Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

[Benjamin Haines]

Promotion has begun! Warner Bros. Pictures provided SciFi Japan with high-resolution images of the three new character posters featuring Godzilla, Kong and the movie's villain, Skar King.

https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-x-kong-the-new-empire-godzilla-and-kong-character-posters-from-warner-bros-pictures
https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-x-kong-the-new-empire-new-promo-artwork-from-warner-bros-pictures

IGN just posted the first Godzilla x Kong interview with director Adam Wingard:
https://www.ign.com/articles/godzilla-x-kong-the-new-empire-director-titanus-doug-return-kong-like-villain

That article also includes the first three officially released images from the movie, including a more grizzled-looking Kong and a photo of Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle as their characters.

And here's an image of Godzilla's new design: https://i.imgur.com/rqtm1NX.jpg

His arms are a little longer and his waist is slimmer. The teal/green-tinted skin and the bright pink/purple dorsal fins are clearly inspired by the Miregoji/Giragoji suits. It seems appropriate that the MonsterVerse is now adapting elements from Godzilla's Millennium Series incarnations since they've already done a take on Burning Godzilla. It's crazy how Godzilla 2000 is now old enough to be a retro influence on the latest Hollywood Godzilla.

I originally included mild spoiler warnings in this post because I thought that was a leaked image of Godzilla, but it's actually from an official T-shirt that Legendary is now selling online through their website:
https://shop.legendary.com/products/monsterverse-godzilla-x-kong-the-new-empire-godzilla-adult-t-shirt

Here's another T-shirt with a different image of Kong:
https://shop.legendary.com/products/monsterverse-godzilla-x-kong-the-new-empire-roar-power-adult-t-shirt

The first trailer is probably coming soon!

[Kailem]

Given that tomorrow is the big Brazil Comic Con panel that Adam Wingard will be in attendance for, I think this ramping up of promo material all but confirms we'll be getting the first proper trailer tomorrow!

Given the t-shirt reveal I'd imagine we'll be seeing more of that in the trailer itself, though I'll refrain from taking a proper look at it until then. Of course that didn't stop me catching a glimpse via half a dozen twitter posts earlier, but oh well. At least this image is official!

[lhb412]

I'm happy Godzilla's getting a new look because to me that's always been part of the fun of any new Godzilla project. We've had the same basic design (minus fiddling with the fins and feet) for three films and now a TV series!

I'm hoping GxK is as fun as GvK, but feels more cohesive and complete than that previous film, which was a pretty obvious hatchet job assembled from something else.

[Kailem]

It's here!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV1OOlGwExM

...and it looks awesome!! I'll withhold my specific comments just so I don't spoil anything for anyone who's watching it for the first time via this link, but MAN did that make me smile!! I really cannot wait to see that (and no longer have to worry about that one toy/t-shirt leak)!

We are eating SO GOOD right now it's crazy!!!

[lhb412]

Haha! Looks like unhinged fun!

Nicely simply structured trailer: Kong discovers a society of Kongs, gets involved way over his head in a big Kong war, and only his frenemy Godzilla (who's just had a makeover) can bail him out!

[Dai]

Cripes, and I thought GvK was colourful. This one has ALL THE COLOURS!

First impressions are that it looks like the old-school lost world/journey to the centre of the Earth kind of adventures, which was to be expected after the events of GvK. I have a few concerns, though these come down to personal preferences. The movie looks very Kongcentric. Unless some of what was in this trailer was a prologue flashback to ancient times, it seems like Godzilla might not show up in a significant capacity until the final act. The locations look like there won't be much scope for city destruction, unless there's an ancient city that gets trashed. But my main concern is whether the presence of THAT character will turn this into full-on kaiju dad fiction, a la Son of Godzilla. Considering the rumoured working title that was floating around for this movie, that seems likely.

Grumbles aside, I can't wait to see Godzilla and Kong's tag-team match. Looks like it will be every bit as crazy as GvK, if not more so.

[Benjamin Haines]

Yes! They're actually going full buddy kaiju with it!

This looks absolutely crazy. Bring it on, I say. Godzilla Minus One and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters are each already filling a specific niche of serious dramatic storytelling, so it's appropriate for this flick to take the over-the-top schlock route. This whole past decade has been a showcase of Godzilla's versatility as a character and that's on full display with everything that's coming out now.

[Kailem]

Yeah frankly, I am so down for some straight-up old school Showa-style colourful monster madness with this! Minus One is (almost, for the UK) here to satisfying the itch for a serious, dramatic Godzilla movie, and this looking like it's inspired by the complete opposite end of the spectrum makes for perfect timing. Super colourful, underground civilisations, more new monsters, global chaos and a full-on monster buddy team-up! For the first time (for more than one scene), Godzilla and Kong will be fighting TOGETHER, and I cannot wait to see it in action!

[Benjamin Haines]

SciFi Japan has posted official info and photos from the Playmates toyline based on Godzilla x Kong, which is already available in stores:
https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-x-kong-the-new-empire-toyline-info-and-photos-from-playmates

If you want to remain as surprised as possible about everything in the movie then don't look at these toys, as they do reveal some things that weren't revealed in the trailer. I don't know how much of this even qualifies as spoilers at this point since they're clearly not trying to hide anything about this toyline from the public.

