How many people does it take to write “Godzilla vs. Kong“? Seven. This spring, Warner Bros. tapped Terry Rossio (“Pirates Of The Caribbean“) to lead the writers room for the upcoming franchise entry, with scribes Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne (“Star Trek Beyond“), Lindsey Beer (“Barbie“), Cat Vasko (“Queen Of The Air“), T.S. Nowlin (“The Maze Runner“) and J. Michael Straczynski (“World War Z“) all participating. The studio says that ‘GvK’ will be the final chapter in the trilogy that started with 2014’s “Godzilla,” but we all know that isn’t true. At any rate, the big classic monster showdown now has a director.
Adam Wingard has been tapped to helm “Godzilla vs. Kong,” marking another interesting career move from the fast-rising director. The filmmaker broke out with “You’re Next” and “The Guest,” before taking an ill-advised turn to remake territory with “Blair Witch.” This summer, he has the already semi-controversial manga adaptation “Death Note” hitting Netflix, but ‘GvK’ will be his biggest movie ever. And according to THR, he was even considered for Sony‘s “Venom” before Ruben Fleischer landed the gig.
For WB, it continues their gameplan of putting their big monster franchise in the hands of new talent. Gareth Edwards cut his teeth on blockbuster spectacle with “Godzilla” before jumping to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” while Jordan Vogt-Roberts went from the indie “The Kings Of Summer” to this spring’s highly enjoyable “Kong: Skull Island,” without missing a beat.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” will rumble on the big screen on May 22, 2020, but coming first will be “Godzilla: King Of The Monsters” on March 22, 2019.