GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE Director Adam Wingard Parts Ways With Next MonsterVerse Movie

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE Director Adam Wingard Parts Ways With Next MonsterVerse Movie

It seems Adam Wingard was in talks to direct Legendary's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire follow-up after all, but has now decided to move on to a diffrent project...

By MarkCassidy - May 22, 2024 12:05 PM EST
Filed Under: Godzilla vs. Kong
Source: Via SFF Gazette

It was recently announced that Warner Bros./Legendary are officially moving forward with a follow-up to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, with writer Dave Callaham enlisted to pen the script for the untitled movie.

There was no mention of a potential director at the time, but it seems Adam Wingard, who helmed The New Empire and its predecessor Godzilla vs. Kong, was set to return.

Was being the operative word.

According to THR, Wingard is no longer in line to direct the project. Though the report stresses that he didn't have a deal in place, anyway, it sounds like he was tentatively attached prior to a parting of ways, which is described as "amicable and stemming from timing issues," with the door remaining "open for a future return."

Wingard is now expected to turn his attention to his next project, a new original feature that he wanted to tackle before another MonsterVerse instalment: An action thriller titled Onslaught, which was picked up in a competitive sale by A24 and is prepping for a fall shoot.

Callaham has previously worked on several major studio projects, including the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot, Wonder Woman 1984, Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He also has some prior experience with Big G, having written the early drafts and received story by credit on 2014’s Godzilla.

Godzilla x Kong wasn't a big hit with critics (54% on Rotten Tomatoes), but it did pretty well at the box office, taking in close to $555 million worldwide.

Rebecca Hall (Dr. Ilene Andrews), Brian Tyree Henry (Bernie Hayes) and Kaylee Hottle (Jia) reprise their roles from the previous movie, but Millie Bobby Brown and Alexander Skarsgård did not return. Legion alum Dan Stevens took over as the male lead. Fala Chen, Alex Ferns and Rachel House also feature in supporting roles.

Wingard collaborated once more with production designer Tom Hammock, editor Josh Schaeffer, and composer Tom Holkenborg. Terry Rossio was back on script duties, along with Jeremy Slater and Wingard's frequent collaborator Simon Barrett.

"This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting 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 story sees the legendary Titans Godzilla and Kong team up to face a world-ending threat so terrifying that neither could survive alone."

Did you enjoy Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire? What would you like to see from a sequel? Drop us a comment down below.

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thedrudo
thedrudo - 5/22/2024, 12:08 PM
Mark — heads up! Misspelling in the headline
ReverseFlasher
ReverseFlasher - 5/22/2024, 12:11 PM
How about they go back to Jordan Vogt-Roberts, he basically made the franchise work in the first place.
thedrudo
thedrudo - 5/22/2024, 12:37 PM
@ReverseFlasher - Wonder if he’ll ever make his Metal Gear Solid movie.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 5/22/2024, 12:47 PM
@thedrudo - I was so pumped at the idea of him being the director of that movie but since his legal issues started happening he hasn't seemed to done anything in years.
Bokis
Bokis - 5/22/2024, 3:54 PM
@ReverseFlasher - The dude made "The Kings of Summer" which is a great modern coming of age movie as well. It's a crime that he hasn't made a movie since 2017
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/22/2024, 12:12 PM
That sucks because even though I thought both of his Monsterverse films were just ok , dude seems to have genuine love & passion for this franchise but oh well.

I am intrigued by his original feature that he’s filming later this year aswell as the Face-Off reboot/sequel he is doing and Thundercats so he’s gonna be busy regardless which is good for him and I wish him luck!!.

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I would rather they just make another solo Godzilla & Kong film before coming back to this when Wingard is free but you gotta strike while the Iron is hit after the success of GxK so I get it…

Wonder who they will get?.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/22/2024, 12:13 PM
Also , anyone seen this..

It’s a cool round table discussion with all the Monsterverse directors so far.

?si=nUzpAxRVBkyvg4VM
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/22/2024, 12:14 PM
If I do a worst of the year list, this will be close to that No. 1 spot.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 5/22/2024, 12:44 PM
@MarkCassidy - then your list must be nothing but entertaining films then because this is miles better than
Madame web
The strangers chapter 1
Ghostbusters frozen empire
Roadhouse
Night swim
Mean girls (while I didn't see it my gf basically raged against it)
Monkey man (most disappointing film of the year so far)
night swim

Just to name a few.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 5/22/2024, 12:49 PM
Replace second night swim with imaginary
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/22/2024, 1:04 PM
@EZBeast - Yes, most of those suck too... I did enjoy Road House (silly as it became), and Monkey Man was very good.
IronMan616
IronMan616 - 5/22/2024, 1:10 PM
@MarkCassidy -I know it's your opinion and all, but come on, tell me how these movies are better than GXK New Empire.

