‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Director Adam Wingard Not Returning For Next MonsterVerse Film
In directing Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Adam Wingard helmed the biggest hits of the MonsterVerse. However, he won’t be going for the hat-trick anytime soon – at least not consecutively.
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The reason given to The Hollywood Reporter by sources is timing. Wingard is hard at work on another project and won’t be done with it in time to regroup with Legendary Pictures.
That project, which the filmmaker talked up during the GxK press tour, is an action thriller called Onslaught, which A24 acquired after an enthusiastic bidding war. It’s scheduled to begin shooting later this year.
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While Wingard has shared ideas and wishes he harbors for the future of the MonsterVerse, which brought the name Destoroyah into the conversation to the delight of many, he also hinted at his desire to deal with kaiju cinema a little bit later.
The bright side is that the parting of ways was said to be “amicable” and they are leaving the door open for Wingard to come back and work with them again.
THR says Legendary wants to “move swiftly” onto the next installment although in all likelihood it doesn’t have a story yet. They hired Shang-Chi writer David Callaham to pen the script, but that’s all anyone knows thus far.
In a way, things come full circle with the addition of Callaham to the fold. He wrote a draft for the movie that would become Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla and launch the MonsterVerse. For his effort, he got a story credit on the film.
Wingard’s ties to the blockbuster franchise go back to the early development of Kong: Skull Island (which we will go into someday soon) before the production passed to the hands of Warner Bros. and Jordan Vogt-Roberts.
When he got his opportunity to make Godzilla vs. Kong, there were questions about how the movie would perform due to delays, reshoots, and pandemic concerns. It ended up grossing $450 million worldwide despite a simultaneous release on HBO Max and in theaters.
After “saving cinema,” Wingard followed up with Godzilla x Kong which is on track to be the highest-grossing and most profitable MonsterVerse film to date.
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