The MonsterVerse[1] is an American multimedia franchise and sharedfictional universe featuring Godzilla, King Kong, and other Toho monster characters. The franchise is produced by Legendary Pictures and co-produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The first installment was Godzilla (2014), a reboot[2] of the Godzilla franchise, which was followed by Kong: Skull Island (2017), a reboot[3] of the King Kong franchise, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). The franchise received a generally positive reception and has been commercially successful with a combined gross of $1.950 billion worldwide.
Original workGodzilla (2014)OwnerLegendary Pictures
Warner Bros. PicturesYears2014–presentPrint publicationsBook(s)List of booksComicsList of comicsFilms and televisionFilm(s)
Television series
GamesVideo game(s)List of video gamesAudioSoundtrack(s)List of soundtracksMiscellaneousBased on
The franchise will continue with two television series and an untitled Godzilla vs. Kong sequel concurrently in development.
Development
DevelopmentEdit
Writer Max Borenstein stated that the MonsterVerse did not begin as a franchise but as an American reboot of Godzilla. Borenstein credits Legendary Entertainment‘s founder and then CEO Thomas Tull as the one responsible for the MonsterVerse, having acquired the rights to Godzilla and negotiated the complicated rights to King Kong. Tull had offered Borenstein the opportunity to write the first draft for Kong: Skull Island, with the goal to establish Kong in the same universe as Legendary’s Godzilla film. Tull’s vision was for the films to one day lead to Godzilla vs. Kong.[4]
Legendary confirmed at the July 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International that it had acquired the licensing rights to Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah from Toho Co., Ltd. and revealed concept footage with the closing title cards reading “Conflict: inevitable. Let them fight”.[5] In September 2015, Legendary announced that the film Kong: Skull Island would not be developed with Universal Studios. Instead, it would be developed with Warner Bros., which sparked media speculation that Godzilla and Kong would appear in a film together.[6][7]
In October 2015, Legendary announced plans to unite Godzilla and Kong in a film titled Godzilla vs. Kong, set for a 2020 release date. Legendary planned to create a shared cinematic franchise “centered around Monarch” (the secret government agency which debuted in 2014’s Godzilla) and that “brings together Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in an ecosystem of other giant super-species, both classic and new”.[8] Later in October, it was announced that Kong: Skull Island would have references to Monarch.[9]
In May 2016, Warner Bros. announced that Godzilla vs. Kong would be released on May 29, 2020, later pushed back to May 21, 2021, and that Godzilla: King of the Monsters would be pushed back from its original June 8, 2018 release date to March 22, 2019,[10] however, the film was later pushed back again to May 31, 2019. In October 2016, Legendary announced that Godzilla: King of the Monsters would be filmed at its parent company Wanda’s Oriental Movie Metropolis facility in Qingdao, China, along with Pacific Rim: Uprising.[11] That same month, it was revealed that Legendary was planning a writers room to create their Godzilla–Kong cinematic universe, with Alex Garcia overseeing the project for Legendary.[12]
In early January 2017, Thomas Tull, founder of Legendary, resigned from the company but would remain as producer for the Godzilla–Kong series, which was revealed as the “MonsterVerse”.[13] In March 2017, Legendary assembled a writers room led by Terry Rossio to develop the story for Godzilla vs. Kong.[14]
Legendary’s license to Godzilla expired in 2020.[15]
Monsterverse 