Godzilla has “very important role” on Apple’s Monsterverse TV series

Best known for being at the helm of the Marvel / Disney+ series WandaVision, director Matt Shakman is now gearing up to bring a new version of Marvel’s Fantastic Four to the screen – and in between those two projects, he’s also working on the Apple TV+ TV series expansion of Legendary Entertainment’s Monsterverse series – which currently consists of Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong. And while speaking with Collider, Shakman confirmed that Godzilla does play a “very important role” on the show.

When asked about the budget of the show and how much we should expect to see of Godzilla and other Titans, Shakman said, “You always run out of money eventually, even if it’s Harry Potter or Star Wars, Star Trek, Godzilla, you run out of money. But it’s less about carrying out shots, although eventually, you have to do that, and more just about storytelling. You know, how much was Godzilla going to factor into the story, and he has a very important role to play, and how he factors into the series is a big part of it. So that was the bigger driver, and he’s not the only Titan that you’re gonna meet along the way. So there’s, yeah, there’s a VFX conversation constantly happening in that.“

Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard is currently working on a sequel to that film, so Shakman was asked if he and Wingard had to work together to figure out timelines and which monsters were available to be used. Shakman answered, “There is some overlap, though we were not heavily involved in talking about it with Adam Wingard and his team. Legendary is the studio for our show, as well as for the films, and so they sort of sit at the juncture there between the two, and they have a mythology department there which is wonderful. So they weigh in on how things might overlap, how certain creatures need to stay on one side or the other, and so there is a lot of conversation about it. But in terms of how closely the narratives overlap, it’s not as involved to say, an MCU kind of Disney+ film crossover. It’s less organized.“

The Monsterverse series, which is also being referred to as a “Godzilla and Titans” series, is set after the events of the 2014 Godzilla movie and will

explore one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.

The cast includes Kurt Russell (The Thing), Anna Sawai (F9), Kiersey Clemons (Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown), Elisa Lasowski (Versailles), Ren Watabe (461 Days of Bento), Mari Yamamoto (Pachinko), and Wyatt Russell (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier). Details on the characters Yamamoto and the Russells will be playing haven’t been revealed, but we do know who the other cast members are playing:

Anna Sawai is Cate, a former schoolteacher and a G-Day survivor, she travels to Japan to settle family affairs but instead uncovers a family secret. Tired of running from her problems, she is determined to find answers.

Ren Watabe is Kentaro, an intelligent, creative and curious young man who has yet to find his own path. He will embark on a quest to learn more about his revered yet mysterious father and discover his own talents in the process.

Kiersey Clemons is May, an American ex-pat with a roguish exterior that she uses to protect herself as well as others. Whether it be deciphering a code or finding the loophole, she is always three steps ahead of everyone around her.

Joe Tippett is Tim, an office drone who dreams of secret agent adventure. His overconfidence gets him in trouble in the field, but he is determined not to fail his organization.

Elisa Lasowski is Duvall, an expert operative with unwavering confidence in herself and her skills. She also possesses a wry sense of humor, which she uses to guide her less field-oriented colleague.

Shakman will be directing the first two of the season’s ten episodes and serves as executive producer alongside creators Chris Black and Matt Fraction. Black is also the showrunner. Additional executive producers include Safehouse Pictures’ Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell and Toho Co. Ltd.’s Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita. The series is being produced for Apple TV+ by Legendary Television. “Toho is the owner of Godzilla and other classic characters and has licensed the rights to Legendary for this series as a natural byproduct of their long-term relationship on the film franchise.”

Are you looking forward to this Monsterverse / Godzilla series? Let us know by leaving a comment below.