADPOOL 2’s’ Julian Dennison Joins ‘GODZILLA VS KONG’|work=That Hashtag Show|date=1 June 2018}}</ref> The following day, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' confirmed this report, save for the talks with McDormand, adding that [[Zhang Ziyi]] would be reprising her role from ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' as well, and that Van Marten would be joining the film's cast.<ref name="THR3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/deadpool-2-star-julian-dennison-joins-godzilla-kong-1116661|title='Deadpool 2' Star Julian Dennison Joins 'Godzilla vs. Kong'|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Perez, Lexy|date=2 June 2018}}</ref> After ''That Hashtag Show'' claimed McDormand had been cast in July, her representatives denied her involvement.<ref name="ScreenRant">{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-vs-kong-frances-mcdormand-cast/|title=Frances McDormand Is NOT In Godzilla vs. Kong [Updated]|work=Screen Rant|author=Teti, Julia|date=2 July 2018}}</ref> ''That Hashtag Show'' later clarified in a retraction that McDormand was never in negotiations for a role and had passed on the film.<ref name="Retraction">{{Cite web|url=http://thathashtagshow.com/2018/07/02/exclusive-oscar-winner-frances-mcdormand-joins-godzilla-sequel/|title=[UPDATED WITH RETRACTION] EXCLUSIVE: Oscar Winner Frances McDormand Joins ‘GODZILLA’ Sequel|work=That Hashtag Show|date=2 July 2018}}</ref>
The tram car arrives in Hong Kong, and Madison and the others disembark. They find themselves inside a huge dark chamber. As they walk through the chamber, Walter Simmons gives the order for a "demonstration" to begin. A massive [[mecha]] bearing Godzilla's frame is lifted into the chamber, while in another room Serizawa places a device on his head and activates a neural interface. The machine begins to move, with Bernie calling it "Robo-Godzilla," only for Josh to correct him by calling it "[[Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)|Mechagodzilla]]." Simmons orders "Number 10" to be released into the chamber, after which a giant Skullcrawler is unleashed. The beast gives chase after Madison and the others, but Mechagodzilla grabs it and holds it outward by its arms. The Skullcrawler flails its head violently, but to no avail. Under the control of Serizawa, Mechagodzilla fires its Proton Scream and cleaves the Skullcrawler in half with it, then powers down. Serizawa reports that Mechagodzilla reached 40% of its power, with Simmons saying they will soon no longer need to worry about power when his daughter recovers the energy source from the Hollow Earth. Madison realizes that Mechagodzilla is the reason Godzilla attacked Pensacola; Apex is trying to replace him. Detecting Mechagodzilla's activation, Godzilla begins swimming directly for Hong Kong.


Further casting announcements followed as the film neared the start of production: Brian Tyree Henry on October 10,<ref name="Tyree">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/brian-tyree-henry-godzilla-vs-kong-millie-bobby-brown-1202976259/amp/|title=Brian Tyree Henry to Co-Star With Millie Bobby Brown in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=10 October 2018}}</ref> Demián Bichir on October 17,<ref name="Bichir">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/demi-n-bichir-joining-millie-bobby-brown-godzilla-kong-1153121|title=Demián Bichir Joining Millie Bobby Brown in 'Godzilla vs. Kong'|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Kit, Borys|date=17 October 2018}}</ref> Alexander Skarsgård on October 25,<ref name="Skarsgard">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/alexander-skarsgard-godzilla-vs-kong-1202994303/|title=Alexander Skarsgard Joins ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=25 October 2018}}</ref> Eiza González<ref name="Gonzalez">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/eiza-gonzalez-godzilla-vs-king-kong-alexander-skarsgard-1202492406/|title=Eiza Gonzalez Joins Adam Wingard’s ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’|work=Deadline|author=Fleming Jr, Mike|date=30 October 2018}}</ref> and Rebecca Hall on October 30,<ref name="Hall">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/rebecca-hall-godzilla-vs-kong-1203014950/|title=Rebecca Hall to Star Opposite Millie Bobby Brown in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=30 October 2018}}</ref> Jessica Henwick on November 8,<ref name="Henwick">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/jessica-henwick-godzilla-vs-kong-game-of-thrones-1203024081/|title=‘Game of Thrones’ Actress Jessica Henwick Joins ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=8 November 2018}}</ref> Shun Oguri on November 11,<ref name="Oguri">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/shun-oguri-godzilla-vs-kong-japanese-star-crows-zero-alexander-skarsgard-1202499759/|title=Japanese Star Shun Oguri Makes Hollywood Debut In ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’|work=Deadline|author=Fleming Jr, Mike|date=11 November 2018}}</ref> and Lance Reddick on November 14.<ref name="Reddick">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/bosch-lance-reddick-godzilla-vs-kong-1202502022/|title=‘Bosch’ Actor Lance Reddick Cast In ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’|work=Deadline|author=N'Duka, Amanda|date=14 November 2018}}</ref> In a SiriusXM interview on November 5, Skarsgård described his character as "not an alpha, bad-ass hero, which I thought was quite interesting. He is thrown into this very dangerous situation and is definitely not equipped for it and that makes it a bit more interesting in my opinion than had he been a bad-ass dude. He’s just a tiny, tiny human trying to survive between these two behemoths."<ref name="ET">{{cite web|url=https://etcanada.com/news/383733/alexander-skarsgard-spills-details-about-his-role-in-godzilla-vs-king-kong/|title=Alexander Skarsgard Spills Details About His Role In ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’|author=Furdyk, Brent|work=Entertainment Tonight Canada|date=5 November 2018}}</ref>
Kong continues moving through the Hollow Earth before coming upon a huge stone temple. Recognizing the handprint of his species, Kong places his hand over it and pushes open a door into the temple. Kong roars into the massive chamber, but his roar echoes unanswered. Kong begins walking through the temple and finds a gigantic [[Kong's battle axe|axe]] embedded in the skull of a fallen Titan. Kong pulls out the axe and wields it, beating his chest and roaring triumphantly. Kong then sits upon a giant throne.


On February 21, 2019, Warner Bros. moved up the release date of the film to March 13 to avoid competition with the ninth entry in the ''The Fast and the Furious'' franchise.<ref name="Release Date">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/space-jam-2-release-date-godzilla-vs-kong-annabelle-sequel-warner-bros-1202562428/|title=Warner Bros Titles ‘Annabelle’ Sequel, Dates ‘Space Jam 2’, Shifts ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ – Update|work=Deadline|author=Pedersen, Erik|date=15 March 2019}}</ref>
While trying to find an exit to the Apex facility in Hong Kong, Madison and the others are horrified as they come upon a room housing Ghidorah’s skull, which has been turned into a biological supercomputer used to control Mechagodzilla. Serizawa sits inside of the skull, in some kind of trance. Meanwhile, Godzilla arrives in Hong Kong and makes his way into the heart of the city before charging and firing his atomic breath directly at the ground.


On May 30, the day before the international theatrical release of ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'', an advertisement for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was shown at Licensing Expo 2019, featuring artwork of the two titular monsters battling with the tagline "One will fall." While promoting ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' in China, Millie Bobby Brown discussed her role as Madison in ''Godzilla vs. Kong'', explaining that as Godzilla and Kong come to blows with one another, she goes on a journey to decide which of them she will ultimately side with.<ref name="Madison's Role">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amianlcDFXU|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Cast Tidbits, Madison Russell's Stance On GDZ and Kong - YouTube|author=Gormaru Island|work=YouTube|date=5 November 2019}}</ref> On June 17, Warner Bros. presented footage from ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' along with its other major upcoming films to European exhibitors at CineEurope. ''Deadline'' reported that ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was set to release internationally on March 11, 2020, two days before its American debut, despite earlier comments from WB Chairman Toby Emmerich suggesting the possibility that the film could be delayed.<ref name="CineEurpoe">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/06/warner-bros-godzilla-vs-kong-it2-joker-wonder-woman-lionsgate-rian-johnson-knives-out-studiocanal-cineeurope-1202633778/|title=Warner Bros Teases ‘Joker’, ‘Birds Of Prey’, ‘Godzilla Vs Kong’; Studiocanal Goes ‘Radioactive’ – CineEurope|author=Tartaglione, Nancy|work=Deadline|date=17 June 2019}}</ref>
In the Hollow Earth, everyone disembarks from the HEAVs. Maia asks where the energy source is, just before Kong’s axe begins to glow blue. Kong sees a depression in the ground in the shape of his axe, and places it into it next to several other axes. This causes the floor to glow and pulse with energy, forming a design resembling Godzilla and revealing the sought-after energy source. Apex releases a drone to harvest the energy, but Andrews protests, saying Apex cannot simply take the find of the millennium. Maia says they can do whatever they want and has her men aim their guns at the Monarch members, causing the angered Kong to roar at the guards in their defense. The drone sends the data to Apex HQ, allowing the energy signature to be copied. Simmons excitedly tells Serizawa to prepare himself to pilot Mechagodzilla, but Serizawa warns that the upgrade is untested and that they can’t be sure what effect the energy will have on the mecha. Simmons dismisses these concerns and tells Serizawa to activate the mecha. When the temple begins to shake, the [[Hellhawk]]s roosting on the ceiling become active and attack the humans. Maia and her guards enter a HEAV and try to escape, while Kong and Monarch deal with the attacking Hellhawks. Lind, Andrews, and Jia rush to the other HEAV, but they are confronted by a Hellhawk. Lind throws a rock at it, but it only serves to aggravate the beast. Godzilla's atomic breath breaches the temple, sending the Hellhawk flying and allowing the three to reach the HEAV. Maia orders her HEAV to fire at Kong as it tries to escape, but Kong catches it and crushes it in his hand. Witnessing the temple collapsing, Kong, now greatly angered by Godzilla’s actions, grabbed his axe and leaps through the hole created by Godzilla’s atomic breath, then begins climbing to Hong Kong.


On November 25, 2019, ''Variety'' reported that the release date for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' had been pushed back eight months to November 20, 2020.<ref name="November 2020">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/godzilla-vs-kong-release-date-pushed-back-to-november-2020-1203416119/ |title=‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Release Date Pushed Back to November 2020 |author=Rubin, Rebecca |date=25 November 2019 |work=Variety}}</ref> A short clip from the film, showing Kong throwing a punch at Godzilla, played before the [[Warner Bros.]] presentation at Comic Con Experience in Brazil on December 8, 2019.<ref name="Blend">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2486314/whoa-kong-punches-godzilla-in-super-brief-but-badass-godzilla-vs-kong-footage|title=Whoa, Kong Punches Godzilla In Super-Brief But Badass Godzilla Vs. Kong Footage|author=Carbone, Gina|work=CinemaBlend|date=9 December 2019}}</ref>
Madison and the others continue infiltrating Apex headquarters, but are caught by security. Kong surfaces in Hong Kong and exchanges roars with Godzilla. The two Titans begin fighting, with Kong trying to hit Godzilla with his axe. The axe gets stuck in a building, and Kong resorts to trying to physically fight the larger Godzilla. Godzilla tries to fire his atomic breath but is stopped by Kong. Godzilla frees himself from Kong’s grip; Kong retaliates by striking him in the head. Kong kicks Godzilla to the ground, after which he tries to fire his atomic breath again. Kong shoves the handle of the axe down Godzilla’s throat, stopping the blast. Godzilla fires again, but Kong uses the axe to block it. Godzilla tackles Kong, who embeds his axe into Godzilla's leg. Godzilla retaliates by throwing Kong into the water, then pulls the axe out of his leg with his jaws. Godzilla fires his atomic breath, with Kong running through the city to avoid it. One blast strikes Kong in the back, burning him and knocking him down. Kong gets back up, only for Godzilla to fire his atomic breath again and forcing Kong to dodge it again. Kong climbs a skyscraper, which Godzilla knocks over with his atomic breath. The surviving HEAV travels through the crater into Hong Kong, narrowly weaving between the two battling Titans. Kong tears off a radio dish from a surrounding skyscraper to utilize as a makeshift shield against the beam. Closing the distance, Kong grabs his axe again and climbs onto a building, then leaps off at Godzilla who fires his atomic breath. Kong blocks the blast with the axe and strikes Godzilla, creating an explosion that knocks both monsters back. The axe loses its charge as Lind declares that it appears Kong won the second round.


On January 7, 2020, photographs from a toy expo surfaced online showing figures for ''Godzilla vs. Kong''. These included multiple figures of Godzilla and Kong, including a figure of Godzilla wearing what appeared to be battle armor labeled "Mega Godzilla" and Kong wielding an axe. Other figures included a [[Skullcrawler]] and a new Titan later identified as [[Warbat]]. Most noteworthy were several figures of what appeared to be a new incarnation of [[Mechagodzilla]].
Back inside Apex HQ, Madison and the others are brought before Simmons, who recognizes Madison. Madison accuses Simmons of causing all of this, but Simmons says he is proud of having created a weapon to stand up to Godzilla. Kong and Godzilla get back to their feet, with Godzilla hunting for Kong. Kong throws a crane to distract Godzilla, then leaps at him. The Titans exchange blows again, before a furious Godzilla bites down on Kong's hand and throws him into a building, dislocating his shoulder. Godzilla drops onto all fours and aggressively pursues Kong, who kicks at Godzilla’s face as he tries to crawl away. Godzilla pounces onto Kong and claws into his chest repeatedly, then stomps on his chest twice. Kong weakly tries to pull Godzilla’s foot off of him, but to no avail. Godzilla roars angrily in Kong’s face, who answers him with a roar of his own. Godzilla takes his foot off of Kong and begins to walk away, while Kong tries to get back to his feet. However, Kong is too badly hurt and passes out.


On January 17, Adam Wingard posted on his Instagram that ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was in the closing stages of editorial and only a few months away from completion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/amp/godzilla-vs-kong-production-update-finish-line/|title=Godzilla Vs. Kong Is in the Home Stretch, Director Calls It the Thrill of a Lifetime|author=Scott, Ryan|work=MovieWeb|date=17 January 2020}}</ref>
As Mechagodzilla is activated with the new energy source, Simmons brags that his mecha is now Godzilla's superior. However, something goes wrong as Serizawa is disconnected from the mecha, which becomes possessed by Ghidorah's consciousness instead. The rogue Mechagodzilla punches into the control room and kills Simmons, after which an electrical shock kills Serizawa. Mechagodzilla frees itself from underneath Victoria Peak Mountain with its Proton Scream, then begins rampaging through the city. Godzilla sees his mechanical duplicate and roars before charging at it. Mechagodzilla fires a barrage of missiles at Godzilla, then uses its jet boosters to outmaneuver Godzilla and lands several vicious hits on him. Madison and the others see this taking place, and Josh tries to hack into Mechagodzilla’s control system to stop it. The HEAV lands near the fallen Kong, with the occupants witnessing the battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. Jia feels Kong’s heartbeat slowing and relays this information to the others. Andrews says they can’t produce a charge big enough to restart Kong’s heart, but Lind remembers what Maia said about the HEAVs producing a charge big enough to power Las Vegas for a week. Godzilla and Mechagodzilla engage in a [[Beam-Fight|beam lock]] which Mechagodzilla wins, blasting Godzilla to the ground and badly burning his chest. Lind flies the HEAV onto Kong's chest and sets it to self-destruct. He quickly exits the craft and runs away from it before it explodes. Kong is instantly revived and looks at Jia, who signs to him that Godzilla is not the enemy. Kong roars in anger, but Jia signs to him that Mechagodzilla is the real enemy. Kong watches Godzilla fighting Mechagodzilla and seems to accept this, then pops his shoulder back into place by slamming it into a nearby building.


