Godzilla vs. Kong has a smaller budget than Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Next year's kaiju brawl is bringing the two titans of popular culture together for the first time in over 50 years. The movie appeared this past Sunday at CCXP, although very briefly. Sadly, no trailer was released. There was a three second clip of Godzilla swimming and Kong in chains.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters was one of 2019's more notable movies. For the first time in American cinema, iconic Japanese monsters King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan were adapted for the big screen. The movie featured dazzling action and special effects. Unfortunately, the film was a box office disappointment. It wasn't a flop, but didn't do anywhere near as good a film of its caliber was expected to. The MonsterVerse's future is uncertain, so Godzilla vs. Kong is an especially key release. Marketing for the film has been suspiciously quiet, with little official reveals. Warner Bros. did unveil a new logo recently in its montage of upcoming HBO Max releases. When the first trailer debuts is anyone's guess at this point. Godzilla vs. Kong is a big film, but actually less expensive than its predecessor.
According to The New York Times, Godzilla vs. Kong has a budget of about $155 million. In contrast, the budget for Godzilla: King of the Monsters was between $170-$200 million. Interestingly, the budget for 2014's Godzilla was $160 million, and Kong: Skull Island was $185 million. This means Godzilla vs. Kong is the least expensive of the MonsterVerse movies.
A smaller budget than Godzilla: King of the Monsters doesn't mean Godzilla vs. Kong will have less impressive action. $155 million is still plenty of money. As an example, 2018's Rampage was made on a budget of $120 million, and that featured stellar destruction sequences. A smaller budget also means it will be easier for Godzilla vs. Kong to recoup its costs. Director Adam Wingard has teased on more than one occasion big monster action for Godzilla vs. Kong, so fans should expect to be impressed when they watch in the theater or at home.
The big question is if Godzilla vs. Kong will have even more notable action scenes than the previous film. A common complaint about Godzilla: King of the Monsters was its usage of stormy weather during most of its action scenes. If Godzilla vs. Kong utilizes daytime predominately, that could make things more enjoyable for many viewers. Godzilla vs. Kong is only five months away now. Meanwhile, many are waiting to see if Legendary's potential legal action against Warner Bros. will affect the film at all.
Source: The New York Times
