Movies
‘Godzilla’ Returns as ‘King of the Monsters’ in Stunning First Look!
EW just shared the first two images from Godzilla: King of Monsters, the Michael Dougherty-directed sequel to the Godzilla reboot that’s setting the stage for a huge battle with King Kong.
Godzilla looks triumphant in what is easily one of the coolest film photos of the year, while the below shot reveals our first look at both The Conjuring‘s Vera Farmiga and “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown in the sequel, which takes place five years after the events in the first film.
“The world is reacting to Godzilla in the same way we would react to any other terrifying incident, in that we are overreacting,” says director Michael Dougherty, whose previous credits include the horror movie Krampus. Godzilla hasn’t been seen since that destructive finale, “but there’s paranoia and endless speculation about whether he is the only one out there or whether we’re threatened by others like his kind.”
The 2019 film’s human characters include Dr. Emma Russell (Farmiga), a scientist working for the beastie-hunting organization Monarch, and her daughter Madison (Brown). The pair are kidnapped by what Dougherty describes as “a mysterious organization, with their own plans for the creatures.”
The sequel follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
“Rodan’s been kind of a sidekick character, but I’ve always had a soft spot for him,” adds Dougherty. “In a lot of ways he’s more powerful than Godzilla. He’s like this winged A-bomb. I think we’ve done him justice.”
The film promises to be pretty epic, with star O’Shea Jackson Jr. previously teasing that we’ll “never forget” the final battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah.
Warner Bros. has set a May 31, 2019, release date with Godzilla vs. Kong slated for release on May 22, 2020. Speaking of which, Dougherty does set the stage for the epic battle. “It’s not like we’re bending over backwards to introduce Kong, but there’s definitely some bread crumbs,” he teases.
With the San Diego Comic-Con kicking off next week, maybe we’ll even get a teaser trailer or some art to go along with these images?
GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS
(L-R) MILLIE BOBBY BROWN as Madison Russell and VERA FARMIGA as Dr. Emma Russell
Hollywood is serious about landing the next Backrooms. Hot on the heels of a Siren Head feature announcement, Deadline reports that a new movie based on viral YouTube series The Mandela Catalogue is in development.
It also has some Hollywood heavy hitters behind it.
Amblin Entertainment’s Steven Spielberg, United Artists’ Scott Stuber (Frankenstein), and Amazon MGM Studios are set to produce, emerging victorious after a highly competitive 11-studio bidding war.
Launched in 2021, the YouTube series is set in the fictional Mandela County, Wisconsin which is “invaded by shape-shifting, nearly immortal creatures called Alternates. The Alternates are led by a false depiction of the Archangel Gabriel and their aim is to wipe out the human race by psychologically torturing them to the point of suicide. The Alternates are known for manipulating AV media, TVs, computers and GPS systems.”
The movie will be directed by the series’ creator, Alex Kister, based on a screenplay he adapted with Tyler Clifton.
The Mandela Catalogue has racked up an impressive 100 million views across its official episodes alone, solidifying it as one of the largest original analog horror franchises on YouTube.
Spielberg and Holly Bario are producing for Amblin Entertainment alongside Aaron B. Koontz for Paper Street Pictures and Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists. Kister and Clifton are also producing. Annie McCreery will oversee the project for United Artists. Maria Fortese will oversee for Amblin.
Get acquainted with The Mangela Catalogue below while we wait to learn more.
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