On May 20, Legendary Comics held a digital WonderCon panel discussing the upcoming graphic novel tie-ins for the film. The panel revealed the authors and illustrators behind the [[GvK: Kingdom Kong|Kong-]] and [[GvK: Godzilla Dominion|Godzilla-centric graphic novels]], as well as ''[[The Art of Godzilla vs. Kong]]'' and a [[Kong-centric Godzilla vs. Kong picture book|Kong-centric ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' picture book]]. Images from the graphic novels were shown as well. On June 10, Film Music Reporter announced that [[Tom Holkenborg]], better known by the stage name Junkie XL, would be scoring the film.<ref name="FMR"/> On June 12, ''Deadline'' announced that ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' would be delayed to May 21, 2021.<ref name="Deadline Delay">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/matrix-4-godzilla-vs-king-release-date-changes-1202958388/|title=‘Matrix 4’ Moves To 2022, ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Stomps To 2021 & More: Warner Bros. Release Date Change Friday|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=12 June 2020|work=Deadline}}</ref>
Mechagodzilla continues badly beating Godzilla, then grabs him by the mouth and begins prying his jaws apart. Just before Mechagodzilla can fire its Proton Scream down Godzilla's throat, Kong leaps onto its back and pulls its head back, causing it to fire into the sky. Godzilla sees this and gets back up, grabbing Mechagodzilla’s arm as Kong grabs the other arm. Both Titans then pull the mecha through a building to the ground. Mechagodzilla gets back up and grapples with Godzilla and Kong. Mechagodzilla is still too powerful and knocks both Titans aside. Kong sees his axe and grabs it, then begins swinging it at Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla pins Kong against a building and begins spinning the blades at the end of its tail, trying to shove them into Kong’s face. Josh is unable to hack into Mechagodzilla's control panel, which locks him out. With all hope seemingly lost, Bernie pulls out his flask and suggests they have one last drink. This gives Josh an idea, and he grabs the flask and pours it all over the control panel. This causes it to spark and explode, making Mechagodzilla momentarily stall. Using this opportunity, Godzilla fires his atomic breath at Kong's axe, charging it. Kong swings his axe and slices off the end of Mechagodzilla's tail, freeing himself, then continues to swing it until he hacks off its arm. Kong then cuts off the mecha's other arm, then its leg. Mechagodzilla falls to the ground and begins charging one last Proton Scream before Kong strikes it in the neck, then leaps onto it and tears off its head. Kong holds up Mechagodzilla's severed head and roars triumphantly, ending the terror of Mechagodzilla. Exhausted, Kong then slumps down.


On November 25, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' revealed that WarnerMedia and [[Warner Bros.]] were in talks to release ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' on [[HBO Max]] the same day it would open in theaters, echoing plans for ''Wonder Woman 1984'', after the former blocked a $200 million-plus offer from [[Netflix]].<ref name="THR HBOMax">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/godzilla-vs-kong-likely-the-latest-tentpole-to-go-to-a-streamer-exclusive|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Likely the Latest Tentpole to Go to a Streamer (Exclusive)|author=Kim Masters and Borys Kit|date=25 November 2020|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Warner made these plans official on December 3, unveiling a new ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' banner in its announcement video.<ref name="HBO Max same-day"/> The film will only be available on the service for one month after its theatrical premiere. Two shots of Godzilla and Kong were included in a Warner Bros. sizzle reel shown at Comic Con Experience on December 6. The following day, it was reported that Legendary may take legal action against Warner Bros. over its plans to place the film on HBO Max, as the studio was largely kept out of the loop of this plan and supplied a sizeable portion of its $160 million budget.<ref name="V"/>
Andrews finds Lind among the ruins of Hong Kong and helps him through the rubble. Madison runs through the streets and finds her father, and the two share an embrace. Josh tells Mark that the whole thing was Madison’s idea, and Mark simply tells him to "shut up." Madison introduces Mark to Bernie, who says it's a pleasure to meet him and asks if he can invite him on his podcast sometime. Lind, Andrews, and Jia sit together, exhausted, among the rubble. Godzilla then roars loudly, drawing everyone's attention. Kong grabs his axe again and approaches Godzilla, and the two Titans stare each other down, with Godzilla displaying no hostile intentions towards Kong. Kong hesitates and then drops his axe. The two Titans briefly acknowledge each other, after which Godzilla roars at him before turning around and returning to the sea peacefully.


On January 15, 2021, ''Deadline'' reported that ''Godzilla vs. Kong''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s release date would be moving up almost two months to March 26.
Inside the Hollow Earth, Lind, Andrews, and Jia watch Kong from an observation post as he goes on his morning walk. Kong signs the word "home" to Jia, who smiles back at him. Kong then swings onto a cliff and pounds his chest triumphantly.
==Production==
Principal photography on ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' began on November 12, 2018 in [[Hawaii]], under the title ''Apex''.<ref name="LegendaryTwitter">[https://twitter.com/Legendary/status/1062081119661617152 @Legendary on Twitter: "Legends will collide. Production has officially begun on Godzilla vs. Kong. In theaters everywhere Summer 2020. #Godzilla"]</ref> The production wrapped in Hawaii on December 20 and resumed at Village Roadshow Studios in [[wikipedia:Oxenford, Queensland|Oxenford]], [[Australia]], in the third week of January.<ref name="Brisbane Times">{{Cite web|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/godzilla-vs-kong-begins-filming-on-the-gold-coast-20190118-p50s6d.html|title=Godzilla vs. Kong begins filming on the Gold Coast|work=Brisbane Times|author=Caldwell, Felicity|date=18 January 2019}}</ref> Outdoor shoots took place at various [[wikipedia:Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] locations, wrapping in early April.<ref name="Brisbane Times start">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119224354/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/godzilla-vs-kong-begins-filming-on-the-gold-coast-20190118-p50s6d.html|title=Godzilla vs. Kong begins filming on the Gold Coast|author=Caldwell, Felicity|date=18 January 2019|work=Brisbane Times|accessdate=16 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="CinemaBlend wrap">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2470013/Godzilla-Vs-Kong-Has-Wrapped-In-Australia-According-To-The-Director|title=Godzilla Vs. Kong Has Wrapped In Australia|author=Libbey, Dirk|date=9 April 2019|work=CinemaBlend}}</ref> Several days of reshoots were conducted afterwards.<ref name="Eiza 3-16-20">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/bloodshot-star-eiza-gonzalez-her-catwoman-heartbreak-1284918?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social|title='Bloodshot' Star Eiza Gonzalez on Her Loyalty to Vin Diesel and Catwoman Heartbreak|author=Davids, Brian|date=16 March 2020|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>
==Marketing==
''Godzilla vs. Kong'' will have an unusually short marketing period for a Hollywood blockbuster, owing to multiple release date changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 21, [[Legendary Pictures]] unveiled the first poster for the film, showing Godzilla swimming towards Kong in [[Hong Kong]], and announced that the trailer would be released on Sunday, January 24.<ref name="TWT Poster">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Legendary/status/1352301955935191041|title=TRAILER SUNDAY. #GodzillaVsKong|author=@Legendary|date=21 January 2021|work=Twitter}}</ref> They also launched Twitter and Instagram accounts specifically for the film. MonarchSciences.com, originally launched to market ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', came back online with a warning: "TITANUS GOJIRA AND TITANUS KONG ON COLLISION COURSE."
==Staff==
==Staff==
{{Staffs
{{Staffs
|Directed by|[[Adam Wingard]]
|Directed by|[[Adam Wingard]]
|Screenplay by|[[Eric Pearson]], [[Max Borenstein]]<ref name="WGA"/>
|Screenplay by|[[wikipedia:Eric Pearson|Eric Pearson]], [[Max Borenstein]]
|Story by|[[Terry Rossio]], [[Michael Dougherty]], [[Zach Shields]]<ref name="WGA"/>
|Story by|[[Terry Rossio]], [[Michael Dougherty]], [[Zach Shields]]
|Executive producers|[[Kenji Okuhira]], [[Yoshimitsu Banno]], [[Jon Jashni]], [[Thomas Tull]]
|Produced by|[[Mary Parent]], [[Alex Garcia]], [[Eric McLeod]], [[Brian Rogers]]
|Produced by|[[Mary Parent]], [[Alex Garcia]], [[Eric McLeod]], [[Brian Rogers]]
|Executive producers|[[Kenji Okuhira]], [[Yoshimitsu Banno]], [[Jon Jashni]], [[Thomas Tull]]
|Co-producers|Jen Conroy, Tamara Watts Kent, Richard Mirisch, Matt Allsopp
|Music by|[[Tom Holkenborg|Junkie XL]]
|Music by|[[Tom Holkenborg]]
*Japanese theme song "[[INTO THE DEEP]]"
|*Performed by|MAN WITH A MISSION
|*Written and composed by|Jean-Ken Johnny
|*Arranged by|MAN WITH A MISSION, Jean-Ken Johnny
|Cinematography by|Ben Seresin
|Cinematography by|Ben Seresin
|Edited by|Josh Schaeffer  
|Edited by|Josh Schaeffer  
|Production design by|Owen Patterson, Tom Hammock
|Production design by|Owen Patterson, Tom Hammock
|Assistant directors|Ashley Douglass, Nick Satriano
|First assistant director|Nick Satriano
|Visual effects supervisor|John "DJ" DesJardin
|Visual effects supervisor|[[John DesJardin|John "DJ" DesJardin]]
|Sound design by|[[Jason W. Jennings]]
|Sound design by|[[Jason W. Jennings]], [[Erik Aadahl]], Ethan Var Dye Vin, Brandon Jones, Malte Beiler, Jhon Marquis
}}
}}
==Cast==
==Cast==
{{Cast
{{Cast
|Alexander Skarsgård|Nathan Lind
|[[Alexander Skarsgård]]|Dr. [[Nathan Lind]], [[Monarch]] Chief Cartographer
|[[Millie Bobby Brown]]|[[Madison Russell]]
|[[Millie Bobby Brown]]|[[Madison Russell]]
|Rebecca Hall|Ilene Andrews
|Rebecca Hall|Dr. [[Ilene Andrews]], Monarch anthropological linguist
|Brian Tyree Henry|Bernie Hayes
|Brian Tyree Henry|[[Bernie Hayes]], Titan Truth Podcast host
|Shun Oguri|[[Ren Serizawa]], [[Apex Cybernetics]] Chief Technology Officer
|Eiza González|[[Maia Simmons]], Apex executive
|Julian Dennison|[[Josh Valentine]]
|[[Lance Reddick]]|Guillermin
|[[Kyle Chandler]]|Dr. [[Mark Russell]], Monarch Director
|Demián Bichir|[[Walter Simmons]], Apex CEO
|Kaylee Hottle|[[Jia]], last survivor of the [[Iwi]]
|Hakeem Kae-Kazim|Admiral Wilcox
|Ronny Chieng|Jay Wayne
|John Pirruccello|Horace
|Chris Chalk|Ben
|Conlan Casal, Brad McMurray|Apex Cybernetics security guards
|Benjamin Rigby|Sonar operator
|Nick Turello|Apex Cybernetics armed guard
|Daniel Nelson|Hayworth
|Priscilla Doueihy|Monarch mission tech
|Kei Kudo, Bradd Buckley|[[Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle|HEAV]] pilots
|John Walton, Daniel Tuiara|HEAV co-pilots
|David Castillo, Kofi Yiadom, Jim Palmer|Maia's Apex Cybernetics guards
|Eric Petey|[[King Kong]] (motion capture, uncredited)<ref name="Petey">{{cite web|url=https://beforesandafters.com/2021/04/15/how-kongs-ocean-showdown-with-godzilla-was-made/|title=How Kong’s ocean showdown with Godzilla was made|author=Ian Failes|date=8 May 2021|work=befores & afters}}</ref>
}}
===Japanese dub===
{{Cast|notice=no
|Kenjiro Tsuda|Dr. Nathan Lind
|Mana Ashida|Madison Russell
|Maaya Sakamoto|Dr. Ilene Andrews
|Matsuya Onoe|Bernie Hayes
|Shun Oguri|Ren Serizawa
|Shun Oguri|Ren Serizawa
|Eiza González|Maya Simmons
|Minami Tanaka|Maia Simmons
|Julian Dennison|Josh Valentine
|Yuji Tanaka|Josh Valentine
|[[Kyle Chandler]]|Dr. [[Mark Russell]]
|[[Shinsuke Kasai]]|Guillermin
|Demián Bichir|Walter Simmons
|Kei Tanaka|Dr. Mark Russell
|Kaylee Hottle|Jia
|[[Kazuhiro Yamaji]]|Walter Simmons
|[[Zhang Ziyi|Ziyi Zhang]]|Dr. [[Ilene Chen]], [[Monarch]] Senior Mythographer
|Jin Yamanoi|Admiral Wilcox
*Jessica Henwick
|Hidenori Takahashi|Jay Wayne
*Lance Reddick
|Daiki Hamano|Ben
*Van Marten
|Hakeem Kae-Kazim|Admiral Wilcox
|Benjamin Rigby|Sonar Operator
}}
}}
==Appearances==
==Appearances==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{col-2}}
===Monsters===
===Titans and superspecies===
*[[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]]
*[[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]] ([[DougheGoji]])
*[[King Kong/Legendary|King Kong]]
*[[King Kong (Monsterverse)|King Kong]]
*[[Mechagodzilla]]<ref name="TF">Graham, Jaime. "2021 Preview: 47 Must-See Movies." ''Total Film''. January 2021. 56. Digital.</ref>
*[[Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)|Mechagodzilla]]
*[[Warbat]]s
*[[Skullcrawler]]
*[[Skullcrawler]]
*{{tt|Winged creatures|It is unclear if these are Psychovultures, minions of Camazotz, or all-new monsters.}}
**Number 10
**Skullcrawler eggs
**Skull Devil (stock footage)
*[[Leafwing]]
*[[Doug]]
*[[King Ghidorah (Monsterverse)|King Ghidorah]] (skull; stock footage)
*[[Mothra (Monsterverse)|Mothra]] (cave painting; mentioned)<ref>[[File:GvK - The Ancient War.png|150px]]</ref><ref>[[File:Mothra_Pregnancy_Theory.png|150px]]</ref>
*[[MUTO]] (stock footage)
**Eight-legged female (stock footage)
**Queen MUTO (stock footage)
*[[Rodan (Monsterverse)|Rodan]] (stock footage)
*[[Behemoth]] (stock footage)
*[[Methuselah]] (stock footage)
*[[Scylla]] (stock footage)
*[[Sker Buffalo]] (stock footage)
===Other monsters===
*[[Warbat]]
*[[Hellhawk]]
*[[Rockclaw]]
*Doug's species
*[[List of Monsterverse monsters#Skeleton of a dead creature|Skeleton of a dead creature]]
*[[Kong's species]] (mentioned)
*[[Hollow Earth]] elephants (cave painting)
{{Col-2}}
{{Col-2}}
===Weapons, vehicles, races, and organizations===
===Weapons, vehicles, races, and organizations===
*[[Monarch]]
*[[Monarch]]
*[[Hollow Earth Anti-Gravity Vehicle]]
*[[Apex Cybernetics]]
*[[Nimitz-class aircraft carrier|''Nimitz''-class aircraft carrier]]
*[[Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle]]
*[[Arleigh Burke-class destroyer|''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer]] ([[wikipedia:USS McCampbell|USS ''McCampbell'']])
*[[Kong's battle axe]]
*[[Spider-Drone]]<ref name="Pinball">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nGVQxt8HO0&t=678s|title=GvK pinball|author=Wikizilla|date=16 April 2023|work=YouTube}}</ref>
*[[Osprey]]
*[[Boeing CH-47 Chinook]]
*[[Nimitz-class aircraft carrier|''Nimitz''-class aircraft carrier]] ([[wikipedia:USS Nimitz|USS ''Nimitz'']])
*[[Arleigh Burke-class destroyer|''Arleigh Burke''-class destroyer]]
*[[Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser|''Ticonderoga''-class guided missile cruiser]] ([[wikipedia:USS Lake Champlain (CG-57)|USS ''Lake Champlain'']])
*[[Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser|''Ticonderoga''-class guided missile cruiser]] ([[wikipedia:USS Lake Champlain (CG-57)|USS ''Lake Champlain'']])
*[[Iowa-class battleship|''Iowa''-class battleship]]
*[[Unknown battleship class (GvK)|Unknown class of battleship]]
*[[wikipedia:Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate|''Oliver Hazard Perry''-class frigate]]
*[[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]]
*[[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]]
*Unidentified submarine
*[[Sikorsky SH-60 Black Hawk]]
*[[Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk]]
*[[HMMWV]]
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}


