Legendary's Monsterverse movies have been largely well-received, with only Godzilla: King of the Monsters deemed a true disappointment. While reviews for Godzilla vs. Kong weren't glowing, Kaiju fans didn't really care and took great delight in watching those iconic Titans brawl on screen.
Now, they'll return as allies in Adam Wingard's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire next year. Plot details have been largely kept under wraps but test screenings have begun and, while spoilers have surprisingly not followed, some very early reactions have.
It sounds like the movie is very comedic, no great surprise given some of the silliness we saw from Godzilla vs. Kong's human cast (after all, the titular Titans presumably won't be dropping any one-liners). It sounds like Wingard has continued to embrace the franchise's craziness too as the plot is described as very Showa-esque and heavy on sci-fi.
While Gareth Edwards' Godzilla was firmly grounded in reality, this is the direction the Monsterverse has been heading in for a while now...and, for the most part, it seems to work!
However, even though the overall consensus is that the movie is good, it does sound like this cut was overlong and that Kong once again gets more screen time than Godzilla. One viewer went so far as to say, "I enjoved every aspect of Kong's plot but was very annoyed that Godzilla was sidelined once more. I feel Wingard doesn't treat Goji with the same respect as Kong."
On the plus side, they went on to add that "you'll get a kaiju fight every 20 min and half of those fights are in daytime," describing the movie as "very much entertaining."
The whole point of test screenings is to get feedback like this so, hopefully, that will lead to Godzilla getting a little more of the spotlight.
According to the synopsis, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will pit "the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own."
"The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever."
The cast, meanwhile, is led by Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, Fala Chen, Alex Ferns, and Rachel House.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will be released in theaters on March 15, 2024.