The MonsterVerse is an American multimedia franchise and shared universe featuring Godzilla and other sister characters owned and created by Toho Co., Ltd, as well as King Kong. The franchise consists of eighteen films and two television series that have been produced by Legendary Pictures, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing the films and the series being released for streaming on Netflix and Apple TV+. The franchise has received a generally positive critical reception and has grossed $11 billion worldwide at the box office.
Development[]
In 2004, director Yoshimitsu Banno acquired permission from Toho to produce a short IMAX Godzilla film which was in development for several years until the project was eventually turned over to Legendary Pictures. In March 2010, Legendary announced to have acquired the rights to Godzilla for a feature film reboot.
Writer Max Borenstein stated that the MonsterVerse did not begin as a franchise but as an American reboot of Godzilla. Borenstein credits Legendary Entertainment's founder and then CEO Thomas Tull as the one responsible for the MonsterVerse, having acquired the rights to Godzilla and negotiated the complicated rights to King Kong. Tull had offered Borenstein the opportunity to write the first draft for Kong: Skull Island, with the goal to establish Kong in the same universe as Legendary's Godzilla film. Tull's vision was for the films to one day lead to Godzilla vs. Kong.
In 2015, Legendary announced plans to unite Godzilla and Kong in a film titled Godzilla vs. Kong, set for a 2020 release date. Legendary planned to create a shared cinematic franchise "centered around Monarch" (the secret government agency which debuted in 2014's Godzilla) and that "brings together Godzilla and Legendary’s King Kong in an ecosystem of other giant super-species, both classic and new". Later in October, it was announced that Kong: Skull Island would have references to Monarch.
In January 2017, Thomas Tull, founder of Legendary, resigned from the company but would remain as producer for the Godzilla–Kong series, which was revealed as the "MonsterVerse".
Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War would mark as the end of the MonsterVerse, developed by a writers room assembled by director Grant Sputore and producer Michael Dougherty.
Films[]
| Entry | U.S. release date | Directed by | Screenplay by | Story by | Produced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla | May 16, 2014 | Gareth Edwards | Max Borenstein | Dave Callaham | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Brian Rogers |
| Kong: Skull Island | March 10, 2017 | Jordan Vogt-Roberts | Dan Gilroy and Max Borenstein and Derek Connolly | John Gatins | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Alex Garcia |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | May 31, 2019 | Michael Dougherty | Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Max Borenstein and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia and Brian Rogers |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | March 31, 2021 | Adam Wingard | Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein | Terry Rossio and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Brian Rogers, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia and Eric McLeod |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | March 29, 2024 | Terry Rossio and Simon Barrett and Jeremy Slater | Terry Rossio & Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett | ||
| Godzilla: Modern Warfare | September 11, 2026 | Grant Sputore | Dave Callaham and Max Borenstein and Michael Lloyd Green | Dave Callaham and Grant Sputore | Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia and Brian Rogers |
| Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | May 19, 2028 | Adam Wingard | Simon Barrett & Terry Rossio and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Simon Barrett & Adam Wingard and Dave Callaham | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Brian Rogers, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia and Eric McLeod |
| Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | March 21, 2029 | Gareth Edwards | Arvid Nelson & Gareth Edwards & Max Borenstein | Gareth Edwards & Max Borenstein and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Gareth Edwards, Kiri Hart, Jim Spencer and Arnon Milchan |
| Mothra x Kong: Dawn of Extinction | August 16, 2030 | Lisa Joy | Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan | Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan | Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas |
| Godzilla: Return of the King | December 16, 2033 | J. A. Bayona | Sergio G. Sánchez and Max Borenstein and Arvid Nelson | Sergio G. Sánchez & J. A. Bayona | Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Brian Rogers, J. A. Bayona and Belén Atienza |
| Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | August 1, 2035 | Grant Sputore | Max Borenstein and Michael Lloyd Green and Michael Dougherty | Michael Lloyd Green & Grant Sputore and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Michael Dougherty, Grant Sputore and Eric McLeod |
| Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War | March 7, 2036 | ||||
| Godzilla: BCE | March 19, 2038 | Tarrell Christie | Tarrell Christie & Raphael Cosme & Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Michael Dougherty, Tarrell Christie and Raphael Cosme | |
| Titan Footage Not Found | January 14, 2039 | Emerald Fennell | Emerald Fennell & Derek Kolstad & Grant Sputore & Michael Lloyd Green | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Emerald Fennell and Derek Kolstad | |
| Monster War on Planet X | July 26, 2041 | Michael Dougherty | Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields and Arvid Nelson | Dave Callaham and Max Borenstein and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Alex Garcia and Brian Rogers |
| Planet X: Part One – Gods of Destruction | December 23, 2043 | Zack Snyder | Zack Snyder & Shay Hatten & Kurt Johnstad | Zack Snyder & Shay Hatten and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder |
| Planet X: Part Two – Rage Across Space | July 22, 2044 | ||||
| Rebirth of Mothra | December 14, 2046 | Francesca Scorsese | Francesca Scorsese & Arvid Nelson & Steven Zaillian | Francesca Scorsese and Eric Roth | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Martin Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff |
| Kongzilla | March 8, 2047 | Adam Wingard | |||
Additional crew[]
| Entry | Executive producers | Director of photography | Production designer | Edited by | VFX supervisor | Music by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla | Patricia Whitcher, Alex Garcia, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Seamus McGarvey | Owen Paterson | Bob Ducsay | Jim Rygiel | Alexandre Desplat |
| Kong: Skull Island | Eric McLeod and Edward Cheng | Larry Fong | Tom Hammock | Richard Pearson | Jeff White | Henry Jackman |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Barry H. Waldman, Zach Shields, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Lawrence Sher | Scott Chambliss | Roger Barton, Richard Pearson and Bob Ducsay | Guillaume Rocheron | Bear McCreary |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | Jay Ashenfelter, Herbert W. Gains, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Ben Seresin | Owen Paterson and Tom Hammock | Josh Schaeffer | John "DJ" DesJardin | Tom Holkenborg |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy, Adam Wingard, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Tom Hammock | Alessandro Ongaro | Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio | ||
| Godzilla: Modern Warfare | Bryce Menzies, Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis, John Wade, Philip Wade, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Steve Annis | Hugh Bateup | Sean Lahiff | Sue Rowe | Benjamin Wallfisch |
| Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Jay Ashenfelter, Adam Wingard, Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Robby Bomguartner | Tom Hammock | Josh Schaeffer and Louis Cioffi | Ryan Cook | Hans Zimmer, Tom Holkenborg and Antonio Di Iorio |
| Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | Arvid Nelson, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Oren Soffer | James Clyne | Roger Barton | John Knoll | Lorne Balfe |
| Mothra x Kong: Dawn of Extinction | Elishia Holmes, D. Scott Lumpkin, Athena Wickham, Sam Gilberg, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Simon Duggan | Howard Cummings | Mark Yoshikawa | Alessandro Ongaro | Natalie Holt |
| Godzilla: Return of the King | Patrick McKay, Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Óscar Faura | Andy Nicholson | Bernat Vilaplana | Alex Wuttke | Michael Giacchino |
| Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | Gareth Edwards, Max Borenstein, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Steve Annis | Hugh Bateup | Sean Lahiff | Nick Davis | Bear McCreary, Dan Luscombe and Antony Partos |
| Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War | ||||||
| Godzilla: BCE | Simon Emanuel, Thomas Hammel, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Greig Fraser | James Chinlund | Tarrell Christie and Raphael Cosme | Dan Lemmon | Zane A. Goen |
| Titan Footage Not Found | Michael Lloyd Green, Grant Sputore, Sherryl Clark, Guy Riedel and J. J. Abrams | Jean-Philippe Gossart | Tristan Bennett | Jason Ballantine | Janelle Croshaw | Anthony Willis |
| Monster War on Planet X | Zach Shields, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Mauro Fiore | Grant Major | Lee Smith | Richard Stammers | Bear McCreary |
| Planet X: Part One – Gods of Destruction | Wesley Coller, Bergen Swanson, Kurt Johnstad, Shay Hatten, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Zack Snyder | Patrick Tatopoulos | Dody Dorn | Marcus Taormina | Tom Holkenborg |
| Planet X: Part Two – Rage Across Space | ||||||
| Rebirth of Mothra | Charles Winkler, David Winkler, Tyler Zacharia, Berry Welsh, Chad A. Verdi, Jai Stefan, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira | Rodrigo Prieto | Bob Shaw | Kevin Anton | Pablo Helman | Bear McCreary |
| Kongzilla | Alessandro Ongaro | Tom Holkenborg |
Companies[]