==Development==
Rumors of a ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' remake began as soon as [[Legendary Pictures]] announced ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' in [[2014]]. On September 10, 2015, ''Deadline'' reported that the project's move from [[Universal Pictures]] to ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' distributor [[Warner Bros.]] was meant to facilitate a rematch between the two monsters.<ref name="Deadline">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/king-kong-godzilla-legendary-monster-movie-warner-bros-1201521004/|title=King Kong On Move To Warner Bros, Presaging Godzilla Monster Matchup|work=Deadline|author=Fleming Jr, Mike|date=10 September 2015}}</ref> ''The Hollywood Reporter'' published its own article on the impending crossover six days later.<ref name="THR">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-gorilla-warfare-s-universal-823715|title=Hollywood Gorilla Warfare: It’s Universal vs. Legendary Over ‘Kong: Skull Island’ (and Who Says "Thank You")|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Masters, Kim|date=16 September 2015}}</ref> On October 14, 2015, Legendary confirmed its intent to launch a [[Monsterverse|cinematic universe]] featuring both [[Godzilla]] and [[King Kong]], as well as other giant monsters including [[Mothra]], [[Rodan]], and [[King Ghidorah]]. ''Godzilla'' was the first entry in this cinematic universe, later officially dubbed the [[Monsterverse]], and it was to be followed by ''Kong: Skull Island'' and the ''Godzilla'' sequel ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' before finally culminating with ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' in 2020.<ref name="Legendary">{{Cite web|url=http://www.legendary.com/legendary-and-warner-bros-pictures-announce-cinematic-franchise-uniting-godzilla-king-kong-and-other-iconic-giant-monsters/|title=LEGENDARY AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES ANNOUNCE CINEMATIC FRANCHISE UNITING GODZILLA, KING KONG AND OTHER ICONIC GIANT MONSTERS|work=Legendary|date=14 October 2015}}</ref>
On March 10, 2017, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that Legendary would be assembling a writers room to come up with the story for the film, comprised of [[Terry Rossio]] (who previously worked on the [[Godzilla (1994 film)|original version]] of [[GODZILLA (1998 film)|TriStar's Godzilla film]]), Patrick McKay, J. D. Payne, Lindsey Beer, Cat Vasko, T. S. Nowlin, and J. Michael Straczynski.<ref name="THR2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/kong-skull-island-sequel-plans-godzilla-kong-sets-writers-room-984992|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Film Sets Writers Room (Exclusive)|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Kit, Borys|date=10 March 2017}}</ref> [[Adam Wingard]] finalized a deal to become the film's director on May 30.<ref name="Wingard">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/godzilla-kong-finds-director-adam-wingard-1008773|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Finds Its Director With Adam Wingard (Exclusive)|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Kit, Borys|date=30 May 2017}}</ref>
On June 1, ''That Hashtag Show'' revealed that ''[[wikipedia:Deadpool 2|Deadpool 2]]'' star Julian Dennison had been cast in the film in a supporting role, while [[Millie Bobby Brown]] and [[Kyle Chandler]] would both be reprising their roles from ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. The article also reported that Legendary had offered Frances McDormand a starring role in the film, which it later retracted.<ref name="THS">{{Cite web|url=http://thathashtagshow.com/2018/06/exclusive-deadpool-2-julian-dennison-joins-godzilla-vs-kong/|title=Exclusive: ‘DEADPOOL 2’s’ Julian Dennison Joins ‘GODZILLA VS KONG’|work=That Hashtag Show|date=1 June 2018}}</ref> The following day, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' confirmed this report, save for the talks with McDormand, adding that [[Zhang Ziyi]] would be reprising her role from ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' as well.<ref name="THR3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/deadpool-2-star-julian-dennison-joins-godzilla-kong-1116661|title='Deadpool 2' Star Julian Dennison Joins 'Godzilla vs. Kong'|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Perez, Lexy|date=2 June 2018}}</ref>
Further casting announcements followed as the film neared the start of production: Brian Tyree Henry on October 10,<ref name="Tyree">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/brian-tyree-henry-godzilla-vs-kong-millie-bobby-brown-1202976259/amp/|title=Brian Tyree Henry to Co-Star With Millie Bobby Brown in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=10 October 2018}}</ref> Demián Bichir on October 17,<ref name="Bichir">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/demi-n-bichir-joining-millie-bobby-brown-godzilla-kong-1153121|title=Demián Bichir Joining Millie Bobby Brown in 'Godzilla vs. Kong'|work=Hollywood Reporter|author=Kit, Borys|date=17 October 2018}}</ref> Alexander Skarsgård on October 25,<ref name="Skarsgard">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/alexander-skarsgard-godzilla-vs-kong-1202994303/|title=Alexander Skarsgard Joins ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=25 October 2018}}</ref> Eiza González<ref name="Gonzalez">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/eiza-gonzalez-godzilla-vs-king-kong-alexander-skarsgard-1202492406/|title=Eiza Gonzalez Joins Adam Wingard’s ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’|work=Deadline|author=Fleming Jr, Mike|date=30 October 2018}}</ref> and Rebecca Hall on October 30,<ref name="Hall">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/rebecca-hall-godzilla-vs-kong-1203014950/|title=Rebecca Hall to Star Opposite Millie Bobby Brown in ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=30 October 2018}}</ref> Jessica Henwick on November 8,<ref name="Henwick">{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/jessica-henwick-godzilla-vs-kong-game-of-thrones-1203024081/|title=‘Game of Thrones’ Actress Jessica Henwick Joins ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (EXCLUSIVE)|work=Variety|author=Kroll, Justin|date=8 November 2018}}</ref> Shun Oguri on November 11,<ref name="Oguri">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/shun-oguri-godzilla-vs-kong-japanese-star-crows-zero-alexander-skarsgard-1202499759/|title=Japanese Star Shun Oguri Makes Hollywood Debut In ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’|work=Deadline|author=Fleming Jr, Mike|date=11 November 2018}}</ref> and Lance Reddick on November 14.<ref name="Reddick">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/bosch-lance-reddick-godzilla-vs-kong-1202502022/|title=‘Bosch’ Actor Lance Reddick Cast In ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’|work=Deadline|author=N'Duka, Amanda|date=14 November 2018}}</ref> Henwick and Zhang were ultimately cut from the film, with Reddick's role reduced.
On June 10, 2020, Film Music Reporter announced that [[Tom Holkenborg]], better known by the stage name Junkie XL, would be scoring the film.<ref name="FMR">{{cite web|title=Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) Scoring Adam Wingard's 'Godzilla vs. Kong'|url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2020/06/10/tom-holkenborg-junkie-xl-scoring-adam-wingards-godzilla-vs-kong/|website=Film Music Reporter|access-date=17 October 2021|date=June 10, 2020|archive-date=28 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128051933/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2020/06/10/tom-holkenborg-junkie-xl-scoring-adam-wingards-godzilla-vs-kong/}}</ref>
==Production==
While ''Godzilla vs. Kong''{{'}}s exact production budget is unclear, Legendary were reported to have put up 75% and Warner Bros. Pictures 25%, just as they had on previous Monsterverse entries.{{R|March 26}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/godzilla-vs-kong-vs-covid-011737625.html|title=‘Godzilla vs Kong’ vs COVID: Streamers Vie for Legendary’s Monster Movie|author=Gonzalez, Umberto|date=25 November 2020|work=Yahoo! Life}}</ref> ''Forbes'' reported less than a month after the film's release that Legendary had contributed $120 million and Warner Bros. $40 million, for a total of $160 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2021/04/13/how-godzilla-vs-kong-made-box-office-history/?sh=45eed8d4314e|title=‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Is A Rare Blockbuster Sequel To A Box Office Disaster|author=Mendelson, Scott|date=13 April 2021|work=Forbes}}</ref> However, other estimates have included $155 million,{{R|V}} $165 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/dune-and-godzilla-vs-kong-producer-legendary-considers-legal-options-against-warner-bros-over-hbo-max-deal/|title=‘Dune’ and ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ Producer Legendary Considers Lawsuit Against Warner Bros. Over HBO Max Deal|author=Gonzalez, Umberto|date=7 December 2020|work=The Wrap}}</ref> $180 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2021/01/09/box-office-godzilla-vs-kong-and-dune-are-warner-bros-riskiest-2021-releases/?sh=cd6323457196|title=Box Office: ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ And ‘Dune’ Are Warner Bros.’ Riskiest 2021 Releases|author=Mendelson, Scott|date=9 January 2021|work=Forbes}}</ref> $200 million,{{R|March 26}} or higher.<ref name="">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warner-bros-legendary-nearing-deal-to-resolve-clash-over-godzilla-vs-kong-exclusive-4113497/|title=Warner Bros., Legendary Nearing Deal to Resolve Clash Over ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ (Exclusive)|author=Kit, Borys|author2=Masters, Kim|date=8 January 2021|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>
Principal photography on ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' began on November 12, 2018 in [[Hawaii]], under the title ''Apex''.<ref name="LegendaryTwitter">[https://twitter.com/Legendary/status/1062081119661617152 @Legendary on Twitter: "Legends will collide. Production has officially begun on Godzilla vs. Kong. In theaters everywhere Summer 2020. #Godzilla"]</ref> The production wrapped in Hawaii on December 20 and resumed at Village Roadshow Studios in [[wikipedia:Oxenford, Queensland|Oxenford]], [[Australia]], in the third week of January.<ref name="Brisbane Times">{{Cite web|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/godzilla-vs-kong-begins-filming-on-the-gold-coast-20190118-p50s6d.html|title=Godzilla vs. Kong begins filming on the Gold Coast|work=Brisbane Times|author=Caldwell, Felicity|date=18 January 2019}}</ref> Outdoor shoots took place at various [[wikipedia:Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] locations, wrapping in early April.<ref name="Brisbane Times start">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119224354/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/godzilla-vs-kong-begins-filming-on-the-gold-coast-20190118-p50s6d.html|title=Godzilla vs. Kong begins filming on the Gold Coast|author=Caldwell, Felicity|date=18 January 2019|work=Brisbane Times|accessdate=16 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="CinemaBlend wrap">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2470013/Godzilla-Vs-Kong-Has-Wrapped-In-Australia-According-To-The-Director|title=Godzilla Vs. Kong Has Wrapped In Australia|author=Libbey, Dirk|date=9 April 2019|work=CinemaBlend}}</ref> Five days of reshoots were conducted afterwards.<ref name="Reshoot length">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/godzilla-vs-kong-lance-reddick-zhang-ziyi-jessica-henwick-cut-adam-wingard/|title=Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard explains why Lance Reddick's role was cut down to a cameo|author=Shepherd, Jack|date=31 March 2021|work=GamesRadar+}}</ref>
After the film's release, production assistant Ryan Unicomb detailed elements of the story that were removed or reshot:<ref name="Unicomb">{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CNTsAC7FP3c/?igshid=1u17xwf20c85s|title=GODZILLA VS. KONG (original version): 2017-2019|author=Unicomb, Ryan|date=5 April 2021|work=Instagram}}</ref>
*[[Nathan Lind]]'s initial attempt to explore the Hollow Earth would have led to the death of his fiancé instead of his brother. As in ''[[Kingdom Kong]]'' and [[Godzilla vs. Kong: The Official Movie Novelization|the novelization]], their entry point was [[Skull Island]]. The experience would have made him "a depressed drunk who hangs out at dive bars."
*[[Maia Simmons]] would have used a device called the [[Orca]]-Z to cause [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]] to attack the Apex facility in Pensacola, with the hopes of setting up [[Walter Simmons|her father]] as a hero when he killed Godzilla with [[Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)|Mechagodzilla]]. This would have further explained Godzilla breaking off his attack against the naval fleet and [[King Kong (Monsterverse)|Kong]], as shutting off the fleet's power would have disabled the Orca-Z as well. In the novelization, [[Madison Russell]] speculates that Apex built a new Orca, but nothing comes of it.
*As in the novelization, Madison would be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the events of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' and have a strained relationship with [[Mark Russell|her father]].
*The film only implies [[Ren Serizawa]] is [[Ishiro Serizawa]]'s son through their shared surname; initially, this would have been made explicit. Serizawa would have also betrayed Simmons, using a hitman to murder the CEO and deliberately uploading [[King Ghidorah (Monsterverse)|Ghidorah]]'s consciousness into Mechagodzilla. [[Bernie Hayes]] would kill the hitman before he could dispatch Madison and [[Josh Valentine]].
*Jessica Henwick's character, who was cut from the film entirely, was a reporter. In the novelization, Mark Russell fields questions from reporters after Godzilla attacks Pensacola, although they only have one line each.
*Paintings in Kong's temple would have depicted [[Mothra (Monsterverse)|Mothra]], [[Rodan (Monsterverse)|Rodan]], and [[Behemoth]] as participants in an "ancient war." The finished film shows a cave painting of Mothra, Godzilla, a member of Kong's species, and a [[Skullcrawler]], but only in the opening credits.
==Marketing==
On May 30, [[2019]], the day before the American release of ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'', an advertisement for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was shown at Licensing Expo 2019, featuring artwork of the two titular monsters battling with the tagline "One will fall." Two short clips from the film, including a shot of [[Nathan Lind]] exiting the [[HEAV]], and a clip of a [[King Kong (Monsterverse)|Kong]] throwing a punch at [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]], played before the [[Warner Bros.]] presentation at Comic-Con Experience in Brazil on December 8, 2019.<ref name="Blend">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2486314/whoa-kong-punches-godzilla-in-super-brief-but-badass-godzilla-vs-kong-footage|title=Whoa, Kong Punches Godzilla In Super-Brief But Badass Godzilla Vs. Kong Footage|author=Carbone, Gina|work=CinemaBlend|date=9 December 2019}}</ref>
On January 7, [[2020]], photographs from a toy expo surfaced online showing much of the [[Playmates]] toyline for ''Godzilla vs. Kong''. Most noteworthy were figures of [[Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)|Mechagodzilla]], a new monster later identified as [[Warbat]], a [[Skullcrawler]], Godzilla wearing red armor (labeled "Mega Godzilla"), and Kong wielding an [[Kong's battle axe|axe]]. On May 20, Legendary Comics held a digital WonderCon panel discussing the upcoming graphic novel tie-ins for the film. The panel revealed the authors and illustrators behind the [[Kingdom Kong|Kong-]] and [[Godzilla Dominion|Godzilla-centric graphic novels]], as well as ''[[The Art of Godzilla vs. Kong]]'' and an [[Kong and Me|untitled Kong picture book]]. Images from the graphic novels were shown as well. Two shots of Godzilla and Kong were included in a Warner Bros. sizzle reel shown at Comic-Con Experience on December 6.
Marketing for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' did not begin in earnest until just over two months before its release, owing to multiple release date changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 21, [[Legendary Pictures]] unveiled the first poster for the film, showing Godzilla swimming towards Kong in [[Hong Kong]], and announced that the trailer for the film would be released on Sunday, January 24.<ref name="TWT Poster">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Legendary/status/1352301955935191041|title=TRAILER SUNDAY. #GodzillaVsKong|author=@Legendary|date=21 January 2021|work=Twitter}}</ref> They also launched Twitter and Instagram accounts specifically for the film. MonarchSciences.com, originally created to market ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', came back online with an emergency warning instead of its map: "TITANUS GOJIRA AND TITANUS KONG ON COLLISION COURSE." The website later changed back to its usual global interactive map format. YouTube began running short ads for the film the same day. When the trailer dropped, it accumulated 25.6 million views in 24 hours, a record for a [[Warner Bros.]] trailer in that time frame.<ref name="Trailer stats">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Luiz_Fernando_J/status/1353751486526857219|title=That’s it. #GvK new trailer becomes the biggest debut ever for WB, after reaching 15.8M views in 24h on WB’s YouTube Channel, and 9.8M on #Legendary, #WarnerBrosUK, #GodzillavsKong and #HBOmax Twitter accounts. 25.6M across all platforms, beating #TheBatman’s 22M & #Dune’s 20.8M|author=Fernando, Luiz|date=25 January 2021|work=Twitter}}</ref> [[Toho]] released the film's Japanese trailer, containing new footage, on February 7.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImiBYNUWjQ0</ref> On February 14, the official ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' Twitter released a teaser with new footage.<ref>https://twitter.com/GodzillaVsKong/status/1361034996459266050</ref> New TV spots and posters continued to drop throughout the rest of the month and into March.
On March 8, Tamashii Nations opened a pop-up shop in New York City which displayed their ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' [[S.H. MonsterArts]] figures, [[Jia]]'s costume, props of two [[Skullcrawler]] eggs, and a [[DougheGoji]] statue.<ref name="Nerdist Tamashii">{{cite web|url=https://nerdist.com/article/tamashii-nations-pop-up-shop-godzilla-vs-kong/|title=Tamashii Nations Pop-Up Shop Brings GODZILLA VS. KONG Exhibit to NYC|author=Nerdist|date=5 March 2021|work=Nerdist}}</ref> The shop closed on April 25.
==Gallery==
{{Main|Godzilla vs. Kong/Gallery}}
==Soundtrack==
{{Main|Godzilla vs. Kong/Soundtrack}}
==Alternate titles==
*'''''GvK''''' (abbreviated title)
*'''''Kong vs. Godzilla''''' (Indonesia)
*'''''Godzilla vs. King Kong''''' (哥吉拉大戰金剛 ''Gējílā dàzhàn Jīngāng''; [[China]])
**(哥斯拉大戰金剛  ''Go1si1laai1 daai6zin3 Gam1gong1''; [[Hong Kong]])
**(哥吉拉大戰金剛 ''Gējílā dàzhàn Jīngāng''; Taiwan)
*'''''Godzilla V Kong''''' (title on official YouTube playlist for the film's soundtrack)<ref name="Godzilla V Kong">[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBKadB95sF45hY4SUVi62jkNdFkF2-D4D Godzilla V Kong Official Soundtrack | Tom Holkenborg | WaterTower Music]</ref>
*قودزيلا فرزس كونغ (Saudi Arabia)
==Theatrical releases==
*[[France]], Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine - March 24, 2021
*Argentina, [[Australia]], Chile, Germany, Hungary, [[Mexico]], Netherlands, [[Russia]], Saudi Arabia, South Korea - March 25, 2021
*Bulgaria, China, Spain, Vietnam - March 26, 2021
*Canada, [[United States]] - March 31, 2021
*Lithuania - April 1, 2021
*Sweden - April 28, 2021
*Brazil - April 29{{tt|*|In some regions}} / May 6, 2021
*Portugal - May 6, 2021
*Slovakia - May 20, 2021
*United Kingdom - May 21, 2021
*Israel - June 3, 2021
*Japan - July 2, 2021
[[Warner Bros.]] changed the American release date for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' repeatedly:
*[[Legendary Pictures]] dated the film for 2020 when revealing it on October 14, 2015.<ref name="Legendary"/>
*The first specific release date was May 29, 2020, announced on May 10, 2016.<ref name="Wrap">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/godzilla-2-godzilla-vs-kong-stomp-out-new-release-dates/|title=‘Godzilla 2,’ ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Stomp Out New Release Dates|work=The Wrap|author=Geier, Thom|date=10 May 2016}}</ref>
*Moved to May 22, 2020 on May 3, 2017.<ref name="UpAWeek">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/godzilla-vs-kong-game-night-tag-scooby-warner-bros-release-date-changes-1202083542/|title=‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’, ‘Game Night’ Among Many Warner Bros. Release Date Changes For 2018 & Beyond – Update|work=Deadline|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=3 May 2017}}</ref>
*Moved to March 13, 2020 on February 21, 2019, to avoid competition with ''[[wikipedia:F9 (film)|F9]]''.<ref name="Release Date">{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/space-jam-2-release-date-godzilla-vs-kong-annabelle-sequel-warner-bros-1202562428/|title=Warner Bros Titles ‘Annabelle’ Sequel, Dates ‘Space Jam 2’, Shifts ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ – Update|work=Deadline|author=Pedersen, Erik|date=15 March 2019}}</ref>
*Moved to November 20, 2020 on November 25, 2019.<ref name="November 2020">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/godzilla-vs-kong-release-date-pushed-back-to-november-2020-1203416119/ |title=‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Release Date Pushed Back to November 2020 |author=Rubin, Rebecca |date=25 November 2019 |work=Variety}}</ref>
*Moved to May 21, 2021 on June 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="Deadline Delay">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/matrix-4-godzilla-vs-king-release-date-changes-1202958388/|title=‘Matrix 4’ Moves To 2022, ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Stomps To 2021 & More: Warner Bros. Release Date Change Friday|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=12 June 2020|work=Deadline}}</ref>
*Moved to March 26, 2021 on January 15, 2021.
*Moved to March 31, 2021 on January 26, 2021, to better take advantage of the Easter holiday.<ref name="March31">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/godzilla-vs-kong-malignant-james-wan-release-dates-1234680931/|title=Warner Bros. Sets Date For James Wan’s ‘Malignant’; ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ To Open Closer To Easter|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=26 January 2021|work=Deadline}}</ref>
On November 25, 2020, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' revealed that WarnerMedia and [[Warner Bros.]] were in talks to release ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' on [[HBO Max]] the same day it would open in theaters, echoing plans for ''Wonder Woman 1984'', after the former blocked a $200 million-plus offer from [[Netflix]].<ref name="THR HBOMax">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/godzilla-vs-kong-likely-the-latest-tentpole-to-go-to-a-streamer-exclusive|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Likely the Latest Tentpole to Go to a Streamer (Exclusive)|author=Kim Masters and Borys Kit|date=25 November 2020|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Warner made these plans official on December 3, unveiling a new ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' banner in its announcement video.<ref name="HBO Max same-day"/> The film was only available on the service for one month after its theatrical premiere. The following day, it was reported that Legendary was pondering legal action against Warner Bros. over its plans to place the film on HBO Max, as the studio was largely kept out of the loop of this plan and supplied a sizeable portion of its $160 million budget.<ref name="V"/>
===Premium formats===
*3D (post-converted)
*IMAX 3D
*Dolby Vision and Atmos<ref name="DVAA">{{cite web|url=https://professional.dolby.com/cinema/theatrical-releases|title=Movies with Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos|work=Dolby Professional|accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref>
==Japanese release==
[[File:Japanese Godzilla vs. Kong poster (Updated).jpg|thumb|right|200px|Japanese ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' poster]]
''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was released theatrically in [[Japan]] by [[Toho]]. It was initially scheduled for May 14, but was pushed back to July 2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="Eiga.com">{{cite web|url=https://eiga.com/news/20210430/15/|title='Godzilla vs Kong' release postponed|date=30 April 2021|work=Eiga.com}}</ref> It was released with both a Japanese-language dub and in its original English audio with Japanese subtitles. Like ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' before it, the film received its own Japanese tie-in song: "[[INTO THE DEEP]]" by the band MAN WITH A MISSION. Shun Oguri, like [[Ken Watanabe]] in the previous two [[Monsterverse]] ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' films, provided the Japanese voice for his character [[Ren Serizawa]]. The film's Japanese dub also features [[Kazuhiro Yamaji]], who previously voiced the character [[Endurph]] in the ''GODZILLA'' anime trilogy, as the voice of [[Walter Simmons]].
{{Clear}}
==Reception==
{{Stub|section}}
To be added.
==Box office==
''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was one of many Hollywood films initially scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, [[Warner Bros.]] announced it would release a full 2021 lineup to theaters, in tandem with one-month [[HBO Max]] releases in the United States, rather than continue to delay its films until COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. This meant ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' opened at a time when many potential viewers were reluctant to visit a movie theater for fear of infection; in addition, many theaters faced seating capacity restrictions or were temporarily shuttered. However, with the other major studios continuing to push back most of their films, it faced minimal box office competition in its first three weeks of release.<ref name="Variety GvK projection">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/vip/godzilla-vs-kong-poised-to-be-pandemics-best-performer-yet-at-u-s-box-office-1234934248/|title=‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Poised to Be Pandemic’s Best Performer Yet at U.S. Box Office|author=Eriksen, Kaare|date=19 March 2021|work=Variety}}</ref>
''Godzilla vs. Kong'' began its international rollout on March 24 and opened to $121.8 million, easily the best figure for a Hollywood movie in the past year.<ref name="THR international opening">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/godzilla-vs-kong-stomps-to-pandemic-best-122m-foreign-start|title='Godzilla vs. Kong' Stomps to Pandemic-Best $122M Foreign Start|author=McClintock, Pamela|date=28 March 2021|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> In China, it made $70.3 million in its opening, narrowly exceeding the debut of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''.<ref name="THR international opening"/> The film launched on March 31 in the United States, an unusual Wednesday release to take advantage of the Easter holiday. It made $9.6 million on its opening day and $48.5 million in its first five days, both records for the pandemic era at the time.<ref name="Deadline opening day">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/04/godzilla-vs-kong-roars-to-best-opening-day-during-the-pandemic-with-9-6m-1234726022/|title=‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Roars To Best Opening Day During The Pandemic With $9.6M|author=D'Alessandro, Anthony|date=1 April 2021|work=Deadline}}</ref><ref name="THR five-day">{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-godzilla-vs-kong-defeats-pandemic-with-48m-u-s-start|title=Box Office: 'Godzilla vs. Kong' Defeats Pandemic With $48.5M U.S. Start, Hits $285.4M Globally|author=McClintock, Pamela|date=4 April 2021|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Its release prompted Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain in the country, to begin reopening its theaters on April 2, after closing them all in October.<ref name="Deadline opening day"/> It remained the #1 film at the U.S. box office in its second and third weekends, and would not fall out of the top 10 until its 11th frame. It surpassed the $386.6 million global box office take of ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' in mid-April,<ref name="Overtaking KOTM">{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/godzilla-vs-kong-beats-king-of-monsters-box-office/|title=Godzilla Vs. Kong Passes King of the Monsters at the Worldwide Box Office|author=Scott, Ryan|date=19 April 2021|work=MovieWeb}}</ref> and became the second pandemic-era film to earn $100 million domestically. Its final domestic haul of $100.6 million ranked 12th for the year.<ref name="BOM 2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2021/|title=Domestic Box Office For 2021|work=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=20 January 2022}}</ref> Internationally, it finished with $470.1 million, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2021 and the highest-grossing film of the year for Warner Bros.<ref name="2021 in film">{{cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_in_film|title=2021 in film|work=Wikipedia|accessdate=20 January 2022}}</ref> It is the second ''Godzilla'' film to reach the yearly top 10 earners, after ''[[GODZILLA (1998 film)|GODZILLA]]'' in [[1998]].
==Accolades==
{{Plagiarized|Rework awards table to less closely resemble the one on Wikipedia.}}
''Godzilla vs. Kong'' received a Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for casting deaf actress [[Kaylee Hottle]] in the role of [[Jia]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Sun|first=Rebecca|title='A Quiet Place Part II,' 'Ginny & Georgia' Recognized for Disability Representation (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a-quiet-place-part-ii-ginny-georgia-recognized-for-disability-representation-exclusive-1234975037/|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=January 8, 2024|date=June 29, 2021}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="width: 99%"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:22%;"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| References
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2| [[wikipedia:Australian Effects & Animation Festival|Australian Effects & Animation Festival]]
| rowspan=2|August 23, 2021
| Weta Digital for Feature Film – VFX
|Godzilla vs. Kong
| {{Award|Won}}<ref group="lower-alpha">Won gold place.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2|<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 23, 2021 |title=AEAF Awards 2021 Winners announced|url=https://www.animationxpress.com/latest-news/aeaf-awards-2021-winners-announced/|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| MPC Film for Feature Film – Sequence
| ‘[[Hong Kong]] Battle’ sequence
| {{Award|Won}}<ref group="lower-alpha">Won silver place.</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"" style="text-align:center;"| [[wikipedia:Las Vegas Film Critics Society|Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | December 13, 2021
| Best Visual Effects
|style="text-align:center;" rowspan=9| ''Godzilla vs Kong''
| {{Award|Nom}}
| rowspan="2" scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-las-vegas-film-critics-society-lvfcs-winners/|title=The 2021 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Winners|last=Neglia|first=Matt|access-date=October 5, 2022|archive-date=September 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926205549/https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-las-vegas-film-critics-society-lvfcs-winners/|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>
|-
| Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| [[wikipedia:Chinese American Film Festival|Chinese American Film Festival]]
| November 5, 2021
| Most Popular US Film in China
| {{Award|Won}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |last=Gui |first=Ming |title=Golden Angel Award Ceremony of 2021 CAFF Announced The Winners ! |url=https://cafilmfestival.com/en/2021-golden-angel-award/ |website=Chinese American Film Festival}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|[[wikipedia:Dragon Awards|Dragon Awards]]
| September 7, 2021
| Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref>{{Cite web |date=September 7, 2022 |title=2021 Dragon Awards Winners |url=https://locusmag.com/2021/09/2021-dragon-awards-winners/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623230620/https://locusmag.com/2021/09/2021-dragon-awards-winners/ |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |access-date=October 11, 2023 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| [[wikipedia:Denver Film Critics Society|Denver Film Critics Society]]
| January 20, 2022
| Best Visual Effects
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web |title=2022 DFCS Awards |url=https://denverfilmcritics.com/2022/01/2022-awards/ |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223221722/https://denverfilmcritics.com/2022/01/2022-awards/ |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |access-date=October 5, 2022 |publisher=TimothyLSamia}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|[[wikipedia:DiscussingFilm Critic Awards|DiscussingFilm Critic Awards]]
| January 4, 2022
| Best Visual Effects
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 4, 2022|title=The 2021 DiscussingFilm Critic Award (DFCA) Winners|url=https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-discussingfilm-critic-award-dfca-winners/|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323004557/https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-discussingfilm-critic-award-dfca-winners/|archive-date=March 23, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2024|language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;"| [[wikipedia:JoBlo.com|Golden Schmoes Awards]]
| rowspan="4" | December 13, 2021
| Best Visual Effects
| {{Award|Nom}}
| rowspan="4" scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goldenschmoes.joblo.com/results/golden-schmoes-winners-and-nominees-2021/|title=GOLDEN SCHMOES WINNERS AND NOMINEES (2021)|publisher=TimothyLSamia|access-date=October 5, 2022|archive-date=March 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325103151/https://goldenschmoes.joblo.com/results/golden-schmoes-winners-and-nominees-2021/|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>
|-
| Best Sci-Fi Movie of the Year
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
| Favorite Poster Movie of the Year
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
| Best Action Sequence of the Year
| Godzilla & Kong vs Mechagodzilla
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| [[wikipedia:Minnesota Film Critics Alliance|Minnesota Film Critics Alliance]]
| March 8, 2022
| Best Visual Effects
| style="text-align:center;" | ''Godzilla vs. Kong''
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Erik |date=March 8, 2022 |title='Dune' and 'The Power of the Dog' lead Minnesota Film Critics winners, Kristen Stewart wins Best Actress|url=https://awardswatch.com/dune-and-the-power-of-the-dog-lead-minnesota-film-critics-winners-kristen-stewart-wins-best-actress/|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331134034/https://awardswatch.com/dune-and-the-power-of-the-dog-lead-minnesota-film-critics-winners-kristen-stewart-wins-best-actress/|archive-date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=January 4, 2024|language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| [[wikipedia:North Carolina Film Critics Association|North Carolina Film Critics Association]]
| January 5, 2022
| Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Brian Tyree Henry]] (shared with ''[[Eternals (2021 film)|Eternals]]'' and ''[[The Woman in the Window (2021 film)|The Woman in the Window]]'') – From [[wikipedia:Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville, North Carolina]]
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web|last=Neglia|first=Matt|date=January 5, 2022|title=The 2021 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Winners|url=https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-north-carolina-film-critics-association-ncfca-winners/|access-date=January 8, 2024|language=en-US|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926211109/https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-north-carolina-film-critics-association-ncfca-winners/|archive-date=September 26, 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|[[wikipedia:People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Awards]]
| [[wikipedia:47th People's Choice Awards|December 7, 2021]]
| The Action Movie of 2021
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| ''Godzilla vs. Kong''
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lenker |first=Maureen Lee |date=October 27, 2021 |title=Here are the nominees for the 2021 People's Choice Awards |url=https://ew.com/awards/peoples-choice-awards-2021-nominees-list/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027155802/https://ew.com/awards/peoples-choice-awards-2021-nominees-list/ |archive-date=October 27, 2021 |access-date=2022-02-08 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|[[wikipedia:Portland Critics Association|Portland Critics Association]]
| rowspan="2"|December 17, 2021
| Best Visual Effects
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2021|title=The 2021 Portland Critics Association (PCA) Winners|url=https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-portland-critics-association-pca-winners/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330083723/https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2021-portland-critics-association-pca-winners/|archive-date=March 30, 2023 |access-date=January 8, 2024|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| Best Science Feature
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
! rowspan="3" scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |  [[wikipedia:Visual Effects Society|Visual Effects Society]]
| rowspan="3" | [[wikipedia:20th Visual Effects Society Awards|March 8, 2022]]
|[[wikipedia:Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature|Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature]]
|John "D.J." Des Jardin, Tamara Kent, Bryan Hirota, Kevin Smith, Mike Meinardus
| {{Award|Nom}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/artisans/awards/visual-effects-society-awards-nominations-dune-encanto-1235156134/|title='Dune' and 'Encanto' Lead Visual Effects Society Nominations|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Jazz|last=Tangcay|date=January 18, 2022|access-date=January 18, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118193039/https://variety.com/2022/artisans/awards/visual-effects-society-awards-nominations-dune-encanto-1235156134/}}</ref>
|-
|[[wikipedia:Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project|Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project]]
|Shawn Hull, Robert Wiese, Steven Tom, Eric Petey {{Small|(for Ocean Battle)}}
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
|[[wikipedia:Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature|Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature]]
|Jonathan Freisler, Nahuel Alberto Letizia, Eloi Andaluz Fullà, Saysana Rintharamy {{Small|(for Ocean Water & Battle Destruction)}}
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| [[wikipedia:Hollywood Professional Association|Hollywood Professional Association Awards]]
| rowspan="2"|November 18, 2021
| [[wikipedia:HPA Award for Outstanding Sound – Feature Film|Outstanding Sound – Feature Film]]
| Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Zupancic, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, and Jason W. Jennings
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=TimothyLSamia|date=November 18, 2023|title=2021 HPA Awards|url=https://hpaonline.com/nominees-and-winners/2021-hpa-awards/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029220147/https://hpaonline.com/nominees-and-winners/2021-hpa-awards/|archive-date=October 29, 2021 |access-date=October 5, 2023}}</ref>
|-
| [[wikipedia:HPA Award for Outstanding Visual Effects – Feature Film|Outstanding Visual Effects – Feature Film]]
| Pier Lefebvre, Michael Langford, Timucin Ozger, Sarang Deshpande, and Joshua Toonen
| {{Award|Nom}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: center;" | [[wikipedia:Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]
| April 2, 2022
| [[wikipedia:Satellite Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]
|John Desjardin, Bryan Hirota, Tamara Watts Kent, and Kevin Smith
| {{Award|Nom}}
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Erik |title='Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead 26th Satellite Awards nominations |url=https://awardswatch.com/belfast-the-power-of-the-dog-lead-26th-satellite-awards-nominations/ |website=AwardsWatch |access-date=21 January 2022 |date=1 December 2021}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| [[wikipedia:Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| rowspan="2"|October 25, 2022
| [[wikipedia:Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]]
| ''Godzilla vs. Kong''
| {{Award|Nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite web |last=Tinoco |first=Armando |title=Saturn Awards Nominations: ''The Batman'', ''Nightmare Alley'', ''Spider-Man'', ''Better Call Saul'' Top List |url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/saturn-awards-2022-nominations-list-movies-tv-1235089636/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=15 August 2022 |date=August 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Rourke |first=Ryan |date=October 26, 2022 |title=Saturn Award Winners Headlined By ''Everything Everywhere All At Once'', ''Top Gun Maverick'', and ''Better Call Saul'' |url=https://collider.com/saturn-award-winners-2022-better-call-saul-top-gun-maverick/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026182915/https://collider.com/saturn-award-winners-2022-better-call-saul-top-gun-maverick/ |archive-date=October 26, 2022 |access-date=October 31, 2022 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[wikipedia:Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special / Visual Effects]]
| John "D.J." Des Jardin, Bryan Hirota, Kevin Andrew Smith, Pier Lefebvre, and Mike Meinardus
| {{Award|Won}}
|}
==Video releases==
'''[[Warner Bros.]]''' 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD / Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD / DVD (2021)<ref name="GvK Blu-ray.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Godzilla-vs-Kong-Blu-ray/289698//|title=Godzilla vs. Kong Blu-ray Release Date June 15, 2021 (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)|work=Blu-ray.com|accessdate=4 May 2021}}</ref>
*'''Region:''' {{tt|Various (Blu-ray and DVD)|The 4K Ultra HD format does not have region codes.}}
*'''Discs:''' 2
*'''Audio:''' English, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and Dolby Digital 5.1 for the English audio on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray; all other options in Dolby Digital 5.1) [U.S. release - will vary depending on country]
*'''Subtitles:''' English, French, Spanish, Portuguese [U.S. release - will vary depending on country]
*'''Special features:''' Audio commentary by director [[Adam Wingard]] and 10 featurettes ("Godzilla Attacks", 6:25; "The Phenomenon of Gojira: King of the Monsters", 9:52; "Kong Leaves Home", 7:26; "Kong Discovers Hollow Earth", 7:53; "Behold Kong's Temple", 5:52; "The Rise of Mechagodzilla", 7:06; "Round One: Battle at Sea", 5:01; "Round Two: One Will Fall", 5:58; "Titan Tag Team: The King and the God", 7:59)
==Future==
{{Main|Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire|Skull Island (series)|Monarch: Legacy of Monsters}}
While ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' was the last official [[Monsterverse]] film to be confirmed at the time of its release, a spinoff animated series focusing on [[King Kong (Monsterverse)|Kong]] titled ''[[Skull Island (series)|Skull Island]]'' was announced by [[Netflix]] in January [[2021]]. ''[[Monarch: Legacy of Monsters]]'', a live action series set between the events of ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]'' and ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' which will focus on [[Monarch]] and feature [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]] and other [[Titan]]s, was confirmed to be in development at [[wikipedia:Apple TV+|Apple TV+]] on January 20, [[2022]]. Rumors had began swirling shortly after the success of ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' that a fifth film was in the works, but it was not confirmed until March 20, 2022. [[Adam Wingard]] returned to direct the film, shot under the working title ''Origins'' and ultimately titled ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]''. [[Warner Bros.]] will release it to theaters on April 12, [[2024]].
==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{Main|Godzilla vs. Kong/Videos}}
{{vid|<vimeo>504100454</vimeo>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' trailer}}
==Trivia==
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">4SjnqNv-beI</youtube>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' "Jia Kong" spot}}
*With a runtime of 113 minutes, ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is the shortest entry in the [[Monsterverse]], as well as the shortest American ''Godzilla'' film.
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">C_vDza6hR58</youtube>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' "Winner" spot}}
*''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is the first ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' movie to feature "vs." in its English title since ''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'' in 2000. ''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'', released in Japan as ''Gojira tai Mekagojira'' ("''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla''"), was the last to use "vs." in its title overall.
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">SE9H2bJSWnc</youtube>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' "World" spot}}
**It is also the first film to include the English "vs." in its Japanese title since 1995's ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' {{Nihongo|ゴジラvsデストロイア|Gojira tai Desutoroia}}.
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">w70w40_4wj8</youtube>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' "Coming or Not" spot}}
*In 2013, [[Peter Jackson]] approached future ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' director [[Adam Wingard]] with an offer to direct a sequel to his [[King Kong (2005 film)|2005 ''King Kong'' remake]] called ''Skull Island'', written by Simon Barrett and produced by [[Mary Parent]].<ref name="2005 sequel">{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/king-kong-sequel-adam-wingard/|title=‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Director Adam Wingard Was Once Hand-Picked By Peter Jackson to Make a Sequel to 2005’s ‘King Kong’|author=Pearson, Ben|date=25 March 2021|work=/Film}}</ref> According to Wingard, the film was never made because it "was set up at [[Universal Pictures|Universal]], and the King Kong rights somehow ended up at [[Warner Bros.]]" Parent also produced ''Godzilla vs. Kong'', while Barrett would go on to co-write the upcoming fifth Monsterverse film, ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]''.
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">7rwOx2nvSIQ</youtube>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' shots in the [[Warner Bros.]] sizzle reel at Comic Con Experience 2020}}
*Both [[Zhang Ziyi]] and [[wikipedia:Jessica Henwick|Jessica Henwick]] were cast for ''Godzilla vs. Kong'', but neither appears in the finished film. Ziyi was set to reprise her role as Dr. [[Ilene Chen]] from ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''. Her name even appeared in the online description of the film's [[Godzilla vs. Kong: The Official Movie Novelization|novelization]], although Chen does not make an appearance in the novel either.
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">47BqcevQhTE</youtube>|''Godzilla vs. Kong'' clips in a<br>"Same Day Premiere" ad for [[HBO Max]]}}
*[[Madison Russell|Madison]] and [[Mark Russell]] are the only human characters in the film to return from a previous entry in the Monsterverse.
}}
*[[Mechagodzilla (Monsterverse)|Mechagodzilla]] is the final monster of Toho's "Big Five" to appear in a Monsterverse film, the others being [[Godzilla (Monsterverse)|Godzilla]], [[Rodan (Monsterverse)|Rodan]], [[Mothra (Monsterverse)|Mothra]], and [[King Ghidorah (Monsterverse)|King Ghidorah]].
 
