The big blockbuster trend these days is shared universes, as lots of companies are chasing their own version of the success Marvel has had with their Marvel Cinematic Universe. Universal is building the Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe, DC has their DC Extended Universe, Disney is expanding the Star Wars franchise beyond the trilogies, and Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment are teaming up to mingle the worlds of Godzilla and King Kong (more than fifty years after Toho did it with 1962's KING KONG VS. GOZILLA).
Building a universe is one thing, coming up with a name for fans to use for that universe when discussing it is another. So far we haven't known what to call the kaiju universe WB and Legendary are building around Godzilla and Kong, but its name has now been revealed on the packaging of merchandise for the upcoming film KONG: SKULL ISLAND.
The universe these monsters share is called the MonsterVerse. Makes sense, doesn't it?
The first entry in the MonsterVerse was Gareth Edwards' GODZILLA in 2014. Even though I found that film to be disappointing, the second film in the MonsterVerse – Jordan Vogt-Roberts' KONG: SKULL ISLAND – is one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year.
Starring Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Tian Jing, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, John Ortiz, Thomas Mann, Shea Whigham, Toby Kebbell, and Eugene Cordero, KONG: SKULL ISLAND follows
a diverse team of explorers who are brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific – as beautiful as it is treacherous – unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.
Kong begins rampaging across theatre screens on March 10th.
KONG: SKULL ISLAND will be followed by GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS in 2019 and GODZILLA VS. KONG in 2020.