In a surprise move, and perhaps the best news in a year for eager kaiju fans, Godzilla vs. Kong had its release date moved again with the film pushed ahead this time, not back.
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Deadline reports GVK will now release on March 26 instead of the date it was slotted with after the last delay, Friday of Memorial Day weekend, May 21.
The long-awaited MonsterVerse sequel, already delayed several times, is produced by Legendary Pictures who reportedly took issue with Warner Bros.’s 2021 release strategy that puts their entire slate on HBO Max for a month in addition to theaters.
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Legendary wasn’t notified about WB’s intentions for the two movies the two studios are working together on, and was afraid money was being left on the table. They also produce the Denis Villeneuve-helmed Dune remake set for an October release. If its fate changes in any way remains to be seen.
On Godzilla vs. Kong, Legendary and Warner Bros. have come to an agreement, according to Deadline. Allegedly, the MonsterVerse producer, having ponied up 75% of the film’s budget, was reimbursed for production costs.
Making a profit will depend on international ticket sales, especially in China. Domestic theaters still aren’t fully operational and those that don’t go under may not be functioning at capacity by March. Legendary might still feel ambivalent behind the scenes, though this new release date must have their blessing.
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Kaiju watchdogs DangerVille posted their two cents on Legendary’s disposition via Twitter, crediting the performance of Wonder Woman 1984 with swaying the firm.
“Clearly WW84 was a financial success and Legendary isn’t so scared of the hybrid release anymore, and chances are they received a big payment from WB, so very little is actually need to recoup production costs, which is probably all they want at this point,” wrote DangerVille’s team.
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GVK director Adam Wingard, conversely, is evidently very happy with WB’s breaking decision. He posted to his Instagram story a headshot of Heisei-era Godzilla looking like he’s cracking a smile.
Godzilla fans and all of the kaiju faithful have good reason to rejoice because the release being two months away means we are finally getting new images, more clips, and that elusive trailer.
The rest of those Playmates action figures – namely Mechagodzilla and the Warbat – should be hitting stores as well, sooner rather than later.
What do you make of this news? Are you excited? Do you think the trailer and promotional material is finally coming within the next few weeks as a result? Comment below.