*This is the second film in which [[King Kong]] fights a mechanized version of a monster. The first time was in ''[[King Kong Escapes]]'', where he fought his own mechanical duplicate, [[Mechani-Kong]], who inspired the creation of Mechagodzilla.
*The Denham University of Theoretical Science is named after [[Carl Denham]] from the original ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]''.
*Mechagodzilla emerges from a mountain, engages in a [[Energy Beam Lock|beam lock]] with Godzilla, and is defeated by Godzilla and another monster by having its head torn off, much like its [[Mechagodzilla (Showa)|Showa counterpart]]. In this telling, however, Kong tears off the machine's head instead of Godzilla.
*Mechagodzilla being built using [[King Ghidorah (Monsterverse)|King Ghidorah]]'s severed head as a neural interface is reminiscent of the film ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'', where it was constructed using technology salvaged from [[Mecha-King Ghidorah]]'s severed mechanical middle head.
**Furthermore, Mechagodzilla going berserk and turning on its creators is similar to the [[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (Shogakukan manga)|Shogakukan manga adaptation of ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'']], where Mecha-King Ghidorah's programming takes over Mechagodzilla and brutally attempts to kill Godzilla. In both stories, another monster helps him take down the machine: [[Rodan (Heisei)|Fire Rodan]] in the manga and Kong in the film.
*As in many of his films, Kong is transported from his island by boat. Furthermore, Kong being airlifted is reminiscent of scenes in both ''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' and ''[[King Kong Escapes]]''.
*Godzilla attacking Kong at sea while he is being transported is reminiscent of his attack on [[Mothra (Godzilla vs. Mothra)|Mothra]]'s egg in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]''.
*During Godzilla and Kong's [[Hong Kong]] battle, Kong shoves the handle of his axe down Godzilla's throat, referencing a famous scene from ''King Kong vs. Godzilla'' where Kong shoves a tree down Godzilla's throat. Kong is also revived by electricity at the end of both films.
*Mechagodzilla attempts to finish off Godzilla by firing its Proton Scream into his mouth, a callback to Godzilla's "Kiss of Death" attack he performed on the female [[MUTO]] in ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]''.
*The name of Lance Reddick's character, Guillermin, is a reference to British filmmaker [[John Guillermin]], who directed the [[King Kong (1976 film)|1976 ''King Kong'' remake]] and its sequel ''[[King Kong Lives]]''.
*Wingard offered [[James Rolfe]] a cameo in the film, but he declined due to the impending birth of his second child.<ref name="AVGN">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=375&v=HkCzBpW3p6Q|title=Godzilla vs. Kong Review - Cinemassacre|author=Rolfe, James|date=31 March 2021|work=Cinemassacre}}</ref>
*The film's opening credits plagiarize a piece of [[Skullcrawler]] fanart by DeviantArt user Ramul.<ref name="Ramul1">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Titanlizard_Art/status/1377278540916359170|title=HOLY SHIT! I was watching the opening of #GodzillaVsKong and they just picked deviantart user Remul's fanart and placed it into this map thingie. And it's clearly not just in a similar position, you can see it has the same mole-like hands, which differs from the canon versions.|author=Attila, Kovács|date=31 March 2021|work=Twitter}}</ref><ref name="Ramul2">{{cite web|url=https://www.deviantart.com/ramul/art/Speculative-K-SI-bullshit-Skullcrawler-698810624?comment=1%3A698810624%3A4911806340|title=Speculative K:SI bullshit: Skullcrawler|author=Ramul|date=14 August 2017|work=DeviantArt}}</ref> A Chinese Monsterverse celebration poster plagiarized a piece of Skullcrawler fanart by Twitter user @endorosu as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/pedro_zilla/status/1399927363614527488|title=In this Chinese #Monsterverse celebration poster, you can spot a Skullcrawler on it wich is a fanart from user @endorosu , and I pretty sure they just searched from a transparent image of the Skullcrawler on Google because if you search it, you will find it.|author=P|date=2 June 2021|work=Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/endorosu/status/945965631983071232|title=スカルクローラー。|author=黒き巨獣|date=27 December 2017|work=Twitter}}</ref>
*During the film's opening credits sequence, Godzilla and Kong's Japanese names ゴジラ (''Gojira'') and キングコング (''Kingu Kongu'') are briefly displayed.
*[[Terry Rossio]] received a story credit on ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' after writing an unused ''[[Godzilla (1994 film)|Godzilla]]'' script for [[TriStar Pictures]] in 1994 with Ted Elliott. As in that script, Godzilla walks on all fours in ''Godzilla vs. Kong'', albeit briefly.
*The film's English audio description identifies the [[Rockclaw]]s Kong awakens in the Hollow Earth as [[Arachno-claw]]s and [[Doug]], the giant lizard that eats one, as a ''[[Foetodon]]''. Both of these are species from the 2005 ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'' remake by [[Universal Pictures]], which has no affiliation with the [[Monsterverse]].
*This is the second movie to feature both King Kong and [[Mechagodzilla]], after ''[[wikipedia:Ready Player One (film)|Ready Player One]]'', but the first in which they meet. Photographs of both Kong and Mechagodzilla also appeared in ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]''.
*Actor [[Kyle Chandler]] had previously appeared in a ''King Kong'' movie (the 2005 ''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'' remake) and a ''Godzilla'' movie (the previous [[Monsterverse]] entry, ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'').
*Kong popping his shoulder back into place is a reference to Martin Riggs doing the same in ''[[wikipedia:Lethal Weapon 2|Lethal Weapon 2]]''. The film is listed in the "Photos / Artwork / Footage Courtesy of" section of the end credits.
*Kong attempts to pry open and break both Godzilla and Mechagodzilla's jaws, a technique he has performed on many adversaries in past films.
[[File:ezgif-1-cb084a3b40f9.gif|thumb|right|110px|Kong's arm clipping through a building]]
*In an apparent animation error, Kong's left arm clips through a building during the Hong Kong battle.
*Godzilla grunts at the conclusion of the end credits.
*The Katzunari single malt whiskey in Bernie's flask is a mispronounced homage to [[Kazunari Mori]], the suit actor who portrayed [[Mechagodzilla (Showa)|Mechagodzilla]] in ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' and ''[[Terror of Mechagodzilla]]''.
*''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is the first American ''Godzilla'' film to be released in a month other than May, although it was scheduled to be released in May several times.
*Ken Barthelmey designed a fifth new Hollow Earth monster, [[Shimidah]], which was ultimately cut from the film.
*Sub-Level 33 in [[Apex Cybernetics]]' Pensacola facility, which houses the company's transcontinental maglev shuttles, may be a reference to the highest degree of [[wikipedia:Scottish Rite|Scottish Rite Freemasonry]]. 1933 was also the year the original ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' film was released.
*The Titan [[Behemoth]], who was introduced in ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', was considered for a cameo in this film, though he was ultimately not included.<ref name="TAoGvK">{{cite book|author=Wallace, Daniel|title=[[Godzilla vs. Kong: One Will Fall - The Art of the Ultimate Battle Royale]]|date=21 May 2021|publisher=Insight Editions|page=20|isbn=1-64-722140-4}}</ref> He was also considered to appear through a cave painting alongside Mothra and Rodan; this scene was also cut.<ref name="Unicomb"/> Despite these omissions from the film itself, Behemoth is featured in the official prequel graphic novel ''[[Godzilla Dominion]]'', and received a 2-inch tall minifigure as part of [[Playmates]]' toy line for the film.
*''Godzilla vs. Kong'' is the first live action ''[[King Kong (franchise)|King Kong]]'' movie to take place in the 21st century.
==External links==
==External links==
*[https://www.godzillavskong.com/ Official site]
*[https://www.godzillavskong.net/ Official site]
*[https://twitter.com/GodzillavsKong Official Twitter]
*[https://twitter.com/GodzillavsKong Official Twitter]
*[https://www.facebook.com/GodzillaVsKong/ Official Facebook]
*[https://www.facebook.com/GodzillaVsKong/ Official Facebook]
*[https://www.instagram.com/godzillavskong Official Instagram]
*[https://www.instagram.com/godzillavskong Official Instagram]
*[https://collider.com/godzilla-vs-kong-plot-details-characters/ Collider set visit]
*[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/godzilla-vs-kong-set-visit-villain-mechagodzilla-ghidorah-skull/ Comicbook set visit]
*[https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1164523-cs-visits-the-australia-set-of-godzilla-vs-kong ComingSoon set visit]
*[https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/godzilla-vs-kong-50-things-to-know-about-the-monster-mash JoBlo set visit]
*[https://nerdist.com/article/godzilla-vs-kong-set-visit-monsters-adam-wingard/ Nerdist set visit]
*[https://godzilla-vs-kong-sosenkyo.jp/ Japanese poll]
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
==Notes==
{{Notelist|lower-alpha}}
{{Godzilla vs. Kong}}
{{Godzilla vs. Kong}}
{{Kaiju Movies}}
{{Kaiju Movies|tab=Godzilla|tab2=Kong}}
{{Comments|scroll=yes}}
{{Comments|scroll=yes}}
{{Era|LEG|WB|TOH|MV|FIL|GOD|KK|MG}}
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[[Category:King Kong]]
[[Category:King Kong]]
[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:2020's films]]
[[Category:2020's films]]
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Latest revision as of 17:53, 13 March 2024

Article.png
Image gallery for Godzilla vs. Kong
Videos for Godzilla vs. Kong (trailers, promos, etc.)
Godzilla vs. Kong soundtrack


Godzilla films
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla Minus One
King Kong films
Kong: Skull Island
Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Godzilla vs. Kong
See alternate titles
American poster for Godzilla vs. Kong
Directed by Adam Wingard
Producer Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno,
Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull, et al.
Written by Eric Pearson, Max Borenstein (script);
Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty,
Zach Shields (story)
Music by Tom Holkenborg
Visual
effects by
John "DJ" DesJardin
Funded by Warner Bros. Pictures,
Legendary Pictures
Production company Legendary Pictures
Distributor Warner Bros. (worldwide);
Legendary East;CH[1] TohoJP
Rating PG-13US,[2] GJP[3]
Budget $155[4]-200 million[5]
Box office $100,916,094 (U.S.)[6]
$369,200,000 (foreign)[6]
$470,116,094 (total)[6]
Running time 113 minutes
(1 hour, 53 minutes)
Aspect ratio 2.39:1
Rate this film!
4.18
(136 votes)

Not to be confused with King Kong vs. Godzilla or Godzilla vs. King Kong.
One will fall
„ 

— Tagline

Earth's greatest ultimate showdown. (地球最大の究極対決。)
„ 

— Japanese tagline

Godzilla vs. Kong (ゴジラvsコング,   Gojira buiesu Kongu) is a 2021 American science fiction monster film directed by Adam Wingard and written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein from a story by Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty, and Zach Shields, with visual effects by John "DJ" DesJardin. Funded by Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures and produced by the latter, it is the fourth Hollywood-produced Godzilla film and the 36th Godzilla film overall, as well as the fourth entry in the Monsterverse. It stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir, and Kaylee Hottle. The film was released to American theaters by Warner Bros. on March 31, 2021,[7] becoming available to stream via HBO Max the same day until April 30.[8] Toho released it to Japanese theaters on July 2.

