Godzilla 2: What We Know So Far About King Of The Monsters

Godzilla 2: What We Know So Far About King Of The Monsters

Godzilla has been a pop culture icon for decades, but when it comes to fully American productions centered around the monster, there have only been two undertakings. The first, in 1998, did not fare well either critically or commercially, thus eliminating any plans to spawn a series. Fortunately, the 2014 reboot was better received, ranking at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and collecting nearly $530 million worldwide. With a performance like that, it's understandable that shortly after the movie's release, a sequel was ordered: Godzilla 2, officially titled Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Godzilla has led multiple movies in Japan, but this marks the first time in the United States that the giant reptile's adventures will continue past one movie.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (which was shot in Atlanta, Georgia) is finally upon us, and there's a fair amount of information to chew on concerning the sequel if you can't get out to see it right away, or aren't sure if you want to continue this journey with the Titans. That's why we've created this handy guide so you can browse through what's been announced about the blockbuster, from when it's coming out to who's working on it both on and off camera to how it will connect to a grander shared universe filled with other giant and powerful monsters.

What Have We Seen From Godzilla: King Of The Monsters?

Luckily, we've had plenty of trailers and teasers for the new blockbuster at this point, which show off some of the crazy destruction, massive action sequences and intense Titan fights that we'll be treated to on the big screen. As you can see above, the final trailer shows us just how bad things are, and how much we need Godzilla to help protect us against some of the other Titans.

What Is The Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Release Date?

Thankfully for Godzilla fans, the scheduling changes for Godzilla: King of the Monsters haven't been too drastic. It was originally supposed to come out on June 8, 2018, but after Legendary Entertainment moved production of Kong: Skull Island from Universal to Warner Bros., the giant ape was deemed to be the priority. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was subsequently moved to March 22, 2019. Now it's set for release on May 31, 2019, putting it up against Rocketman and Ma that opening weekend. As far as overall May competition goes, there's a lot packed in, including Detective Pikachu, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and Aladdin. But, when you're opening in the first summer movie month, thats expected.

What Is The Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Rating?

Godzilla: King of the Monsters finally got its official rating from the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) a few weeks back. And, it did get the rating that was expected, which is the same one that Godzilla did: PG-13. The 2014 blockbuster was rated that way for "intense sequences of destruction, mayhem and creature violence," and Godzilla: King of the Monsters will feature the same elements. So, this is a movie that can also be enjoyed by younger fans...but not too young. PG-13 is right in the sweet spot. Plus, that's what fellow MonsterVerse (more on that later) entry Kong: Skull Island was rated, too.

Who Is The Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Director?

Gareth Edwards' directing credits include End Day and Monster, but Godzilla was the blockbuster that earned him widespread recognition. The original plan was for him to return for Godzilla: King of the Monsters after helming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, in May 2016, it was announced that Edwards would no longer direct the sequel, as he wanted to step back from overseeing big productions and focus on smaller-scale projects. It wasn't until January 2017 that his replacement was hired: Michael Dougherty, the man who directed Trick 'r Treat and Krampus. But that isn't the only way he's involved in the sequel...

Who Are The Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Writers?

Months before Michael Dougherty had been tapped to direct Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he had already been brought aboard to co-write the flick with Zach Shields. They succeed Godzilla screenwriter, Max Borenstein, who was originally supposed to return, but later dropped out. Dougherty's notable writing credits include X2: X-Men United and Superman Returns, while Zach Shields has previously worked with Dougherty on Krampus. Given the horror background these two have, there's a distinct chance that Godzilla: King of the Monsters will have scarier elements, though not to the point that the movie will rest comfortably in the horror genre. To be fair, watching a giant fire-breathing monster destroy cities is scary enough, but perhaps there will be added suspense to make Godzilla: King of the Monsters more captivating. A good sequel retains what made the first movie work so well, but also incorporates new material to keep things fresh.

What Is Godzilla: King Of The Monsters About?

