The official release date for Godzilla vs. Kong 2 has been announced. Although the American King Kong franchise and character have existed since 1933 and the Japanese Godzilla films have been around since 1954, this particular branch of the franchise began in 2014 with Gareth Edwards' Godzilla. That film ignited what is now known as the MonsterVerse, which spawned the sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters as well as the 2017 prequel Kong: Skull Island before having both branches cross over in an epic clash with 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong.
The film was an early pandemic-era box office success for the company, leading to the quick greenlighting of a sequel. Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard will be returning, bringing on his former The Guest lead actor Dan Stevens to play a major role. The film, which begins production in Queensland, Australia later this year, will also feature a cameo from fan-favorite minor kaiju Titanus Doug, a Hollow Earth lizard who appeared in the previous film.
Today, Legendary Entertainment gave the latest update on Godzilla vs. Kong 2, which is currently untitled. The film is going to come to theaters on March 15, 2024. This date is just two weeks under three years after the release of the first Godzilla vs. Kong crossover in 2021.
This March 15 release date will put Godzilla vs Kong front and center for the spring 2024 slate of movies. So far, the only other movies with release dates set for that March are an untitled Pixar film, an untitled Disney live-action film (potentially the live-action Hercules remake, which director Guy Ritchie recently boarded), and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Part II. Although those could all present major competition, the MonsterVerse title will be able to act as counter-programming to the more family-friendly slate it’s facing off against.
Considering the fact that Godzilla vs. Kong was something of a box office litmus test, Godzilla vs. Kong 2 will likely be a major cash cow. Godzilla vs Kong was a highly compromised release, with its theatrical run watered down by a simultaneous monthlong streaming release on HBO Max and an extremely pandemic-shy audience who wouldn't start returning to the newly reopened theaters in earnest for months to come. In spite of this, the film still made $470 million worldwide, making it the 12th highest-grossing domestic film of the year, right ahead of Legendary's Dune: Part One, which also garnered itself a sequel. Without so many impediments, the stage might be set for the film's sequel to launch itself even higher on the 2024 list, even with such strong competition throughout the month and the rest of the year.
Source: Legendary