Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a new monster film directed and co-written by Michael Dougherty. A sequel to Godzilla (2014), it is the 35th film in the Godzilla franchise, the third film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, and the third Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood studio.
In the new film, we follow 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. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars (alphabetically) Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Charles Dance, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Thomas Middleditch, Joe Morton, CCH Pounder, David Strathairn, Ken Watanabe, Bradley Whitford, and Zhang Ziyi. Aisha Hinds plays Colonel Diane Foster, a decorated colonel who formerly served as an instructor in the 75th U.S. Army Ranger Regiment and is now the leader of the G-Team, the special military forces group run by Monarch specializing in battles involving Titans. O’Shea Jackson Jr. plays Jackson Barnes, a chief warrant officer who is a member of the G-Team. Joe Morton appears as an older Dr. Houston Brooks, a character who originally appeared in Kong: Skull Island, and CCH Pounder portrays Senator Williams.
Bear McCreary composed the film’s score, incorporating themes from Akira Ifukube’s previous Godzilla scores. “I am thrilled to be the composer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and honored beyond words to have the opportunity to contribute to one of cinema’s longest-running musical legacies,” says McCreary. “There are some fun surprises in store. Fitting the material and Michael’s visionary film, this score is the most massive I have ever written, and I can’t wait for fans to experience it!”
Godzilla‘s role varies from purely a destructive force to an ally of humans, or a protector of Japanese values, or a hero to children. The name Godzilla is a romanization of the original Japanese name Gojira—which is a combination of two Japanese words: gorira (ゴリラ), “gorilla”, and kujira (クジラ), “whale”. The word alludes to the size, power and aquatic origin of Godzilla. As developed by Toho, the monster is an offshoot of the combination of radioactivity and ancient dinosaur-like creatures, indestructible and possessing special powers.
Principal photography on Godzilla: King of the Monsters began in June, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia and wrapped in September, 2017. The film was originally scheduled to be released on June 8, 2018. However, in May 2016, it was pushed back to March 22, 2019 and then again to its current release date. Godzilla: King of the Monsters is to be theatrically released in the United States on May 31, 2019, in 2D, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, and IMAX.The $200 million film was given a PG-13 rating for “sequences of monster action, violence, and destruction, and for some language” and has a run time of 132 minutes. A sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, is to be released on March 13, 2020 in the United States.