Well, we're in big trouble now. After the events of 2014's Godzilla, even more of the Titans began to wake up and come out of their hiding places, leaving massive destruction in their wake. At the start of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, 17 of these dangerous beasts have come forward (with more expected to surface soon), with those who work at the crypto-zoological agency Monarch realizing that they're moving as a pack and following a leader.

That leader just so happens to the the three-headed monster King Ghidorah, ancient nemesis of Godzilla. We need to take out Ghidorah to get the rest of the awakened Titans to stop their reigns of terror, and, guess who seems like the best hope for that?

After defeating the MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) that were the "real" villains of the first film, Godzilla rested in the rubble from his giant battle for a bit and then returned to the sea. Unfortunately, humanity isn't having much luck fighting back against these nearly indestructible creatures, so we hatch a plan to locate Godzilla's ocean-floor hiding place, wake him up and get him to, once again, fight the good fight against his fellow Titans as we do everything we can to help out.

Though, I have to say, bothering a creature like Godzilla seems like a bad idea that could easily wipe out a chunk of a country's military force and /or population should he wake up on the wrong side of his monster bed.

Who Are The New Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Characters?

The first actor who was cast for Godzilla: King of the Monsters was Millie Bobby Brown. She's best known for her breakout role as Eleven, nicknamed "El," on the Netflix series Stranger Things. In the show, she plays a telekinetic girl who was kept in a government laboratory, experimented on, and who was soon revealed to be able to make contact with the alternate dimension unofficially known as the "Upside Down." So yeah, Brown is well-versed in the realms of sci-fi and horror.

Brown will play Madison Russell, and be one of the central characters in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, along with two other newcomers: Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga, who will play her parents Dr. Mark Russell and Dr. Emma Russell, who are both working to stop the Titans. Aside from the obvious danger involved in living under the conditions found in the film, there will be other familial strife for the Russell's. Chandler recently revealed that one of the reasons his character hates the Titans is that "they caused havoc with my family," and it seems like a great loss came from that havoc.

The other new cast members include Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) as Dr. Ilene Chen, Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, Get Out) as Dr. Rick Stanton, Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as Jonah Alan, Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) as Sam Coleman, Aisha Hinds (9-1-1) as Colonel Diane Foster, O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) as Chief Warrant Officer Barnes and Anthony Ramos (A Star Is Born) as Staff Sergeant Martinez. As you can probably tell from all the doctors and military personnel in that lineup, all of these new characters seem to be actively helping Monarch stop the Titans.

Who Are The Returning Godzilla Characters?

So far, only three of the actors who appeared in 2014's Godzilla have been confirmed to return for the sequel. Aaron Taylor-Johnson said back in 2015 that he was unsure if he'd be back, and that it would depend on whether director Gareth Edwards stuck around or not. Seeing as how Edwards did not return to the Godzilla fold, we can probably expect that Taylor-Johnson won't be around, even in a small capacity. That will likely also leave out any appearance by Elizabeth Olsen's Elle Brody (we've certainly not seen either of them in any of the trailers), but it turns out that Ken Watanabe's Dr. Ishiro Serizawa will be back.

Ishiro was the main representative from Monarch, the organization that studies Earth's monsters. Given how Monarch is the main connective thread of the MonsterVerse (more on that in the next section). Not only does Ishiro have experience studying Godzilla, but he can hopefully provide insight on the new monsters that emerge. Hopefully, Ishiro will become what Nick Fury and Phil Coulson are / were to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's not the focus, but he's integral to shedding light on these mysterious beings.

The other returning characters / actors are Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) as Dr. Vivienne Graham and David Strathairn (The Blacklist, Billions) as Admiral William Stenz. While it would have been nice to see how the Brody family was faring after everything they went through in the first film, their story was wrapped up pretty well, so it was never necessary for them to show up again. It makes a lot of sense then, that the action of Godzilla: King of the Monsters would find another family to focus on amid all the Titan uproar, and the film is doing just that.

How Does The MonsterVerse Fit Into Godzilla: King Of The Monsters?

