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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire poster
6.8
Legendary Pictures Acclaimed

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

MonsterVerse · MonsterVerse Collection

2024 115 min PG-13
Critic6.8
Action Adventure Sci-Fi Fantasy
Max Prime Video Apple TV Fandango at Home
Trailer Where to Watch

Overview

After their explosive showdown, Godzilla and Kong must reunite to face an even greater threat: the tyrannical Skar King and the frost-breathing Titan Shimo, who emerge from the depths of Hollow Earth to threaten both the surface world and the Titans' very existence.
Story 5.5
Acting 6.5
Direction 7.0
Cinematography 7.5
Music 7.0
Pacing 7.5
Originality 6.0
Emotional Impact 6.5
Overall 6.8

Editorial Review

By FindEdition Cinema Desk

6.8 /10

Spectacle first

Adam Wingard has fully abandoned the prestige monster movie ambitions of Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla and leaned into pure kaiju entertainment — the Hollow Earth is dazzling, the new Titans are well-designed, and the finale delivers genuinely thrilling scale.

Human element

Brian Tyree Henry is once again the film's comic MVP, and Kaylee Hottle's Jia provides the film's emotional through-line — the human scenes are lighter and more fun than previous entries, even if they are transparently just connective tissue between Titan fights.

Pros

  • Record-breaking MonsterVerse box office ($572.5M)
  • Colourful, inventive Hollow Earth world-building
  • Excellent new Titan designs (Skar King, Shimo)
  • Brian Tyree Henry's consistently scene-stealing humour

Cons

  • Wafer-thin human storyline
  • Mixed critical reception (52% Tomatometer)
  • Plot logic sacrificed entirely for spectacle
Verdict Pure, unashamed monster spectacle — bigger, bolder and more colourful than any MonsterVerse entry before it, for better and worse: Wingard leans all the way in to the fun and the box office agreed.

AI Review

The biggest MonsterVerse film ever — $572.5M worldwide — Adam Wingard goes full kaiju spectacle in a neon-soaked Hollow Earth adventure that critics split on but audiences loved.

Pure, unashamed monster spectacle — bigger, bolder and more colourful than any MonsterVerse entry before it, for better and worse: Wingard leans all the way in to the fun and the box office agreed.

Watch after Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) for full context — then enjoy it loud, in the best resolution available.

Awards

ASCAP Screen Music Awards

Top Box Office Film · Won

Critics Choice Super Awards

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie · Nominated

Saturn Awards

Best Science Fiction Film · Nominated

MTV Movie & TV Awards

Best Fight · Nominated

Timeline

Release Date
Theatrical Date
Digital Date
Physical Date
Premiere
Festival
Status
Development

Legendary announced a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong in March 2022. Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater wrote the screenplay, with Adam Wingard returning to direct.

Principal photography

Filmed in Queensland, Australia at Gold Coast Studios in 2022–2023. The production was notably leaner than Godzilla vs. Kong, with Wingard citing greater VFX experience for the streamlined shoot.

Release

Premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 25, 2024; wide US release March 29; digital from May 14; physical (4K/Blu-ray/DVD) June 11; streaming on Max (HBO Max) from July 4, 2024. A sequel was confirmed shortly after release.

ASCAP Screen Music Awards

Top Box Office Film Won

Critics Choice Super Awards

Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Movie Nominated

Saturn Awards

Best Science Fiction Film Nominated

MTV Movie & TV Awards

Best Fight Nominated

Production

Development

Legendary announced a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong in March 2022. Terry Rossio, Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater wrote the screenplay, with Adam Wingard returning to direct.

Principal photography

Filmed in Queensland, Australia at Gold Coast Studios in 2022–2023. The production was notably leaner than Godzilla vs. Kong, with Wingard citing greater VFX experience for the streamlined shoot.

Release

Premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre on March 25, 2024; wide US release March 29; digital from May 14; physical (4K/Blu-ray/DVD) June 11; streaming on Max (HBO Max) from July 4, 2024. A sequel was confirmed shortly after release.

Streaming

Max Prime Video Apple TV Fandango at Home

Cast

Rebecca Hall Dr. Ilene Andrews
Brian Tyree Henry Bernie Hayes
Dan Stevens Trapper
Kaylee Hottle Jia
Alex Ferns Mikael
Fala Chen Iwi Queen
Rachel House Hampton
Ron Smyck Harris
Chantelle Jamieson Monarch Specialist
Kevin Copeland Submarine Commander

Characters

Dr. Ilene Andrews Rebecca Hall
Bernie Hayes Brian Tyree Henry
Trapper Dan Stevens
Jia Kaylee Hottle
Mikael Alex Ferns
Iwi Queen Fala Chen
Hampton Rachel House
Harris Ron Smyck
Monarch Specialist Chantelle Jamieson
Submarine Commander Kevin Copeland

Crew

Adam Wingard Director
Terry Rossio Writer
Simon Barrett Writer
Jeremy Slater Writer
Mary Parent Producer
Alex Garcia Producer
Eric McLeod Producer
Brian Rogers Producer
Tom Holkenborg Composer
Antonio Di Iorio Composer
Ben Seresin Cinematographer
Josh Schaeffer Editor

Videos

Official Trailer

Soundtrack

  1. Original Score — Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) & Antonio Di Iorio
  2. Godzilla vs. Kong Suite — Tom Holkenborg
  3. Hollow Earth — Antonio Di Iorio
  4. This Is How It Feels (End Credits) — Evanescence

Trivia

  • With $572.5 million worldwide, it became the highest-grossing MonsterVerse film ever — surpassing Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and the original Godzilla (2014).
  • It is also the highest-grossing film ever in both the Godzilla franchise (38 films) and the King Kong franchise (13 films).
  • Director Adam Wingard, a noted Godzilla fan, pitched the idea of Godzilla sleeping inside the Roman Colosseum — an image that became one of the film's most iconic visuals.
  • Godzilla's new pink atomic energy form — 'Skar King power' — was developed to give the Titan a visible visual upgrade for this entry.
  • The film was made for $135 million, making it the cheapest MonsterVerse production to date, despite delivering the most CGI and Titan screen time of any entry.
  • A sequel, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, directed by Grant Sputore (I Am Mother), is scheduled for March 26, 2027, and began filming in Brisbane, Australia in 2025–2026.
  • Audience scores were exceptionally high — 89% on the Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter — despite a mixed critical reception (52% Tomatometer).

Quotes

"Kong bows to no one."

"The Titans have their own agenda now."

Goofs

  • When Godzilla sleeps in the Roman Colosseum, he damages the structure significantly entering — but the surrounding city appears largely undisturbed in subsequent shots.
  • Kong's mechanical arm prosthetic changes appearance subtly between the Hollow Earth and surface world sequences.

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Collections

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Franchise

MonsterVerse

Fifth film in the MonsterVerse; sixth entry Godzilla x Kong: Supernova confirmed for March 26, 2027.

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Recommendations & Alternatives

For higher ratings, consider Dune: Part Two (8.7/10). A similarly themed alternative is A Private Life.

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AI Recommendation Insight

The biggest MonsterVerse film ever — $572.5M worldwide — Adam Wingard goes full kaiju spectacle in a neon-soaked Hollow Earth adventure that critics split on but audiences loved. Similar picks: Shared Cast, Highly Rated Adventure

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire