Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (TV 2023-2024)
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| This article concerns an upcoming subject, and will be updated with new information as it arises. |
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (モナーク：レガシー・オブ・モンスターズ Monāku: Regashī obu Monsutāzu) is an upcoming television miniseries produced by Legendary Television which will premiere exclusively on the Apple TV+ streaming service on November 17, 2023.[1] It is the second television series to be set in the Monsterverse, after Netflix's animated series Skull Island released earlier in the same year, and takes place between the events of the films Godzilla (2014) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). Following members of the organization Monarch as they encounter Godzilla and other Titans over the span of a half century, the series will star Kurt and Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski.
Descriptions
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Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.[5]
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After surviving Godzilla’s attack on San Francisco, Cate is shaken yet again by a shocking secret. Amid monstrous threats, she embarks on a globetrotting adventure to learn the truth about her family—and the mysterious organization known as Monarch.[3]
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Development
The series was announced by Apple on January 20, 2022. Produced by Legendary Television with executive production from co-creators Chris Black and Matt Fraction, Safehouse Pictures, and Toho, it will be set after the events of 2014's Godzilla.[6]
Four days later on January 24, Charles Murphy of Murphy's Multiverse reported that the series had been given the title "Hourglass" and was scheduled to begin production that May.[7] This proved true with the release of issue 1283 of Production Weekly on January 27, which confirmed its working title as Hourglass as well as its planned production period.[8] The publication also revealed additional producers and Chris Black and Matt Fraction's role as writers, among other staff.[8] Issue 1286 of Production Weekly, released on February 17, confirmed that the series would be shooting in Vancouver, Tokyo, and Hawaii, and gave a new title of "Monarch".[9]
On April 14, issue #1294 of Production Weekly reported Matt Shakman as director.[10] On May 5, issue #1297 reported that Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell were rumored for the roles of "Old Lee Shaw" and "Young Lee Shaw," respectively.[11] Variety reported on May 19 that Shakman would only be directing the series' first two episodes as well as executive producing.[12] Production Weekly dropped the Monarch title with issue #1305 on June 30, instead switching to "Godzilla and the Titans." The same issue reported Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski as cast members;[13] Deadline corroborated this the same day, though it maintained that the series was still untitled.[14]
Variety confirmed Kurt and Wyatt Russell's casting on July 20, though their roles were not specified.[15] On August 18, Deadline reported that Mari Yamamoto had also joined the cast.[16] On October 3, Variety announced that Anders Holm had joined.[17]
On November 13, writer and executive producer Matt Fraction spoke briefly about the series in a post for his and Kelly Sue DeConnick's subscription newsletter Milkfed Dispatches, revealing the show to be 10 episodes long.[18] Between February 7 and 8 of 2023, Collider and ComicBook.com reported on interviews both had conducted with Shakman. In the former interview, he stated the show to be in post-production and that it will have "some overlap" with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, though "it's not as involved as, say, an MCU kind of Disney+ film crossover. It's less organized than that."[19][20] In the latter, he revealed that the series will involve "a lot of cool Titans and monsters, some new, some old."[21]
On February 23, trademarks were filed for "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" by Legend IP Holdings Production, LLC.[22] The title was announced officially that August 17, along with the series' projected release window.[4]
Production
The series filmed in Vancouver, Tokyo, and Hawaii.[9] A shooting period was initially set for between May 9 and November 16, 2022,[8] with the British Columbia unit to begin on May 26 and conclude on October 18.[11] However, the BC unit's shooting period was later moved back to between July 6 and December 19.[23] The BC unit's wrap date was then moved up to December 14[13] and again to December 9, with shooting finally beginning on June 27.[24] Shooting in Hawaii was set to begin that December.[13]
By January 7, 2023, principal photography on the series had concluded and it had entered post-production.[19]
Marketing
Four stills from the show were released on August 17, 2023, two of which appear to take place during Godzilla's battle with the U.S. military at the Golden Gate Bridge in Godzilla (2014).[4] A short video released on September 7[25] preceded the release of a teaser on September 8, which revealed that John Goodman would be returning to the Monsterverse as Bill Randa and offered glimpses of two new monsters and a Mother Longlegs.
Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
- Directed by Matt Shakman (episodes 1-2)[12]
- Written by Chris Black, Andrew Colville, Milla Bell-Hart, Amanda Overton, Karl Taro Greenfeld, Mariko Tamaki, Al Letson, Matt Fraction[2]
- Executive producers Chris Black, Matt Shakman, Matt Fraction, Tory Tunnell, Joby Harold, Brad Van Arragon, Andy Goddard, Andrew Colville, Hiro Matsuoka, Takemasa Arita, Thomas Tull, Max Borenstein[3]
- Line producer Brad Van Arragon[9]
- Production manager Lauren Stope[11]
- Production coordinator Mara Perez[11]
- Casting directors Ronna Kress, Yoko Narahashi, Corinne Clark, Jennifer Page[9]
Cast[3]
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
- Kurt Russell as Lee Shaw
- Anna Sawai as Cate Randa
- Kiersey Clemons as May
- Ren Watabe as Kentaro
- Wyatt Russell as young Lee Shaw
- Mari Yamamoto as Keiko
- John Goodman as Bill Randa
- Anders Holm as young Bill Randa
- Joe Tippett as Tim
- Elisa Lasowski as Duvall
Appearances
Titans and superspeciesMiscellaneous
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Weapons, vehicles, races, and organizations |
Alternate titles
- Hourglass (working title)[8]
- Monarch (proposed title)[9]
- Godzilla and the Titans (proposed title)[13]
In other languages
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Korean
Latin America
Spain
Gallery
Production
Screenshots
Cate and Godzilla (episode 1)
Lee Shaw (episode 1)
Cate (episode 2)
Lee Shaw (episode 3)
Bill Randa and Keiko (episode 3)
Duvall and Tim (episode 5)
Kentaro and May (episode 8)
Bill Randa
Internet
Titles
Title
Japanese
Brazilian
Miscellaneous
Video
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Trivia
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the first Godzilla television series to not feature Godzilla's name in its title.
- This will be the first live action Godzilla television series in over two decades, following Godzilla TV (1999-2000). Godziban (2019-2023), while live action, is not televised.
- It will also be the first live action Godzilla TV series to be story-driven since Godzilla Island (1997-1998) 26 years prior, and the first American Godzilla series of any kind since Godzilla: The Series (1998-2000) 25 years prior.
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the first major installment in the Monsterverse to feature Godzilla's GareGoji design since Godzilla (2014), outside of stock footage.
- A Monarch insider named Shaw previously appeared in the 2014 Monsterverse graphic novel Godzilla: Awakening. It is not yet clear whether Lee Shaw is intended to be the same character.
External links
References
This is a list of references for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
Bibliography
- ""MONARCH" (w/t "HOURGLASS") Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1286. Production Weekly. 17 February 2022.
- ""MONARCH" (w/t "HOURGLASS") Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1287. Production Weekly. 24 February 2022.
- ""UNTITLED GODZILLA AND TITANS PROJECT" (w/t "HOURGLASS") Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1283. Production Weekly. 27 January 2022.
- ""MONARCH" Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1294. Production Weekly. 14 April 2022.
- ""GODZILLA AND THE TITANS" Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1305. Production Weekly. 30 June 2022.
- ""MONARCH" Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1289. Production Weekly. 10 March 2022.
- ""GODZILLA AND THE TITANS" Series / Apple TV+". Production Weekly. No. 1306. Production Weekly. 7 July 2022.
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