The second film to pit Godzilla and King Kong against each other, Godzilla vs. Kong is the culmination of every entry in Legendary and Warner Bros.' Monsterverse before it. Five years after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla unexpectedly turns against humanity. Monarch organizes a mission with Apex Cybernetics, a powerful technological company, to lead an expedition with the primate Titan Kong into the Hollow Earth to retrieve a power source for a weapon capable of stopping Godzilla's rampages. As the two Titans cross paths in a ferocious conflict for supremacy, a smaller group of humans attempts to uncover a conspiracy behind Apex's activities, only to discover the company's ultimate weapon: Mechagodzilla, a mechanical colossus built to replace Godzilla as the Alpha Titan and end the ancient creatures' reign for good.

Godzilla vs. Kong will be followed by Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, scheduled for release in American theaters on March 29, 2024.

Description

Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two Titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.[9]

Plot

The year is 2024. Five years have passed since Godzilla defeated King Ghidorah and took the title “King of the Monsters.” Somewhere on Skull Island, Kong awakens as a flock of Leafwings flies overhead. Kong strolls into a nearby lake and stands underneath a waterfall, letting the water run down his body. Kong uproots a tree as the young Iwi girl Jia finishes putting together a doll of him. Jia approaches Kong and presents her doll, causing Kong to briefly lean forward to observe. Kong then turns and throws the tree into the sky, where it suddenly collides with a disguised barrier. The sky is merely a projection, part of Monarch Outpost #236, the Kong Containment unit. The rest of Skull Island is now enveloped in the perpetual raging storm that once surrounded it. Dr. Ilene Andrews, an anthropological linguist, observes Kong while another Monarch member says to her that the Outpost can no longer contain him, as he has grown too large. Andrews dismisses the notion of relocating Kong, as the second he leaves the island Godzilla will undoubtedly come for him, since there cannot be two Alpha Titans. Jia approaches Dr. Andrews and signs to her that Kong is angry, and she signs back to Jia to wait in the car for her.

In Pensacola, Florida, Bernie Hayes records an episode of his Titan Truth Podcast, explaining that he is about to obtain incriminating evidence of Apex Cybernetics’ illicit activities. He exits his car and enters the Pensacola Apex facility, where he works under deep cover as an engineer. Bernie enters the office of another Apex employee, who tells him he is not supposed to be here. Bernie annoys the employee before he finally dismisses himself, allowing Bernie to insert his flash drive into the office’s computer and begin downloading data. Bernie observes unusual shipping manifests which show technology being shipped to Apex headquarters in Hong Kong. While the download is proceeding, an alarm suddenly sounds alerting the facility of a Titan attack. Godzilla surfaces from the ocean and comes ashore to attack the facility. Bernie begins to evacuate with the other employees, but he slips through a door into a restricted area. On a rooftop, Apex CEO Walter Simmons and Chief Technology Officer Ren Serizawa flee the scene in a helicopter. Fighter jets open fire on Godzilla, who swats them aside and fires his atomic breath. Two guards demand to see Bernie’s clearance and aim their guns at him, only for a blast of Godzilla’s atomic breath to burst through the wall and incinerate them. Bernie looks through the ruins and sees a suspicious piece of glowing machinery resembling a gigantic robotic eye nearby. Godzilla then decimates the rest of the facility with his atomic breath.

In the aftermath of the attack, public opinion has turned against Godzilla, who is no longer viewed as humanity’s savior. Madison Russell views a CNN report on the situation in her classroom, then after school heads to Monarch’s relief camp in Pensacola. There, she tries to convince her father, acting Monarch director Mark Russell, that Godzilla is being provoked somehow. However, Mark dismisses his daughter’s belief in the Titan Truth Podcast and says that creatures, just like people, can change.

At the Denham University of Theoretical Science in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Simmons and Serizawa visit the office of former Monarch geologist Dr. Nathan Lind. Simmons compliments Lind’s writing on the Hollow Earth, which Lind dismisses by citing the negative reviews of his book. Serizawa presents Lind with a schematic of the Hollow Earth, which shows a tremendous energy signature similar to that possessed by Godzilla. Simmons says that if they can harness this energy, they can develop a weapon capable of competing with Godzilla. Lind says that Hollow Earth exploration is impossible, as the gravity inversion experienced when entering it instantly crushes anyone who dares to venture within. Simmons apologizes for the loss of Lind’s brother David in an earlier failed exploration mission, but he says Apex has developed a vehicle capable of withstanding the harsh gravity inversion and making exploration possible: the Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicle, or HEAV. Convinced, Lind tells Simmons he has an idea. He asks the two men if they are familiar with the concept of genetic memory, the idea that Titans are naturally drawn to their place of origin, like spawning salmon or homing pigeons. By this logic, Serizawa deduces, a Titan could show them the way to the energy source.

Lind travels to Outpost #236 to meet with Dr. Andrews and proposes that they have Kong lead them into the Hollow Earth. Andrews is again against the idea, saying that Godzilla will come after Kong as soon as he leaves the island. Lind says that Kong obviously cannot stay on the island; they can find him a new home in the Hollow Earth. He tries to convince Andrews, saying that they need to find this energy source in order to stop Godzilla. Finally, Andrews agrees, but on the condition that she is in charge of Kong. Lind agrees ecstatically and kisses Andrews, then apologizes and shakes her hand. He promises that she won’t regret this, but Andrews immediately tells Jia she regrets it.

Kong is loaded onto a ship in chains, escorted by a Naval fleet, bound for the Hollow Earth entrance in Antarctica. Lind heads to the deck to greet Apex executive Maia Simmons, the CEO’s daughter, who says she is here to “babysit” them on this mission. She tells Lind about the HEAVs, which she says are far more advanced than anything else Monarch has flown and have enough power to “light up Las Vegas for a week.” On the bridge, Lind explains the plan. They will bring Kong to Antarctica, after which they will enter the Hollow Earth. He warns that the gravitational inversion will be intense, but if the HEAVs are as good as Apex says they are, they should be able to withstand it. That night, Kong becomes restless and begins pulling at his chains, prompting Jia to come onto the deck and hold out her finger to him. Kong responds by touching his finger to hers. Andrews runs to Jia and signs to her that it is dangerous. Jia responds that Kong is sad and angry. Andrews replies that Kong doesn’t understand they are trying to help him, but Jia signs that Kong doesn’t believe that. When Andrews asks how Jia knows, she replies that Kong told her. To Andrews’ amazement, Kong signs the word “home.”

Madison’s friend Josh Valentine travels to her house in his brother’s van. Madison immediately gets into the driver’s seat and sets out to find the host of Titan Truth Podcast and figure out the secrets of Apex. En route, she explains to Josh that she tracked the host down by tracking the purchase of large amounts of bleach, which he uses to shower in order to avoid biological trackers. The two arrive in Chinatown and ask a store clerk about the host’s whereabouts. The clerk is unhelpful until Josh tries to bribe him, after which the clerk says they must mean Bernie. He says he will tell them where Bernie lives if they buy a live fish. The two track down Bernie and come to his door, but he refuses to let them in until Madison reveals her name, with Bernie recognizing her as Mark’s daughter. At a restaurant, the three discuss the situation. Madison says she believes Godzilla was provoked into attacking the Apex facility, and Bernie says he is of the same opinion. He presents her with his flash drive, which he says contains suspicious shipping manifests for cargo headed to Apex HQ in Hong Kong, which is suspicious as the facility was not supposed to be equipped for heavy shipping. Josh asks what is in Bernie’s gun holster, which he reveals to be a flask of whiskey, a keepsake from his late wife Sarah. The three then decide they will break into Apex to figure out what is really happening.

In the Tasman Sea, Andrews asks Jia why she didn’t tell her that Kong could communicate with her before, and Jia responds that Kong didn’t want anyone to know. Andrews signs that everyone knows now, then leaves to talk to Lind. Lind remarks that it is incredible that Kong is capable of communication, and Andrews responds that she had tried to establish communication with him before. Though he showed signs of recognition of some basic commands, she had no idea he actually understood sign language. Lind asks if Jia could give commands to Kong, but Andrews says she cannot and is just a child. Lind says they have to try, and that they need Kong to find the energy source. Jia, meanwhile, feels vibrations through the ship and runs to Andrews, warning her that Godzilla is coming.

Battleships open fire on Godzilla as he approaches, but do nothing to slow his approach. Fighter jets fire at him, but also fail to harm him before he uses his tail to swat one out of the sky. Godzilla plows through a ship and dives, then swims up underneath Kong’s ship. Kong roars into the sea below, after which Godzilla bursts up from the water and capsizes the ship. As the ship fills with water, Lind releases Kong’s chains, allowing him to fight back. Godzilla and Kong grapple underwater, with Kong breaking free and climbing back aboard the ship as it shifts back to its original position. Godzilla circles around the fleet, and Kong leaps across the fleet onto an aircraft carrier. Kong grabs a fighter jet and throws it at Godzilla as he approaches. Godzilla climbs onto the carrier, only to be greeted by a punch from Kong. Godzilla retaliates with a vicious slap that knocks Kong down, then charges his atomic breath. Missile fire from jets interrupts his charge, allowing Kong to ram Godzilla off of the carrier. Godzilla fires his atomic breath from under the carrier, with Kong leaping off just in time as the carrier explodes. Godzilla grabs Kong in the water, trying to pull him under. Kong kicks himself free and tries to surface, but Godzilla wraps his tail around Kong and drags him deeper and deeper. Andrews tells the commander of the fleet to fire depth charges to disorient Godzilla before Kong drowns, and he gives the order. The attack works, as Kong is able to free himself and pull himself back onto the ship. Lind tells the commander to deactivate all of the fleet’s weapons and engines, in order to “play dead” and make Godzilla think he’s won. Godzilla surfaces and observes the destroyed fleet around him, and is seemingly satisfied before swimming away. Jia waves to Kong from the bridge, signing her thanks to him. Andrews asks what they will do now, since the second they move Godzilla will come back. Lind then asks how Kong deals with heights.

Madison, Josh, and Bernie arrive at the ruined Apex facility in Pensacola and infiltrate it. They reach the area where Bernie had earlier seen the strange robotic eye but find it gone. Madison finds an elevator, which the three take to Sub-Level 33. There, they find a tram car and hide inside of it when they hear people approaching. Inside the car they see several Skullcrawler eggs, prompting Madison to ask what Apex is doing with them. The door to the car closes, and the tram system begins sending the car through an underground tunnel to Hong Kong.

A fleet of helicopters and Ospreys carries Kong in a net to Antarctica and sets him down near the entry point to the Hollow Earth. Kong investigates the unfamiliar snow around him, then turns to see Jia standing on a nearby platform. She signs to Kong that his home is through the entrance, but Kong does not go through. Lind asks Andrews if Kong will go if he thinks there are others like him through there. Andrews tells Jia to tell Kong his family might be through there, and she obliges. Kong immediately charges through the entry point, and the expedition members pursue him in three HEAVs. Kong swings along the ceiling of the tunnel before falling into a pit, with the HEAVs hot on his tail. After passing through a vortex, they find themselves within the Hollow Earth. Kong runs across the landscape with the HEAVs behind him, before a Warbat flies past and destroys one. Before the Warbat can destroy another HEAV, Kong grabs the Titan’s tail and slams the beast onto the ground, with a rock impaling its head and killing it. A second Warbat flies at Kong, who swings the dead Warbat into it. The second Warbat recovers and constricts its body around Kong, then tries to smother him with its wing. Lind’s HEAV fires missiles at the Warbat, causing it to release Kong. Kong punches the Warbat to the ground and pounds it with his fists until it goes limp, then tears off its head and eats the contents of its skull. Kong resumes running across the landscape until he comes to a cliff near a number of floating rocks. Kong jumps off the cliff and floats across to another surface.

The tram car arrives in Hong Kong, and Madison and the others disembark. They find themselves inside a huge dark chamber. As they walk through the chamber, Walter Simmons gives the order for a "demonstration" to begin. A massive mecha bearing Godzilla's frame is lifted into the chamber, while in another room Serizawa places a device on his head and activates a neural interface. The machine begins to move, with Bernie calling it "Robo-Godzilla," only for Josh to correct him by calling it "Mechagodzilla." Simmons orders "Number 10" to be released into the chamber, after which a giant Skullcrawler is unleashed. The beast gives chase after Madison and the others, but Mechagodzilla grabs it and holds it outward by its arms. The Skullcrawler flails its head violently, but to no avail. Under the control of Serizawa, Mechagodzilla fires its Proton Scream and cleaves the Skullcrawler in half with it, then powers down. Serizawa reports that Mechagodzilla reached 40% of its power, with Simmons saying they will soon no longer need to worry about power when his daughter recovers the energy source from the Hollow Earth. Madison realizes that Mechagodzilla is the reason Godzilla attacked Pensacola; Apex is trying to replace him. Detecting Mechagodzilla's activation, Godzilla begins swimming directly for Hong Kong.

Kong continues moving through the Hollow Earth before coming upon a huge stone temple. Recognizing the handprint of his species, Kong places his hand over it and pushes open a door into the temple. Kong roars into the massive chamber, but his roar echoes unanswered. Kong begins walking through the temple and finds a gigantic axe embedded in the skull of a fallen Titan. Kong pulls out the axe and wields it, beating his chest and roaring triumphantly. Kong then sits upon a giant throne.

While trying to find an exit to the Apex facility in Hong Kong, Madison and the others are horrified as they come upon a room housing Ghidorah’s skull, which has been turned into a biological supercomputer used to control Mechagodzilla. Serizawa sits inside of the skull, in some kind of trance. Meanwhile, Godzilla arrives in Hong Kong and makes his way into the heart of the city before charging and firing his atomic breath directly at the ground.

In the Hollow Earth, everyone disembarks from the HEAVs. Maia asks where the energy source is, just before Kong’s axe begins to glow blue. Kong sees a depression in the ground in the shape of his axe, and places it into it next to several other axes. This causes the floor to glow and pulse with energy, forming a design resembling Godzilla and revealing the sought-after energy source. Apex releases a drone to harvest the energy, but Andrews protests, saying Apex cannot simply take the find of the millennium. Maia says they can do whatever they want and has her men aim their guns at the Monarch members, causing the angered Kong to roar at the guards in their defense. The drone sends the data to Apex HQ, allowing the energy signature to be copied. Simmons excitedly tells Serizawa to prepare himself to pilot Mechagodzilla, but Serizawa warns that the upgrade is untested and that they can’t be sure what effect the energy will have on the mecha. Simmons dismisses these concerns and tells Serizawa to activate the mecha. When the temple begins to shake, the Hellhawks roosting on the ceiling become active and attack the humans. Maia and her guards enter a HEAV and try to escape, while Kong and Monarch deal with the attacking Hellhawks. Lind, Andrews, and Jia rush to the other HEAV, but they are confronted by a Hellhawk. Lind throws a rock at it, but it only serves to aggravate the beast. Godzilla's atomic breath breaches the temple, sending the Hellhawk flying and allowing the three to reach the HEAV. Maia orders her HEAV to fire at Kong as it tries to escape, but Kong catches it and crushes it in his hand. Witnessing the temple collapsing, Kong, now greatly angered by Godzilla’s actions, grabbed his axe and leaps through the hole created by Godzilla’s atomic breath, then begins climbing to Hong Kong.