| Entry | Production companies | Distributor companies | Visual effects companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla | Legendary Pictures | Warner Bros. Pictures, Toho Co. Ltd | Moving Picture Company, DNEG |
| Kong: Skull Island | Legendary Pictures, Tencent Pictures | Warner Bros. Pictures | Industrial Light & Magic, Hybride, Rodeo FX |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Legendary Pictures | Warner Bros. Pictures, Toho Co. Ltd | Moving Picture Company, DNEG, Method Studios, Raynault VFX, Rodeo FX |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | Weta FX, Moving Picture Company, Scanline VFX | ||
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Weta FX, Scanline VFX, DNEG, Luma Pictures, Baked Studios | ||
| Godzilla: Modern Warfare | Union VFX, Scanline VFX, Moving Picture Company, Cinesite | ||
| Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | Weta FX, Moving Picture Company, DNEG, Method Studios | ||
| Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | Legendary Pictures, Regency Enterprises, New Regency | Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain | |
| Mothra x Kong: Dawn of Extinction | Legendary Pictures, Syncopy, FilmNation Entertainment | DNEG, Hydraulx, Weta FX, Scanline VFX | |
| Godzilla: Return of the King | Legendary Pictures | Weta FX, Industrial Light & Magic, Moving Picture Company, Rodeo FX | |
| Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | Moving Picture Company, Weta FX, Industrial Light & Magic, Method Studios, Scanline VFX, Cinesite | ||
| Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War | |||
| Godzilla: BCE | Legendary Pictures, Lost Utopia Films, Century War Pictures | Weta FX, Moving Picture Company, DNEG | |
| Titan Footage Not Found | Legendary Pictures | Warner Bros. Pictures | Industrial Light & Magic, Luma Pictures, BeloFX, Blind LTD |
| Monster War on Planet X | Warner Bros. Pictures, Toho Co. Ltd | Moving Picture Company, Weta FX, Rodeo FX, Rising Sun Pictures | |
| Planet X: Part One – Gods of Destruction | Legendary Pictures, The Stone Quarry | Weta FX, Moving Picture Company, Framestore, Luma Pictures | |
| Planet X: Part Two – Rage Across Space | |||
| Rebirth of Mothra | Legendary Pictures, Sikelia Productions | Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Scanline VFX, Raynault VFX, Rising Sun Pictures | |
| Kongzilla | Legendary Pictures |
Television series[]
| Entry | Seasons | First episode air date | Latest episode air date | No. of episodes | Network | Showrunner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skull Island | 1 | June 22, 2023 | 8 | Netflix | Brian Duffield | |
| Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | 3 | November 17, 2023 | January 16, 2026 | 30 | Apple TV+ | Chris Black (S1-2), Matt Fraction (S3) |
| Prehistoric Planet of Godzilla | 2 | July 2, 2038 | August 19, 2039 | 14 | Michael Dougherty (S1), Max Borenstein (S2) | |
Reception[]
Box office[]
| Entry | Release date | Domestic box office | Foreign box office | Total box office | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla | May 16, 2014 | $200,676,069 | $328,400,000 | $529,076,069 | $160 million |
| Kong: Skull Island | March 10, 2017 | $168,052,812 | $400,600,000 | $568,652,812 | $185 million |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | May 31, 2019 | $110,500,138 | $276,800,000 | $387,300,138 | $170-200 million |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | March 31, 2021 | $100,916,094 | $369,200,000 | $470,116,094 | $155-200 million |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | March 29, 2024 | $196,482,103 | $376,600,000 | $573,082,103 | $135-150 million |
| Godzilla: Modern Warfare | September 11, 2026 | $194,256,865 | $294,200,000 | $488,456,865 | $153 million |
| Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | May 19, 2028 | $213,364,441 | $420,900,000 | $634,264,441 | $190-215 million |
| Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | March 21, 2029 | $214,680,043 | $411,200,000 | $625,880,043 | $180 million |
| Mothra x Kong: Dawn of Extinction | August 16, 2030 | $212,014,996 | $419,600,000 | $631,614,996 | $170-210 million |
| Godzilla: Return of the King | December 16, 2033 | $334,466,888 | $542,300,000 | $876,766,888 | $194 million |
| Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | August 1, 2035 | $520,860,438 | $849,200,000 | $1,370,060,438 | $200-230 million |
| Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War | March 7, 2036 | $518,253,280 | $834,500,000 | $1,352,753,280 | $240 million |
| Godzilla: BCE | March 19, 2038 | $347,784,201 | $586,600,000 | $954,384,201 | $205-220 million |
| Titan Footage Not Found | January 14, 2039 | $116,975,153 | $180,800,000 | $297,775,153 | $100-130 million |
| Monster War on Planet X | July 26, 2041 | $138,225,613 | $311,900,000 | $450,125,613 | $152 million |
| Planet X: Part One – Gods of Destruction | December 23, 2043 | $120,794,954 | $326,100,000 | $446,894,954 | $160 million |
| Planet X: Part Two – Rage Across Space | July 22, 2044 | $97,619,362 | $268,000,000 | $365,619,362 | $216 million |
| Rebirth of Mothra | December 14, 2046 | $94,000,193 | $132,000,000 | $226,000,193 | $154-168 million |
| Kongzilla | March 8, 2047 | ||||
| Total | |||||
Critical reception[]