When 2014's Godzilla came out, it was a self-contained story that left room for a sequel later down the line. That's standard for many blockbusters, especially ones based on existing intellectual property. But with the rising popularity of cinematic universes, thanks to Marvel, Warner Bros. decided they wanted in on the action. Legendary Entertainment had already acquired the rights to creatures like Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah after Godzilla was released, and in September 2015, it was announced that Kong: Skull Island would be developed at Warner Bros. instead of Universal.

The following month, it was confirmed that the giant ape lives in the same world as the fire-breathing reptile, which has been dubbed the MonsterVerse. Kong: Skull Island takes place in the early 1970s, four decades before the present day Godzilla events. However, there are several references to Monarch, which isn't surprising since it was only two decades earlier that those nuclear weapons were dropped on Godzilla.

So, what does all this mean for Godzilla: King of the Monsters? Well, whatever happens in the sequel, you can count on Godzilla not dying. The following year, on March 13, he's going up against Kong in Godzilla vs. Kong. This will be the first time these two have clashed in an American setting and Michael Dougherty, who directed King of the Monsters and also co-wrote Godzilla vs. Kong, has described the film as a “potential underdog fight,” which will see a much more mature King Kong needing to use all his primate intelligence and skills to defend himself from the massive lizard.

It stands to reason that Godzilla: King of the Monsters' ending will pave the way for this epic battle. Who knows, maybe Kong himself might make a cameo appearance. There already seems to be a major connection brewing between Kong: Skull Island and King of the Monsters that will explain how these creatures remained hidden for so long. Then there's that Skull Island after-credits scene, which teased every monster we know we're going to see in this film. It does make sense that a major tease for the next film in the MonsterVerse would come at some point during King of the Monsters, we just don't know what it might be right now.

You can head out to see Godzilla: King of the Monsters right now!

Sounds Like Sylvester Stallone Might Not Be Done With Rocky After All

Sounds Like Sylvester Stallone Might Not Be Done With Rocky After All

Sylvester Stallone seemed to retire as Rocky after Creed II, but maybe he's already rethinking that idea. Sly is at Cannes promoting Rambo V: Last Blood, and talking about his career to date. The conversation turned to Rocky Balboa, and it was noted that Stallone had said he had no immediate plans to continue with Creed. Why not? Well, that's apparently when he dropped this new idea:

I have a great idea for Rocky. He finds this fella in the country illegally and it becomes a whole thing. It’s like the magician who lost his tricks. You’ve seen everything, but what can be different? Throw him out of the country, he’s in another world.

I can't say I follow exactly where he's going with that, but if Sylvester Stallone says he has another great idea in him for Rocky, hop to it. It worked well for at least two Creed spinoff-sequels, and maybe even a third with or without Rocky. It's possible his comments to the audience, during a career retrospective talk with Didier Allouch (via Deadline), suggested a new fighter for Rocky to train in a new spinoff. No idea, but it's something to keep an eye on if Stallone wasn't just riffing and he really meant it.

Sylvester Stallone also compared the very different heroes of his two R franchises:

Rambo deals with the dark side of nature that most people live with. Rocky is different, he’s more the optimist, there’s optimism and pessimism in these two characters.

Sylvester Stallone's Rambo V: Last Blood title suggests an ending for that franchise too, but you never know. He may come up with a new idea after that movie comes out this September.

Sly already has a 40 Years Of Rocky documentary coming out, so Rocky is still very much in the spotlight after all of these years. Stallone is even still meeting new Rocky fans -- some as young as 9 -- so the franchise still has some life in it, as long as Sly has more stories to tell. But if Creed II really was the end of Rocky's story, well that's a fine ending as well. It just sounds like Sly isn't quite sure he's done.

Sylvester Stallone has a lot going on beyond Rocky and Rambo, including whatever is happening with The Expendables 4, plus his idea for where Cobra could go next. He even took time recently to weigh in on the new plans for Cliffhanger. And he also has Escape Plan: The Extractors coming to Digital/DVD/Blu-ray on July 2.

Rambo 5 opens in theaters September 20. Stay tuned for any Rocky updates if the thoughts pass from Sylvester Stallone's mind onto actual paper for a script.