Madison and the others continue infiltrating Apex headquarters, but are caught by security. Kong surfaces in Hong Kong and exchanges roars with Godzilla. The two Titans begin fighting, with Kong trying to hit Godzilla with his axe. The axe gets stuck in a building, and Kong resorts to trying to physically fight the larger Godzilla. Godzilla tries to fire his atomic breath but is stopped by Kong. Godzilla frees himself from Kong’s grip; Kong retaliates by striking him in the head. Kong kicks Godzilla to the ground, after which he tries to fire his atomic breath again. Kong shoves the handle of the axe down Godzilla’s throat, stopping the blast. Godzilla fires again, but Kong uses the axe to block it. Godzilla tackles Kong, who embeds his axe into Godzilla's leg. Godzilla retaliates by throwing Kong into the water, then pulls the axe out of his leg with his jaws. Godzilla fires his atomic breath, with Kong running through the city to avoid it. One blast strikes Kong in the back, burning him and knocking him down. Kong gets back up, only for Godzilla to fire his atomic breath again and forcing Kong to dodge it again. Kong climbs a skyscraper, which Godzilla knocks over with his atomic breath. The surviving HEAV travels through the crater into Hong Kong, narrowly weaving between the two battling Titans. Kong tears off a radio dish from a surrounding skyscraper to utilize as a makeshift shield against the beam. Closing the distance, Kong grabs his axe again and climbs onto a building, then leaps off at Godzilla who fires his atomic breath. Kong blocks the blast with the axe and strikes Godzilla, creating an explosion that knocks both monsters back. The axe loses its charge as Lind declares that it appears Kong won the second round.

Back inside Apex HQ, Madison and the others are brought before Simmons, who recognizes Madison. Madison accuses Simmons of causing all of this, but Simmons says he is proud of having created a weapon to stand up to Godzilla. Kong and Godzilla get back to their feet, with Godzilla hunting for Kong. Kong throws a crane to distract Godzilla, then leaps at him. The Titans exchange blows again, before a furious Godzilla bites down on Kong's hand and throws him into a building, dislocating his shoulder. Godzilla drops onto all fours and aggressively pursues Kong, who kicks at Godzilla’s face as he tries to crawl away. Godzilla pounces onto Kong and claws into his chest repeatedly, then stomps on his chest twice. Kong weakly tries to pull Godzilla’s foot off of him, but to no avail. Godzilla roars angrily in Kong’s face, who answers him with a roar of his own. Godzilla takes his foot off of Kong and begins to walk away, while Kong tries to get back to his feet. However, Kong is too badly hurt and passes out.

As Mechagodzilla is activated with the new energy source, Simmons brags that his mecha is now Godzilla's superior. However, something goes wrong as Serizawa is disconnected from the mecha, which becomes possessed by Ghidorah's consciousness instead. The rogue Mechagodzilla punches into the control room and kills Simmons, after which an electrical shock kills Serizawa. Mechagodzilla frees itself from underneath Victoria Peak Mountain with its Proton Scream, then begins rampaging through the city. Godzilla sees his mechanical duplicate and roars before charging at it. Mechagodzilla fires a barrage of missiles at Godzilla, then uses its jet boosters to outmaneuver Godzilla and lands several vicious hits on him. Madison and the others see this taking place, and Josh tries to hack into Mechagodzilla’s control system to stop it. The HEAV lands near the fallen Kong, with the occupants witnessing the battle between Godzilla and Mechagodzilla. Jia feels Kong’s heartbeat slowing and relays this information to the others. Andrews says they can’t produce a charge big enough to restart Kong’s heart, but Lind remembers what Maia said about the HEAVs producing a charge big enough to power Las Vegas for a week. Godzilla and Mechagodzilla engage in a beam lock which Mechagodzilla wins, blasting Godzilla to the ground and badly burning his chest. Lind flies the HEAV onto Kong's chest and sets it to self-destruct. He quickly exits the craft and runs away from it before it explodes. Kong is instantly revived and looks at Jia, who signs to him that Godzilla is not the enemy. Kong roars in anger, but Jia signs to him that Mechagodzilla is the real enemy. Kong watches Godzilla fighting Mechagodzilla and seems to accept this, then pops his shoulder back into place by slamming it into a nearby building.

Mechagodzilla continues badly beating Godzilla, then grabs him by the mouth and begins prying his jaws apart. Just before Mechagodzilla can fire its Proton Scream down Godzilla's throat, Kong leaps onto its back and pulls its head back, causing it to fire into the sky. Godzilla sees this and gets back up, grabbing Mechagodzilla’s arm as Kong grabs the other arm. Both Titans then pull the mecha through a building to the ground. Mechagodzilla gets back up and grapples with Godzilla and Kong. Mechagodzilla is still too powerful and knocks both Titans aside. Kong sees his axe and grabs it, then begins swinging it at Mechagodzilla. Mechagodzilla pins Kong against a building and begins spinning the blades at the end of its tail, trying to shove them into Kong’s face. Josh is unable to hack into Mechagodzilla's control panel, which locks him out. With all hope seemingly lost, Bernie pulls out his flask and suggests they have one last drink. This gives Josh an idea, and he grabs the flask and pours it all over the control panel. This causes it to spark and explode, making Mechagodzilla momentarily stall. Using this opportunity, Godzilla fires his atomic breath at Kong's axe, charging it. Kong swings his axe and slices off the end of Mechagodzilla's tail, freeing himself, then continues to swing it until he hacks off its arm. Kong then cuts off the mecha's other arm, then its leg. Mechagodzilla falls to the ground and begins charging one last Proton Scream before Kong strikes it in the neck, then leaps onto it and tears off its head. Kong holds up Mechagodzilla's severed head and roars triumphantly, ending the terror of Mechagodzilla. Exhausted, Kong then slumps down.

Andrews finds Lind among the ruins of Hong Kong and helps him through the rubble. Madison runs through the streets and finds her father, and the two share an embrace. Josh tells Mark that the whole thing was Madison’s idea, and Mark simply tells him to "shut up." Madison introduces Mark to Bernie, who says it's a pleasure to meet him and asks if he can invite him on his podcast sometime. Lind, Andrews, and Jia sit together, exhausted, among the rubble. Godzilla then roars loudly, drawing everyone's attention. Kong grabs his axe again and approaches Godzilla, and the two Titans stare each other down, with Godzilla displaying no hostile intentions towards Kong. Kong hesitates and then drops his axe. The two Titans briefly acknowledge each other, after which Godzilla roars at him before turning around and returning to the sea peacefully.

Inside the Hollow Earth, Lind, Andrews, and Jia watch Kong from an observation post as he goes on his morning walk. Kong signs the word "home" to Jia, who smiles back at him. Kong then swings onto a cliff and pounds his chest triumphantly.

Staff

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

Cast

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

  • Alexander Skarsgård   as   Dr. Nathan Lind, Monarch Chief Cartographer
  • Millie Bobby Brown   as   Madison Russell
  • Rebecca Hall   as   Dr. Ilene Andrews, Monarch anthropological linguist
  • Brian Tyree Henry   as   Bernie Hayes, Titan Truth Podcast host
  • Shun Oguri   as   Ren Serizawa, Apex Cybernetics Chief Technology Officer
  • Eiza González   as   Maia Simmons, Apex executive
  • Julian Dennison   as   Josh Valentine
  • Lance Reddick   as   Guillermin
  • Kyle Chandler   as   Dr. Mark Russell, Monarch Director
  • Demián Bichir   as   Walter Simmons, Apex CEO
  • Kaylee Hottle   as   Jia, last survivor of the Iwi
  • Hakeem Kae-Kazim   as   Admiral Wilcox
  • Ronny Chieng   as   Jay Wayne
  • John Pirruccello   as   Horace
  • Chris Chalk   as   Ben
  • Conlan Casal, Brad McMurray   as   Apex Cybernetics security guards
  • Benjamin Rigby   as   Sonar operator
  • Nick Turello   as   Apex Cybernetics armed guard
  • Daniel Nelson   as   Hayworth
  • Priscilla Doueihy   as   Monarch mission tech
  • Kei Kudo, Bradd Buckley   as   HEAV pilots
  • John Walton, Daniel Tuiara   as   HEAV co-pilots
  • David Castillo, Kofi Yiadom, Jim Palmer   as   Maia's Apex Cybernetics guards
  • Eric Petey   as   King Kong (motion capture, uncredited)[10]

Japanese dub

  • Kenjiro Tsuda   as   Dr. Nathan Lind
  • Mana Ashida   as   Madison Russell
  • Maaya Sakamoto   as   Dr. Ilene Andrews
  • Matsuya Onoe   as   Bernie Hayes
  • Shun Oguri   as   Ren Serizawa
  • Minami Tanaka   as   Maia Simmons
  • Yuji Tanaka   as   Josh Valentine
  • Shinsuke Kasai   as   Guillermin
  • Kei Tanaka   as   Dr. Mark Russell
  • Kazuhiro Yamaji   as   Walter Simmons
  • Jin Yamanoi   as   Admiral Wilcox
  • Hidenori Takahashi   as   Jay Wayne
  • Daiki Hamano   as   Ben

Appearances

Titans and superspecies

Other monsters

Weapons, vehicles, races, and organizations


Development

Rumors of a King Kong vs. Godzilla remake began as soon as Legendary Pictures announced Kong: Skull Island in 2014. On September 10, 2015, Deadline reported that the project's move from Universal Pictures to Godzilla distributor Warner Bros. was meant to facilitate a rematch between the two monsters.[14] The Hollywood Reporter published its own article on the impending crossover six days later.[15] On October 14, 2015, Legendary confirmed its intent to launch a cinematic universe featuring both Godzilla and King Kong, as well as other giant monsters including Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. Godzilla was the first entry in this cinematic universe, later officially dubbed the Monsterverse, and it was to be followed by Kong: Skull Island and the Godzilla sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters before finally culminating with Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020.[16]

On March 10, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Legendary would be assembling a writers room to come up with the story for the film, comprised of Terry Rossio (who previously worked on the original version of TriStar's Godzilla film), Patrick McKay, J. D. Payne, Lindsey Beer, Cat Vasko, T. S. Nowlin, and J. Michael Straczynski.[17] Adam Wingard finalized a deal to become the film's director on May 30.[18]

On June 1, That Hashtag Show revealed that Deadpool 2 star Julian Dennison had been cast in the film in a supporting role, while Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler would both be reprising their roles from Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The article also reported that Legendary had offered Frances McDormand a starring role in the film, which it later retracted.[19] The following day, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed this report, save for the talks with McDormand, adding that Zhang Ziyi would be reprising her role from Godzilla: King of the Monsters as well.[20]

Further casting announcements followed as the film neared the start of production: Brian Tyree Henry on October 10,[21] Demián Bichir on October 17,[22] Alexander Skarsgård on October 25,[23] Eiza González[24] and Rebecca Hall on October 30,[25] Jessica Henwick on November 8,[26] Shun Oguri on November 11,[27] and Lance Reddick on November 14.[28] Henwick and Zhang were ultimately cut from the film, with Reddick's role reduced.

On June 10, 2020, Film Music Reporter announced that Tom Holkenborg, better known by the stage name Junkie XL, would be scoring the film.[29]

Production

While Godzilla vs. Kong's exact production budget is unclear, Legendary were reported to have put up 75% and Warner Bros. Pictures 25%, just as they had on previous Monsterverse entries.[5][30] Forbes reported less than a month after the film's release that Legendary had contributed $120 million and Warner Bros. $40 million, for a total of $160 million.[31] However, other estimates have included $155 million,[4] $165 million,[32] $180 million,[33] $200 million,[5] or higher.[34]

Principal photography on Godzilla vs. Kong began on November 12, 2018 in Hawaii, under the title Apex.[35] The production wrapped in Hawaii on December 20 and resumed at Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford, Australia, in the third week of January.[36] Outdoor shoots took place at various Gold Coast locations, wrapping in early April.[37][38] Five days of reshoots were conducted afterwards.[39]

After the film's release, production assistant Ryan Unicomb detailed elements of the story that were removed or reshot:[40]

  • Nathan Lind's initial attempt to explore the Hollow Earth would have led to the death of his fiancé instead of his brother. As in Kingdom Kong and the novelization, their entry point was Skull Island. The experience would have made him "a depressed drunk who hangs out at dive bars."
  • Maia Simmons would have used a device called the Orca-Z to cause Godzilla to attack the Apex facility in Pensacola, with the hopes of setting up her father as a hero when he killed Godzilla with Mechagodzilla. This would have further explained Godzilla breaking off his attack against the naval fleet and Kong, as shutting off the fleet's power would have disabled the Orca-Z as well. In the novelization, Madison Russell speculates that Apex built a new Orca, but nothing comes of it.
  • As in the novelization, Madison would be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters and have a strained relationship with her father.
  • The film only implies Ren Serizawa is Ishiro Serizawa's son through their shared surname; initially, this would have been made explicit. Serizawa would have also betrayed Simmons, using a hitman to murder the CEO and deliberately uploading Ghidorah's consciousness into Mechagodzilla. Bernie Hayes would kill the hitman before he could dispatch Madison and Josh Valentine.
  • Jessica Henwick's character, who was cut from the film entirely, was a reporter. In the novelization, Mark Russell fields questions from reporters after Godzilla attacks Pensacola, although they only have one line each.
  • Paintings in Kong's temple would have depicted Mothra, Rodan, and Behemoth as participants in an "ancient war." The finished film shows a cave painting of Mothra, Godzilla, a member of Kong's species, and a Skullcrawler, but only in the opening credits.

Marketing

On May 30, 2019, the day before the American release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, an advertisement for Godzilla vs. Kong was shown at Licensing Expo 2019, featuring artwork of the two titular monsters battling with the tagline "One will fall." Two short clips from the film, including a shot of Nathan Lind exiting the HEAV, and a clip of a Kong throwing a punch at Godzilla, played before the Warner Bros. presentation at Comic-Con Experience in Brazil on December 8, 2019.[41]

On January 7, 2020, photographs from a toy expo surfaced online showing much of the Playmates toyline for Godzilla vs. Kong. Most noteworthy were figures of Mechagodzilla, a new monster later identified as Warbat, a Skullcrawler, Godzilla wearing red armor (labeled "Mega Godzilla"), and Kong wielding an axe. On May 20, Legendary Comics held a digital WonderCon panel discussing the upcoming graphic novel tie-ins for the film. The panel revealed the authors and illustrators behind the Kong- and Godzilla-centric graphic novels, as well as The Art of Godzilla vs. Kong and an untitled Kong picture book. Images from the graphic novels were shown as well. Two shots of Godzilla and Kong were included in a Warner Bros. sizzle reel shown at Comic-Con Experience on December 6.

Marketing for Godzilla vs. Kong did not begin in earnest until just over two months before its release, owing to multiple release date changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 21, Legendary Pictures unveiled the first poster for the film, showing Godzilla swimming towards Kong in Hong Kong, and announced that the trailer for the film would be released on Sunday, January 24.[42] They also launched Twitter and Instagram accounts specifically for the film. MonarchSciences.com, originally created to market Godzilla: King of the Monsters, came back online with an emergency warning instead of its map: "TITANUS GOJIRA AND TITANUS KONG ON COLLISION COURSE." The website later changed back to its usual global interactive map format. YouTube began running short ads for the film the same day. When the trailer dropped, it accumulated 25.6 million views in 24 hours, a record for a Warner Bros. trailer in that time frame.[43] Toho released the film's Japanese trailer, containing new footage, on February 7.[44] On February 14, the official Godzilla vs. Kong Twitter released a teaser with new footage.[45] New TV spots and posters continued to drop throughout the rest of the month and into March.

On March 8, Tamashii Nations opened a pop-up shop in New York City which displayed their Godzilla vs. Kong S.H. MonsterArts figures, Jia's costume, props of two Skullcrawler eggs, and a DougheGoji statue.[46] The shop closed on April 25.

Gallery

Main article: Godzilla vs. Kong/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: Godzilla vs. Kong/Soundtrack.