| Entry | Release date | Runtime | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Cinemascore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godzilla | May 16, 2014 | 123 minutes | 76% (330 reviews) | 62 (48 reviews) | B+ |
| Kong: Skull Island | March 10, 2017 | 118 minutes | 75% (395 reviews) | 62 (49 reviews) | B+ |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | May 31, 2019 | 132 minutes | 42% (353 reviews) | 48 (46 reviews) | B+ |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | March 31, 2021 | 113 minutes | 76% (392 reviews) | 59 (57 reviews) | A |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | March 29, 2024 | 115 minutes | 53% (377 reviews) | 47 (51 reviews) | A– |
| Godzilla: Modern Warfare | September 11, 2026 | 116 minutes | 48% (381 reviews) | 43 (53 reviews) | A– |
| Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | May 19, 2028 | 127 minutes | 62% (408 reviews) | 53 (58 reviews) | A |
| Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | March 21, 2029 | 135 minutes | 78% (428 reviews) | 62 (61 reviews) | A- |
| Mothra x Kong: Dawn of Extinction | August 16, 2030 | 140 minutes | |||
| 70% (434 reviews) | 56 (64 reviews) | B+ | |||
| Godzilla: Return of the King | December 16, 2033 | 141 minutes | 84% (480 reviews) | 74 (66 reviews) | A |
| Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | August 1, 2035 | 148 minutes | 82% (516 reviews) | 66 (71 reviews) | A |
| Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War | March 7, 2036 | 135 minutes | 81% (537 reviews) | 67 (70 reviews) | A |
| Godzilla: BCE | March 19, 2038 | 149 minutes | 87% (509 reviews) | 72 (65 reviews) | A– |
| Titan Footage Not Found | January 14, 2039 | 158 minutes | 85% (342 reviews) | 77 (52 reviews) | B+ |
| Monster War on Planet X | July 26, 2041 | 142 minutes | 66% (383 reviews) | 55 (55 reviews) | A– |
| Planet X: Part One – Gods of Destruction | December 23, 2043 | 139 reviews | 35% (398 reviews) | 47 (60 reviews) | B+ |
| Planet X: Part Two – Rage Across Space | July 22, 2044 | 120 minutes | 28% (418 reviews) | 36 (57 reviews) | B |
| Rebirth of Mothra | December 14, 2046 | 116 minutes | 56% (299 reviews) | 48 (48 reviews) | B+ |
| Kongzilla | March 8, 2047 |
Accolades[]
Academy Awards[]
| Year | Categories | Entry | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Best Visual Effects | Kong: Skull Island | Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus | Nominated |
| 2029 | Godzilla x Kong: Monster Apocalypse | Ryan Cook, R. Christopher White, Sean Konrad and Mike Meinardus | Nominated | |
| 2030 | Godzilla: Terror of Mechagodzilla | John Knoll, Scott Farrar, Jay Barton and Neil Corbould | Nominated | |
| Best Sound | David Parker, Ian Voigt, Stuart Wilson, Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn | Won | ||
| 2031 | Mothra x Kong: Dawn of Extinction | Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tim LeBlanc, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic | Nominated | |
| 2035 | Best Picture | Godzilla: Return of the King | Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Brian Rogers, J. A. Bayona and Belén Atienza | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | Óscar Faura | Won | ||
| Best Sound | Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Tom Ozanich, Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl | Nominated | ||
| Best Visual Effects | Alex Wuttke, Dan Lemmon, Guillaume Rocheron and Chris Corbould | Won | ||
| 2036 | Best Sound | Godzilla x Kong: Destroy All Monsters | Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett | Nominated |
| Best Visual Effects | Nick Davis, Daryl Sawchuk, Andrew Whitehurst and Julius Lechner | Nominated | ||
| 2037 | Godzilla x Kong: Operation Final War | Nominated | ||
| 2039 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Godzilla: BCE | Tarrell Christie, Raphael Cosme, Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields | Nominated |
| Best Visual Effects | Dan Lemmon, Lindsay McFarlane, Peter Chiang and Eric Frazier | Won | ||
| 2040 | Best Picture | Titan Footage Not Found | Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Emerald Fennell and Derek Kolstad | Nominated |
| Best Director | Emerald Fennell | Nominated | ||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Emerald Fennell, Derek Kolstad, Michael Lloyd Green and Grant Sputore | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Jamie Flatters | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | Tristan Bennett | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Jean-Philippe Gossart | Nominated | ||
| Best Film Editing | Jason Ballantine | Won | ||
| Best Sound | Cole Jorgenson, Marc A. Tennant, Erik Aadahl and Ethan van de Ryn | Nominated | ||
| Best Visual Effects | Janelle Croshaw, Jason Smith, Farhad Mohasseb and Gerd Nefzer | Nominated | ||
| 2042 | Monster War on Planet X | Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Chris Lawrence, and Steven Warner | Nominated | |
| 2044 | Planet X: Part One – Gods of Destruction | Marcus Taormina, Bryan Litson, Richard R. Hoover and Michael Gaspar | Nominated | |
| 2048 | Kongzilla | Alessandro Ongaro, Kevin Andrew Smith, Bryan Hirota and Mike Meinardus | Nominated |