[lhb412]

Release date moves up two weeks! Film now comes out March 29!

[Benjamin Haines]

^ Just in time for China's Qingming Festival the following week!

Both Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong were among the rare Hollywood tentpoles that would not have turned a profit in theaters if it hadn't been for how much they made in China. Chinese movieogers have become more interested in Chinese-made blockbusters over time and less dependent on Hollywood imports, with once-colossal franchises like Transformers and Fast & Furious having peaked years ago, but Godzilla vs. Kong became the biggest hit of the MonsterVerse in China. WB has to be hoping that wasn't the peak of Chinese audience interest in the MonsterVerse.

[Dai]

That will put it up against Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's opening weekend. I guess it's all empires that week.

I'll be curious to see which franchise wins that battle, since I'll go on record as being the one person who would have preferred a sequel to Ghostbusters: Answer the Call instead of the treacly vat of weaponised nostalgia that was Afterlife.

[lhb412]

Just saw an impressive display of GxK toys at my local Walmart (right next to the TMNT stuff; 5-year-old me would be ecstatic). Despite the trailers seemingly suggesting a more Kong focused storyline the merchandise is very much Godzilla front and center! I think the R/C Godzilla with the light, sound, and water vapor breath is bound to become the Godzilla toy for a certain number of kids!

[Benjamin Haines]

^ There's a 20-second ad for the R/C Godzilla toy on YouTube, which I've already seen play as an actual YouTube ad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZfv1u2PBeU

[Kailem]

The new trailer is here; and it's hype as hell!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqrpMRDuPfc

I'm loving how much this is just looking like a big huge Showa action spectacular. I will say it seems like a strange choice not to show 'a certain something' in this trailer, given all the merchandising leaks.

Still, this just looks like a huge, fun monster spectacular, and I am totally here for it!

[lhb412]

I'm gonna avoid any more trailers or footage, but from the bits I've seen: looks like Champion Festival movie! A very expensive one, at that!

[Benjamin Haines]

This totally looks like a mega-budget Hollywood rendition of a '70s tag-team Godzilla movie. Ten years on from G'14, it's still crazy to see that Legendary is releasing their Godzilla 4 and that they're going completely nuts with it.

Kailem, there actually are a couple of blink-and-you-miss-it glimpses of "a certain something" in this trailer. Check out these screenshots:

https://i.imgur.com/pZnjwFV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bhoWdRc.jpg

That being said, lhb412, this trailer really doesn't give away too much of the story or the action, if you feel like checking it out at any point. It's nothing like the third trailer for Kong: Skull Island.

[Kailem]

Yeah I paused the trailer at a couple of places and noticed it, but I'm surprised they didn't show that particular detail in full in this one. I've tried to keep away from leaks and spoilers so I don't know much in the way of specifics, but it still feels like they didn't reveal that much about the story here. But that's also not a bad thing! It makes a nice change to those trailers that basically go through the entire movie beat by beat and don't leave any surprises for when you actually watch them.

[lhb412]

Honestly, I'm pretty spoiled already. It's avoiding having all the coolest action beats and visuals overexposed before I see the movie that I'm steering clear of trailers!

In the lead-up to Skull Island the trailers and TV spots showed too many key action moments, taking a bit of fun out of the monster battles because I always knew what Kong was gonna do next!

[Benjamin Haines]

Two weeks out from release, the marketing campaign for this movie has definitely shifted into giving away a lot of key visuals and story beats, so beware this new Chinese trailer and the various TV spots from around the world!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXbEtblI6hw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh6b6bkMMuI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AukcC-1jatg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-Bft9vN0Dw

[Kailem]

Yeah a friend of mine who watched it told me to stay away if I didn't want some imagery spoiled, though thanks to Youtube I already saw a spoilery thumbnail that added some context I was unaware of before. So at this point I think I'm just going to try and avoid as much new stuff as possible until I've seen it for myself.

[Benjamin Haines]

Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens and Kaylee Hottle appeared on Good Morning America today to promote the film, with an exclusive clip!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iq8kM-whaU


Three more film clips!

https://vimeo.com/925180604/e7a18b6843
https://vimeo.com/925185068/08f4726c6a
https://vimeo.com/925182418/f252fbe860


Even more TV spots!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B006emSfolc
https://www.reddit.com/r/Monsterverse/comments/1bj0vee/new_trailer_showing_s_and_godzilla/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-5x86f9kUQ
https://twitter.com/frankiesmobster/status/1770246510241853915
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgU3S2HU0jE


This is nuts! They're giving away so much footage during this final month of promotion. Definitely avoid watching these clips and ads if you don't want to see too much, and skip to the 40-second mark in the Good Morning America video to avoid that exclusive clip.

[Dai]

It's times like this I'm glad I don't bother with social media anymore. The Facebook algorithm spoiled all of Shin Godzilla's forms for me back in 2016 (including the final shot of the movie), no matter how many kaiju feeds I tried to unfollow. These days I mainly just need to be careful of YouTube recommendations. I've already run into one GxK spoiler from a YouTube thumbnail.

[Russzilla]

One week away, can’t wait!

[lhb412]

Bought my ticket for Thursday afternoon. Let's go!