Brahms: The Boy II’s Katie Holmes Admits She Gets Scared Filming Scary Movies

Brahms: The Boy II’s Katie Holmes Admits She Gets Scared Filming Scary Movies

Following 2017’s Logan Lucky, Katie Holmes is headed back to the big screen for STX Films’ upcoming movie Brahms: The Boy II. The actress plays the mother of a boy who befriends a doll he calls Brahms after moving into a creepy mansion. She’s no stranger to horror film work, but ahead of the release of this project, Katie Holmes admitted she gets scared filming scary movies.

In particular, Brahms: The Boy II was frightening at times. It was not because of the script or its creepy mansion setting, but because of the fact a doll plays a prominent role in the horror flick.

This was pretty terrifying to make when we were working with the doll. It was a lot. I was scared. I love dolls; I have a conflict because I have so many, growing up with a lot of baby dolls I never thought of a doll being creepy and now I have to rethink everything.

Brahms: The Boy II isn’t Katie Holmes’ first horror project by a long shot. She’s been in movies like Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, and Disturbing Behavior. However, some of these aren’t even straight horror flicks and it’s been a while since she dipped into the horror well.

She said she took on this role because it was a mom character and her child and how it “was such a universal fear for every parent” to want to protect their kid from danger and badness.

While filming the role, however, she said she got a little bit jumpy when asking whether or not she believes in supernatural forces. She said:

Well, when we were making this there were a couple of times I would be in my bed and start to fall asleep and like my pillow would fall, but I was like [creeped out].

When asked during the CinemaCon 2019 panel which horror movies influenced her most over the years, the actress cited a lot of classic films like The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby, Halloween, and Scream. So although she said it’s “hard” for her “to watch them,” she has at least seen some of the big horror movie moments of the past several decades.

Brahms: The Boy II is a sequel to the 2016 film The Boy, also produced by STX, which started its feature length career with another horror film, The Gift. This new iteration will return to the Heelshire Mansion to tell a brand new story. You’ll be able to see it for yourself on July 26, 2019 – the same week as Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

In the meantime, Katie Holmes better start preparing herself for the premiere now given the rough time she seems to have with scary moments, although, as long as no one hands her a doll at the premiere I assume she'll be fine.

Why DC Is Making An Aquaman Spinoff About The Trench, According To The Producer

Why DC Is Making An Aquaman Spinoff About The Trench, According To The Producer

DC's live-action universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys, although the massive property seems to be on the upswing lately. Warner Bros. is currently surfing on the massive success of James Wan's Aquaman, which cleaned up at the box office, on top of being a critical success. We'll have to wait a few years for the film's sequel to arrive in 2022, but there's another underwater adventure in development by the studio: the spinoff The Trench.

The Trench sequence was one of the most visually fascinating aspects of Aquaman, as James Wan's horror roots briefly reached the surface of the aquatic blockbuster. So fans were delightfully surprised when Warner Bros. green-lit a spinoff for the dark sea setting. Producer Peter Safran recently spoke to the decision to dive deeper into into The Trench with a spinoff, revealing:

We always, even from the early concept art days, loved the idea of a Trench movie. Then, when audiences embraced it in the movie itself the way they did, particularly that ant farm shot where the camera follows the Trench [creatures] following Arthur and Mera down into the deep, we just knew that we had something very special there and we knew what that movie should be. And consequently, I suspect that that’s one that will come out significantly before Aquaman 2.

Audiences may have been surprised, but it seems like the the groundwork for The Trench movie was being laid during the release of Aquaman. It ended up being audience engagement that made the spinoff truly become a reality. And as a reward to the fandom, they'll get another movie set in Aquaman's world before the film's actual sequel arrives in theaters.

Peter Safran's comments to THR illuminate the thought process going on at Warner Bros. regarding the future of the DC live-action universe. DC seems to be taking a much different approach than the competition over at Marvel Studios. Rather than revealing entire slates of movie scheduling, Warner Bros. can adjust its programming based on fan reception and box office performance. It feels like there's an exciting momentum in the shared universe, in stark juxtaposition to its state after the disappointing performance of Justice League.

