We've seen Godzilla and King Kong clash on screen but, later this year, they'll team up in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard returns to direct this follow-up and reveals that, while the titular Titans are allies now, they're not exactly friends.
"There’s a bit of a truce - Godzilla’s in control of the surface world and Kong is down in Hollow Earth," the filmmaker explains. "It wasn’t, 'Okay, give me a call when something goes wrong, Kong. And I, Godzilla, will rush to the rescue!'"
"The buddy-cop dysfunctional relationship dynamic is probably the best one to describe Godzilla and Kong," he continues, citing Lethal Weapon as an influence. "My influences are always embedded with the ‘80s, and the ‘80s were prime for [that] storyline. There’s a lot of misunderstanding [between Godzilla and Kong] - the way that the monsters communicate isn’t straightforward."
Wingard would go on to address Godzilla's new pink appearance, explaining that it's part of the iconic kaiju's evolution. Whereas Kong will go through "a personal journey," when it comes to Godzilla, "This is his version of a training routine."
"I’m really big into Shaw Brothers martial arts," he adds. "Those films are always about, ‘Here’s a big threat, and you have to do all these things to pump yourself up so that you can take on that threat.' You’re gonna see lots of different versions of Godzilla in this movie."
A new still from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has been released which you can check out below.
The epic battle continues! Legendary Pictures' cinematic Monsterverse follows up the explosive showdown of 'Godzilla vs. Kong' with an all-new adventure that pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence—and our own. 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' delves further into the histories of these Titans and their origins, as well as the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire stars returning Godzilla vs. Kong actors Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottle alongside Dan Stevens (Legion), Alex Ferns (The Batman), and Fala Chen (Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
The screenplay is by Terry Rossio (Godzilla vs. Kong) and Simon Barrett (You’re Next) and Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), from a story by Rossio & Wingard & Barrett, based on the character "Godzilla" owned and created by TOHO Co., Ltd.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire rampages into theaters on April 12.