Alternate titles

  • GvK (abbreviated title)
  • Kong vs. Godzilla (Indonesia)
  • Godzilla vs. King Kong (哥吉拉大戰金剛 Gējílā dàzhàn Jīngāng; China)
    • (哥斯拉大戰金剛 Go1si1laai1 daai6zin3 Gam1gong1; Hong Kong)
    • (哥吉拉大戰金剛 Gējílā dàzhàn Jīngāng; Taiwan)
  • Godzilla V Kong (title on official YouTube playlist for the film's soundtrack)[47]
  • قودزيلا فرزس كونغ (Saudi Arabia)

Theatrical releases

  • France, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine - March 24, 2021
  • Argentina, Australia, Chile, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea - March 25, 2021
  • Bulgaria, China, Spain, Vietnam - March 26, 2021
  • Canada, United States - March 31, 2021
  • Lithuania - April 1, 2021
  • Sweden - April 28, 2021
  • Brazil - April 29* / May 6, 2021
  • Portugal - May 6, 2021
  • Slovakia - May 20, 2021
  • United Kingdom - May 21, 2021
  • Israel - June 3, 2021
  • Japan - July 2, 2021

Warner Bros. changed the American release date for Godzilla vs. Kong repeatedly:

  • Legendary Pictures dated the film for 2020 when revealing it on October 14, 2015.[16]
  • The first specific release date was May 29, 2020, announced on May 10, 2016.[48]
  • Moved to May 22, 2020 on May 3, 2017.[49]
  • Moved to March 13, 2020 on February 21, 2019, to avoid competition with F9.[50]
  • Moved to November 20, 2020 on November 25, 2019.[51]
  • Moved to May 21, 2021 on June 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[52]
  • Moved to March 26, 2021 on January 15, 2021.
  • Moved to March 31, 2021 on January 26, 2021, to better take advantage of the Easter holiday.[53]

On November 25, 2020, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that WarnerMedia and Warner Bros. were in talks to release Godzilla vs. Kong on HBO Max the same day it would open in theaters, echoing plans for Wonder Woman 1984, after the former blocked a $200 million-plus offer from Netflix.[54] Warner made these plans official on December 3, unveiling a new Godzilla vs. Kong banner in its announcement video.[8] The film was only available on the service for one month after its theatrical premiere. The following day, it was reported that Legendary was pondering legal action against Warner Bros. over its plans to place the film on HBO Max, as the studio was largely kept out of the loop of this plan and supplied a sizeable portion of its $160 million budget.[4]

Premium formats

  • 3D (post-converted)
  • IMAX 3D
  • Dolby Vision and Atmos[55]

Japanese release

Japanese Godzilla vs. Kong poster

Godzilla vs. Kong was released theatrically in Japan by Toho. It was initially scheduled for May 14, but was pushed back to July 2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[56] It was released with both a Japanese-language dub and in its original English audio with Japanese subtitles. Like Godzilla: King of the Monsters before it, the film received its own Japanese tie-in song: "INTO THE DEEP" by the band MAN WITH A MISSION. Shun Oguri, like Ken Watanabe in the previous two Monsterverse Godzilla films, provided the Japanese voice for his character Ren Serizawa. The film's Japanese dub also features Kazuhiro Yamaji, who previously voiced the character Endurph in the GODZILLA anime trilogy, as the voice of Walter Simmons.

Reception

To be added.

Box office

Godzilla vs. Kong was one of many Hollywood films initially scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, Warner Bros. announced it would release a full 2021 lineup to theaters, in tandem with one-month HBO Max releases in the United States, rather than continue to delay its films until COVID-19 vaccines became widely available. This meant Godzilla vs. Kong opened at a time when many potential viewers were reluctant to visit a movie theater for fear of infection; in addition, many theaters faced seating capacity restrictions or were temporarily shuttered. However, with the other major studios continuing to push back most of their films, it faced minimal box office competition in its first three weeks of release.[57]

Godzilla vs. Kong began its international rollout on March 24 and opened to $121.8 million, easily the best figure for a Hollywood movie in the past year.[58] In China, it made $70.3 million in its opening, narrowly exceeding the debut of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.[58] The film launched on March 31 in the United States, an unusual Wednesday release to take advantage of the Easter holiday. It made $9.6 million on its opening day and $48.5 million in its first five days, both records for the pandemic era at the time.[59][60] Its release prompted Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain in the country, to begin reopening its theaters on April 2, after closing them all in October.[59] It remained the #1 film at the U.S. box office in its second and third weekends, and would not fall out of the top 10 until its 11th frame. It surpassed the $386.6 million global box office take of Godzilla: King of the Monsters in mid-April,[61] and became the second pandemic-era film to earn $100 million domestically. Its final domestic haul of $100.6 million ranked 12th for the year.[62] Internationally, it finished with $470.1 million, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2021 and the highest-grossing film of the year for Warner Bros.[63] It is the second Godzilla film to reach the yearly top 10 earners, after GODZILLA in 1998.

Accolades

Kong's Facepalm.png Rework awards table to less closely resemble the one on Wikipedia.

Godzilla vs. Kong received a Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for casting deaf actress Kaylee Hottle in the role of Jia.[64]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result References
Australian Effects & Animation Festival August 23, 2021 Weta Digital for Feature Film – VFX Godzilla vs. Kong Won[a] [65]
MPC Film for Feature Film – Sequence Hong Kong Battle’ sequence Won[b]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards December 13, 2021 Best Visual Effects Godzilla vs Kong Nominated [66]
Best Horror/Sci-Fi Film Nominated
Chinese American Film Festival November 5, 2021 Most Popular US Film in China Won [67]
Dragon Awards September 7, 2021 Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie Nominated [68]
Denver Film Critics Society January 20, 2022 Best Visual Effects Nominated [69]
DiscussingFilm Critic Awards January 4, 2022 Best Visual Effects Nominated [70]
Golden Schmoes Awards December 13, 2021 Best Visual Effects Nominated [71]
Best Sci-Fi Movie of the Year Nominated
Favorite Poster Movie of the Year Nominated
Best Action Sequence of the Year Godzilla & Kong vs Mechagodzilla Nominated
Minnesota Film Critics Alliance March 8, 2022 Best Visual Effects Godzilla vs. Kong Nominated [72]
North Carolina Film Critics Association January 5, 2022 Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award Brian Tyree Henry (shared with Eternals and The Woman in the Window) – From Fayetteville, North Carolina Nominated [73]
People's Choice Awards December 7, 2021 The Action Movie of 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong Nominated [74]
Portland Critics Association December 17, 2021 Best Visual Effects Nominated [75]
Best Science Feature Nominated
Visual Effects Society March 8, 2022 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature John "D.J." Des Jardin, Tamara Kent, Bryan Hirota, Kevin Smith, Mike Meinardus Nominated [76]
Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project Shawn Hull, Robert Wiese, Steven Tom, Eric Petey (for Ocean Battle) Nominated
Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature Jonathan Freisler, Nahuel Alberto Letizia, Eloi Andaluz Fullà, Saysana Rintharamy (for Ocean Water & Battle Destruction) Nominated
Hollywood Professional Association Awards November 18, 2021 Outstanding Sound – Feature Film Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Zupancic, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, and Jason W. Jennings Nominated [77]
Outstanding Visual Effects – Feature Film Pier Lefebvre, Michael Langford, Timucin Ozger, Sarang Deshpande, and Joshua Toonen Nominated
Satellite Awards April 2, 2022 Best Visual Effects John Desjardin, Bryan Hirota, Tamara Watts Kent, and Kevin Smith Nominated [78]
Saturn Awards October 25, 2022 Best Science Fiction Film Godzilla vs. Kong Nominated [79][80]
Best Special / Visual Effects John "D.J." Des Jardin, Bryan Hirota, Kevin Andrew Smith, Pier Lefebvre, and Mike Meinardus Won

Video releases

Warner Bros. 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD / Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD / DVD (2021)[81]

  • Region: Various (Blu-ray and DVD)
  • Discs: 2
  • Audio: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and Dolby Digital 5.1 for the English audio on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray; all other options in Dolby Digital 5.1) [U.S. release - will vary depending on country]
  • Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese [U.S. release - will vary depending on country]
  • Special features: Audio commentary by director Adam Wingard and 10 featurettes ("Godzilla Attacks", 6:25; "The Phenomenon of Gojira: King of the Monsters", 9:52; "Kong Leaves Home", 7:26; "Kong Discovers Hollow Earth", 7:53; "Behold Kong's Temple", 5:52; "The Rise of Mechagodzilla", 7:06; "Round One: Battle at Sea", 5:01; "Round Two: One Will Fall", 5:58; "Titan Tag Team: The King and the God", 7:59)

Future

Main articles: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Skull Island (series), Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

While Godzilla vs. Kong was the last official Monsterverse film to be confirmed at the time of its release, a spinoff animated series focusing on Kong titled Skull Island was announced by Netflix in January 2021. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a live action series set between the events of Godzilla and Godzilla: King of the Monsters which will focus on Monarch and feature Godzilla and other Titans, was confirmed to be in development at Apple TV+ on January 20, 2022. Rumors had began swirling shortly after the success of Godzilla vs. Kong that a fifth film was in the works, but it was not confirmed until March 20, 2022. Adam Wingard returned to direct the film, shot under the working title Origins and ultimately titled Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Warner Bros. will release it to theaters on April 12, 2024.

Videos

Main article: Godzilla vs. Kong/Videos.

Trivia

  • With a runtime of 113 minutes, Godzilla vs. Kong is the shortest entry in the Monsterverse, as well as the shortest American Godzilla film.
  • Godzilla vs. Kong is the first Godzilla movie to feature "vs." in its English title since Godzilla vs. Megaguirus in 2000. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as Gojira tai Mekagojira ("Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla"), was the last to use "vs." in its title overall.
    • It is also the first film to include the English "vs." in its Japanese title since 1995's Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (ゴジラvsデストロイア,   Gojira tai Desutoroia).
  • In 2013, Peter Jackson approached future Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard with an offer to direct a sequel to his 2005 King Kong remake called Skull Island, written by Simon Barrett and produced by Mary Parent.[82] According to Wingard, the film was never made because it "was set up at Universal, and the King Kong rights somehow ended up at Warner Bros." Parent also produced Godzilla vs. Kong, while Barrett would go on to co-write the upcoming fifth Monsterverse film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
  • Both Zhang Ziyi and Jessica Henwick were cast for Godzilla vs. Kong, but neither appears in the finished film. Ziyi was set to reprise her role as Dr. Ilene Chen from Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Her name even appeared in the online description of the film's novelization, although Chen does not make an appearance in the novel either.
  • Madison and Mark Russell are the only human characters in the film to return from a previous entry in the Monsterverse.
  • Mechagodzilla is the final monster of Toho's "Big Five" to appear in a Monsterverse film, the others being Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.
  • This is the second film in which King Kong fights a mechanized version of a monster. The first time was in King Kong Escapes, where he fought his own mechanical duplicate, Mechani-Kong, who inspired the creation of Mechagodzilla.
  • The Denham University of Theoretical Science is named after Carl Denham from the original King Kong.
  • Mechagodzilla emerges from a mountain, engages in a beam lock with Godzilla, and is defeated by Godzilla and another monster by having its head torn off, much like its Showa counterpart. In this telling, however, Kong tears off the machine's head instead of Godzilla.
  • Mechagodzilla being built using King Ghidorah's severed head as a neural interface is reminiscent of the film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, where it was constructed using technology salvaged from Mecha-King Ghidorah's severed mechanical middle head.
    • Furthermore, Mechagodzilla going berserk and turning on its creators is similar to the Shogakukan manga adaptation of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, where Mecha-King Ghidorah's programming takes over Mechagodzilla and brutally attempts to kill Godzilla. In both stories, another monster helps him take down the machine: Fire Rodan in the manga and Kong in the film.
  • As in many of his films, Kong is transported from his island by boat. Furthermore, Kong being airlifted is reminiscent of scenes in both King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes.
  • Godzilla attacking Kong at sea while he is being transported is reminiscent of his attack on Mothra's egg in Godzilla vs. Mothra.
  • During Godzilla and Kong's Hong Kong battle, Kong shoves the handle of his axe down Godzilla's throat, referencing a famous scene from King Kong vs. Godzilla where Kong shoves a tree down Godzilla's throat. Kong is also revived by electricity at the end of both films.
  • Mechagodzilla attempts to finish off Godzilla by firing its Proton Scream into his mouth, a callback to Godzilla's "Kiss of Death" attack he performed on the female MUTO in Godzilla.
  • The name of Lance Reddick's character, Guillermin, is a reference to British filmmaker John Guillermin, who directed the 1976 King Kong remake and its sequel King Kong Lives.
  • Wingard offered James Rolfe a cameo in the film, but he declined due to the impending birth of his second child.[83]
  • The film's opening credits plagiarize a piece of Skullcrawler fanart by DeviantArt user Ramul.[84][85] A Chinese Monsterverse celebration poster plagiarized a piece of Skullcrawler fanart by Twitter user @endorosu as well.[86][87]
  • During the film's opening credits sequence, Godzilla and Kong's Japanese names ゴジラ (Gojira) and キングコング (Kingu Kongu) are briefly displayed.
  • Terry Rossio received a story credit on Godzilla vs. Kong after writing an unused Godzilla script for TriStar Pictures in 1994 with Ted Elliott. As in that script, Godzilla walks on all fours in Godzilla vs. Kong, albeit briefly.
  • The film's English audio description identifies the Rockclaws Kong awakens in the Hollow Earth as Arachno-claws and Doug, the giant lizard that eats one, as a Foetodon. Both of these are species from the 2005 King Kong remake by Universal Pictures, which has no affiliation with the Monsterverse.
  • This is the second movie to feature both King Kong and Mechagodzilla, after Ready Player One, but the first in which they meet. Photographs of both Kong and Mechagodzilla also appeared in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
  • Actor Kyle Chandler had previously appeared in a King Kong movie (the 2005 King Kong remake) and a Godzilla movie (the previous Monsterverse entry, Godzilla: King of the Monsters).
  • Kong popping his shoulder back into place is a reference to Martin Riggs doing the same in Lethal Weapon 2. The film is listed in the "Photos / Artwork / Footage Courtesy of" section of the end credits.
  • Kong attempts to pry open and break both Godzilla and Mechagodzilla's jaws, a technique he has performed on many adversaries in past films.
Kong's arm clipping through a building
  • In an apparent animation error, Kong's left arm clips through a building during the Hong Kong battle.
  • Godzilla grunts at the conclusion of the end credits.
  • The Katzunari single malt whiskey in Bernie's flask is a mispronounced homage to Kazunari Mori, the suit actor who portrayed Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla.
  • Godzilla vs. Kong is the first American Godzilla film to be released in a month other than May, although it was scheduled to be released in May several times.
  • Ken Barthelmey designed a fifth new Hollow Earth monster, Shimidah, which was ultimately cut from the film.
  • Sub-Level 33 in Apex Cybernetics' Pensacola facility, which houses the company's transcontinental maglev shuttles, may be a reference to the highest degree of Scottish Rite Freemasonry. 1933 was also the year the original King Kong film was released.
  • The Titan Behemoth, who was introduced in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, was considered for a cameo in this film, though he was ultimately not included.[88] He was also considered to appear through a cave painting alongside Mothra and Rodan; this scene was also cut.[40] Despite these omissions from the film itself, Behemoth is featured in the official prequel graphic novel Godzilla Dominion, and received a 2-inch tall minifigure as part of Playmates' toy line for the film.
  • Godzilla vs. Kong is the first live action King Kong movie to take place in the 21st century.

External links

References

This is a list of references for Godzilla vs. Kong. 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]

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  84. Attila, Kovács (31 March 2021). "HOLY SHIT! I was watching the opening of #GodzillaVsKong and they just picked deviantart user Remul's fanart and placed it into this map thingie. And it's clearly not just in a similar position, you can see it has the same mole-like hands, which differs from the canon versions". Twitter.
  85. Ramul (14 August 2017). "Speculative K:SI bullshit: Skullcrawler". DeviantArt.
  86. P (2 June 2021). "In this Chinese #Monsterverse celebration poster, you can spot a Skullcrawler on it wich is a fanart from user @endorosu , and I pretty sure they just searched from a transparent image of the Skullcrawler on Google because if you search it, you will find it". Twitter.
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  88. Wallace, Daniel (21 May 2021). Godzilla vs. Kong: One Will Fall - The Art of the Ultimate Battle Royale. Insight Editions. p. 20. ISBN 1-64-722140-4.

Notes

  1. Won gold place.
  2. Won silver place.

Comments

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