The Trench is a mysterious part of the lore established in Aquaman. They're amphibious monsters who separated from the Atlantean Kingdom years ago. They attacked Mera and Arthur on their journey, before eventually joining their cause in an epic underwater battle against King Orm. It should be interesting to see how The Trench is expanded, and where in the overall timeline the spinoff will be set.

But perhaps the most important question is whether or not the great Julie Andrews will be back to play Karathen in either The Trench or Aquaman 2. Her inclusion in the first film was a delightful surprise, and she brought a ton of power to the behemoth creature.

Aquaman is available for digital download now, and you can purchase a physical copy on March 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Sinemia Has A New Plan With No Restrictions

Sinemia Has A New Plan With No Restrictions

Movie subscription services have come a long way since MoviePass was the first, and only, game in town, allowing it to make whatever bold choices and/or mistakes that were felt needed in order to survive. With each new competitor like AMC Stubs’ A-List or Sinemia entering the ring, what’s being offered and the going rate for said services are subject to the slightest wind of change. And the winds are a’blowing again, as Sinemia has just announced yet another new plan in their arsenal, one that makes a promise in two simple words: “Always Unlimited.”

Clocking in at $14.99 a month, the Always Unlimited plan from Sinemia offers the subscribers that sign up one 2D movie a day. In addition to that wonderful foundation of worth, this subscription also does not restrict audience members to specific showtimes, and allows tickets to be purchased as far out as 30 days in advance. And as usual, Sinemia offers service to any movie theater, which may lure some folks away from theater specific subscriptions if they feel the offerings currently being provided are too expensive or not worth signing up for in the first place.

Previously, Sinemia only offered tiered plans that offered 1-3 movies a month to their subscribers; with monthly costs depending on format and number of persons on the plan. But in the last few months, the service provider looks to be getting more and more experimental with what it’s offering the public. This was seen in last month’s announcement of the Sinemia Limitless plan, which saw moviegoers paying a flat fee for a “limitless moviegoing experience.” Now, it looks like Sinemia users are going to have another option that’ll allow their experience at the movies to be even more convenient.

The competition isn’t sleeping on such recent developments either, as MoviePass recently announced that it was bringing back its own unlimited plan as well. Titled MoviePass Uncapped, that plan is normally offered for $19.95 a month, with unlimited 2D movies in a month. However, the caveat of no repeat viewings is integrated into this option, much like all other MoviePass tiers of subscription.

While it’s not specified in Sinemia’s big unveiling of the Always Unlimited plan, it looks like that clause about no repeated viewings of the same film might not be present. So if you’re looking to test your bladder strength with multiple showings of Avengers: Endgame, you might be able to do just that during its opening weekend.

Movie subscription services are still a market of volatility, with some potentially huge shifts still to come in the next year or so. While there’s no clear path to victory for any one playing the game, Sinemia is definitely making a bold move forward that could pay off. We’ll see how this pans out in the near future, but for now, our eyes will be peeled as to how existing providers adapt to this change, and whether or not this competing plan can gain some market share at the hands of Always Unlimited.

If you’re curious as to what Sinemia is offering with their plans, both old and new, you can visit its official website to research accordingly.

Bird Box Is Getting A Sequel, But Not On Netflix

Bird Box Is Getting A Sequel, But Not On Netflix

Lots of movies have debuted on Netflix in the past several years, but not many inspired the kind of response that Bird Box did when it hit the streaming service right before Christmas last year. In just a few days, the post-apocalyptic film managed to set a massive viewing record for Netflix, with fans of the movie creating hundreds of memes dedicated to the film...which then led many others to watch the movie just to see what all the fuss was about. Of course, lots of people even took to blindfolding themselves to take on the so called "Bird Box challenge," with Netflix and public officials having to issue a statement that people, you know, just not do that, especially while driving.

With all the attention the movie, which stars Sandra Bullock as a woman trying to survive with her children in a world where people see their worst fears and then die, got, many people are wondering when we might get a follow up to the terrifying adventure. Fortunately, the answer is October 1, but, instead of coming by way of another Netflix movie, this new tale will be a sequel novel from Josh Malerman, who wrote the book of the same title that Bird Box was based on.

