2014's Godzilla may not have been for everybody, but it did manage to successfully spark the new wave of tentpole monster movies in development and hitting the big screen right now. Aside from just bringing the iconic titular lizard back to life again, the film was also the first step towards the now-announced Godzilla vs Kong crossover film, which will pit the two most iconic and beloved cinematic monsters of all time in an onscreen battle that has already got fans talking. But before that crossover can happen, Legendary Pictures is still set to release the sequel to their 2014 reboot with Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Over the past few weeks, the cast for the highly-anticipated sequel has been shaping up fairly nicely as well, with Stranger Things breakout star Millie Bobby Brown joining the cast, in addition to Vera Farmiga and Kyle Chandler, who are set to play her parents in the film. And it looks like the big budget monster movie sequel may now have its sights set on its lead star.

Variety is reporting that Straight Outta Compton actor O'Shea Jackson Jr. is currently in talks to play the lead role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. No plot or character details were included in the report, but if this does come to fruition, it will be Jackson's largest film role to date, after having received rave reviews for his portrayal of his real life father in Compton, the critically-acclaimed 2015 N.W.A. biopic. The Godzilla sequel is set to be directed by Krampus filmmaker Michael Dougherty, based on a script he co-wrote with Zach Shields.

Godzilla 2 gets new writers

Now, it should be noted that even despite all of these high-profile stars signing on to the film, Legendary is keeping the story details for King of the Monsters under fairly tight wraps right now. There's still no word on how really any of these main human characters will factor into the film's story, or when and where it will pick up in relation to the 2014 reboot. The only cast member from that film that's expected to return even is Ken Watanabe, though that's not necessarily surprising considering his character's obsession with Godzilla and the other monsters like him.

This news, of course, comes following the release of Kong: Skull Island earlier this month, which was welcomed with mostly positive reviews from critics and considerable financial success. That blockbuster was also the first taste audiences were given of the King Kong expected to appear in the crossover film, which at over 100-ft tall, will likely only be even bigger and more powerful by the time he crosses paths with Godzilla. But both Skull Island and Godzilla have had problems balancing their big screen monster mayhem and action sequences with their human characters and subplots, which just makes the considerable star power of this cast for Godzilla: King of the Monsters that much more interesting.

Source: Variety

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