Interviews: We talk Monarch: Legacy of Monsters with director Matt Shakman and more

Last Updated on November 22, 2023

After two Godzilla films, a Kong solo outing, and a crossover smackdown, Legendary is expanding its Monsterverse franchise. While a Skull Island animated series aired on Netflix, the live-action Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is an ambitious live-action series on AppleTV+ that explores the mysterious organization that has had a presence in each Monsterverse project to date. The first season of Monarch debuted today on AppleTV+ with two episodes and there will be surprises in store for weeks to come.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the story “following the epic battle between Godzilla and the MUTOs that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, two siblings, following in their father’s footsteps, uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw, taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.“

I got the chance to interview the creative team behind the series before the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. Special effects expert Sean Konrad talked about the creative freedom he and his team enjoyed in developing new MUTO designs. Producer Tori Tunnell talked about what Legendary and Apple gave her and her husband/producer Joby Harold and their company, Safehouse Pictures, the freedom to do with exploring the Monsterverse. Director Matt Shakman talked about taking on the opening episodes of this epic series and what it was like getting to direct Godzilla. Showrunners Matt Fraction and Chris Black talked about their vision for Monarch and how it felt getting Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt to play the young and old versions of the same character. Check out the full interviews in the embed above.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premiered on November 17th on AppleTV+.