Josh Malerman's follow up to Bird Box is titled Malorie, and will, as indicated by the title, continue the story of Sandra Bullock's fierce, determined character as she continues to fight for survival. So, why did Malerman, who began working on Bird Box in 2006 and published his novel in 2014, decide to write a sequel? Here's what he had to say:

In the time between Bird Box coming out and the time since I’ve been writing Malorie, I’ve been asked a ton of times: people want to know what happened with Boy and Girl. But as much as I care about Boy and Girl, this isn’t their story. The Bird Box world is Malorie’s story, and I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to get to know her even better. At the end of the movie, I turned to my girl Allison and said, 'I want to know what happens next!' and she’s like, 'Well, you know, you could make that happen,' so it really was this warm feeling.

In his interview with Esquire, Josh Malerman revealed that some of his "warm feeling" has led to a story that will tell fans a lot more about Malorie and the creatures who have helped to decimate the population. The sequel will also pick up in a similar location to where the first story ended, with Malorie, her kids and a group of survivors "trying to make things work," but Malerman promises that the new story won't open "with them in paradise" so you can bet that there will be lots of challenges still ahead for Malorie and everyone she comes into contact with along the way.

Unfortunately, Malerman didn't have anything to say about plans for Netflix to adapt this new tale for streaming, but considering how wild people went for Bird Box, it's probably a pretty safe bet that those at the service will at least be paying attention to the reception that Malorie gets once it's released on October 1.

How Linda Cardellini Got A Funny Scooby-Doo Reference Into The Curse Of La Llorona

How Linda Cardellini Got A Funny Scooby-Doo Reference Into The Curse Of La Llorona

As Warner Bros.’ The Curse of La Llorona works its way to theaters this weekend, fans of The Conjuring universe will be scouring the backgrounds of scene looking for references and Easter Eggs to the larger story at hand. (And they are there, trust us.) But while paying attention to the background details in director Michael Chaves’ horror-thriller, we spotted a different reference that made us laugh, and we had to ask the cast about it.

The Curse of La Llorona takes place in the 1970s, where a social worker (Linda Cardellini) who is concerned about the welfare of some small children begins to investigate the mother’s claims that they are haunted by La Llorona. More on that myth in a moment, but in the background of a scene, kids are watching Scooby-Doo on a TV set. Makes sense. The animated show was huge in the 1970s. But there’s also a subtle gag there in that Linda Cardellini also played Velma in two live-action Scooby-Doo movies, and she told us it was her idea to get that animated reference in. She tells CinemaBlend:

Actually, it was a discussion too, when we were talking about it. And I was like… because it was a different Hanna-Barbera cartoon that we had in one version, and I was like, ‘What if they’re watching Scooby-Doo?’ And we just had a laugh about it. It was sort of like a little Easter Egg, I think.

These self-aware nods are hilarious to film lovers. Going into the movie, it’s fun to know that Linda Cardellini established her range on a popular family comedy like Scooby-Doo before switching gears, time and again, to show exactly what she is capable of as an actress. Sure she played Velma. But since then, Cardellini has impressed critics and crowds with roles in Brokeback Mountain, E.R., Mad Men, the Avengers movies, and most recently on the Netflix drama Bloodline.

As she elaborated in the Scooby-Doo nod, she explained how that movie helped her switch gears and challenger herself as an actress. Cardellini told us:

That was, to me, I had just come off of Freaks and Geeks, and so doing something like Scooby-Doo seemed like a crazy departure, playing Velma. And [this] was like, I had just come off of Daddy’s Home and then I decided to do this film. I just love that about acting, so it was fun for me.

Audiences will see a new side of Linda Cardellini in The Curse of La Llorona, as she plays a caring social worker who gets pulled into a terrifying mystery. She also, as a result, has to protect her own children from the threat of La Llorona, and Cardellini displays a ferocious Mama Bear side that we hadn’t seen from her before. Here she is discussing the movie, and Scooby-Doo:

Check out The Curse of La Llorona when it hits theater screens starting this Thursday.