Tarot
Rebel Moon 2
Imaginary
Night Swim
American society of magical negroes
Book of Clarence

These were all garbage.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 5/22/2024, 1:13 PM
@MarkCassidy - same for Roadhouse for me. Me and buddy had a few brews watching how absolutely ridiculous it was. Monkey man has this weird hype around it that it is some how a very good and deep story with great fight scenes. To me it was a snore fest filled with 3 good fight scenes, way too many shaky cam scenes for a film like this, and way too slow of story progression.
I remember leaving the theater so damn frustrated as I had gone in with high expectations and was just so disappointed...
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/22/2024, 1:52 PM
@IronMan616 - I've only seen Rebel Moon and Nightswim out of those. Also awful. But at least they made a modicum of sense. I couldn't even follow what was happening in GxK...it just hurt my brain.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 5/22/2024, 1:53 PM
@EZBeast - Monkey Man definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but I did end up enjoying it for what it was. An odd film for sure though.
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 5/22/2024, 12:23 PM
Hire better writers, these films are too dumbed down to get any real sense of engagement.
TrentCrimm
TrentCrimm - 5/22/2024, 3:14 PM
@HashTagSwagg -

It'll never happen.

The studio will go for whatever brings in the easy money, and these movies are bringing in the easy money.

Godzilla V Kong was the final nail in the coffin for me, they're not trying to make good Godzilla movies anymore, they're trying to make Godzilla and Kong into superheroes and giving the whole thing the Marvel treatment.
Gabimaru
Gabimaru - 5/22/2024, 6:12 PM
@HashTagSwagg - i wish they could go back to how gareth edwards made his godzilla a very grounded almost horror-esque film.
DalekCraigWasson
DalekCraigWasson - 5/22/2024, 12:26 PM
Gotta admit I am pleased by this, although I understand objectively that the general audience has been more happy with his Monsterverse films than the others. The last one in particular was not for me (and no, not because I "hate fun" or compared it to Minus One or whatever).

My number one hope with Monsterverse moving forward: no obnoxious comic relief! Brian Tyree Henry in the last two and Bradley Whitford in the one before that have just been intolerable. Every time they're on screen, it reads like another screenwriter came in to do "punch ups" on the dialogue and five different people have littered the script with every possible joke when that character speaks.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/22/2024, 12:32 PM
@DalekCraigWasson - fair enough but while the human stuff didn’t really bother me in his films (it was fine…

I did appreciate him expanding the mythology more and especially him humanizing for lack of a better word Kong’s character even if it might have been at the expense of Godzilla.
FusionWarrior
FusionWarrior - 5/22/2024, 12:28 PM
Oh I thought it was going to be Thundercats?
WhateverItTakes
WhateverItTakes - 5/22/2024, 12:34 PM
please bring Edwards back
Origame
Origame - 5/22/2024, 12:35 PM
Hes gonna go on to his magnum opus:

Death note 2

?si=ilubJQCPriDbGL5-
SirDuckAlot
SirDuckAlot - 5/22/2024, 12:36 PM
Good, Last film was lazy as hell. Had the potential to be a great Godzilla film. I thought Godzilla v. Kong had a great balance of serious and goofy. Last one was just too damn goofy.
JobinJ
JobinJ - 5/22/2024, 7:22 PM
@SirDuckAlot - I agree. It was ridiculous. skat king looked like a cartoon character.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 5/22/2024, 1:15 PM
Like I said yesterday I think James Wan would be perfect for this.
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 5/22/2024, 4:16 PM
@Godzilla2000Zer - i'm 1000000% on board with this.
asherman93
asherman93 - 5/22/2024, 1:54 PM
Please bring back Michael Dougherty.
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 5/22/2024, 3:17 PM
@asherman93 - oh , his is honestly my least favorite of the Monsterverse so far.

I didn’t care for the family storyline and it just has too much human stuff that doesn’t engage me but it certainly had some cool moments and visuals.

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bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/22/2024, 2:40 PM
I thought Wingard had plans for a trilogy, but I'm guessing they're fast-tracking the threequel in the Godzilla/Kong trilogy is what those timing issues refer to
dragon316
dragon316 - 5/22/2024, 2:50 PM
@bkmeijer1 - that’s he said video or article I read on him one of his other projects could be interfering with this makes only explanation for it
IAmAHoot
IAmAHoot - 5/22/2024, 3:09 PM
Would be a big loss if the movies were better. It may be unfortunate, depending who you ask, but it's time to move on to see if the franchise is only relying on him by this point. I think they can do well better, and he can also make more intersting movies.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 5/22/2024, 4:30 PM
@IAmAHoot - I agree. Getting different directors also diversifies the franchise more. That's always good imo. Even if the movie itself is mediocre, it shows what doesn't work
JobinJ
JobinJ - 5/22/2024, 7:07 PM
Good maybe we can dial back on the goofiness and unrealistic sort of ways it went. Yes I know giant monsters are unrealistic, but after the last couple, it’s just wacky and ridiculous. Too much.

Really liked Edwards tone in the first one. Scary horror. Now they turned these monsters into superheroes.

Let’s get back to basics where Godzilla is just a giant monster crushing cities. That’s why Godzilla one was so great.

These last two were just toy commercials
Nightmare
Nightmare - 5/22/2024, 9:54 PM
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Bring back Edwards. Back to the basics.
BeNice123
BeNice123 - 5/23/2024, 7:38 AM
Good, because that was a terrible Movie. Please someone bring it back to the basics. No transformers arm, no thiors hammer, and especially STOP WITH THE [frick]IN NEON COLORS, jesus christ.

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