Godzilla vs. Kong's aircraft carrier fight scene is 18 minutes long, says the film’s composer. After debuting in 1954, the atomic super-lizard Godzilla went on to become one of film history’s most iconic monsters. But King Kong of course came first, debuting in the 1933 Hollywood production that changed movies forever. It wasn’t until 1962 that someone came up with the brilliant idea to have Kong face off against Godzilla for the ultimate movie monster battle.

That 1962 movie was of course entitled King Kong vs. Godzilla, and it featured men in latex suits portraying the battling monsters. Today latex suits are a thing of the past, but Godzilla and Kong are still ready to fight. The two classic monsters’ next battle goes down in the upcoming CGI-heavy movie Godzilla vs. Kong, directed by Adam Wingard and starring Alexander Skarsgård, Lance Reddick, Rebecca Hall, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir and Millie Bobby Brown. Recently fans were given a small taste of the Godzilla vs. Kong action in a clip teasing a memorable first meeting between the two monsters set on the high seas and involving the wanton destruction of several naval vessels.

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As it turns out that just-released taste of the naval-ship-trashing high seas battle between Kong and Godzilla was indeed a small one, as the actual sequence from the movie clocks in at an epic 18 minutes. The true length of the fight scene was confirmed by Godzilla vs. Kong composer Junkie XL during an appearance on the Film Junkee Vodka Stream. Junkie XL said:

I’m not going to say how this thing ends but there’s some spectacular...and then so, this scene that was released today, was it on IGN? Forty seconds of footage? That scene is 18 minutes long and it’s ridiculous.

Godzilla vs Kong In Chains

In the just-released clip referred to by Junkie XL, Godzilla is first seen swimming through the ocean when he’s attacked by jet fighters. Of course being hit by missiles doesn’t hurt Godzilla but does make him very mad. Godzilla lashes out with his tail, destroying a jet and a pair of battleships. In a shot that recalls Jaws, an anchor hooks a big piece of destroyed battleship to Godzilla, but he is easily able to surface even with tons of steel attached to him. The clip then cuts to Kong, who is chained up on an aircraft carrier. When Kong sees Godzilla swimming toward him, he lets out a monstrous roar, which is returned by Godzilla (so you know they're about to throw down).

The fight scene teased in this clip was of course also previewed in the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer released in January. In that trailer, it’s revealed that Kong and Godzilla get into it on the deck of the aircraft carrier, until Godzilla decides to blow up the vessel with his atomic breath. Kong narrowly escapes death via atomic breath by leaping into the water, where he and Godzilla presumably continue to go at it. But that’s just part of the action in a sequence that, if it really is 18 minutes long, may go down in history as one of the great CGI monster battles. It remains to be seen who ultimately wins that battle, but if the entirety of Godzilla vs. Kong lives up to the excitement created by the small snippets that have thus far been revealed, the real winners will be fans of giant monster movies.

More: Why Kong Needs An Axe To Defeat Godzilla (Despite Being The Same Size)

Source: TheFilmJunkee/YouTube

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