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70 years of Godzilla films make for a truly titanic number of kaiju that appear across the franchise. Some of those monsters are friends of humanity, some are foes, and some go back and forth, but most importantly, they all fight. Kaiju battles are some of the most spectacular parts of these films, and that's true whether you're a fan of the modern CGI-based Monsterverse films or the classic tokusatsu films of the Showa and Heisei eras (especially with their sillier Godzilla stories).

Of course, Godzilla has the best fight record of any kaiju, but plenty of other monsters have had some impressive wins over the years. On the other hand, there are a few always-losers: the floppy-eared Baragon, overgrown shrimp Ebirah, the bug-like Megalon, Godzilla: Final Wars' menacing Monster X, and the plant-kaiju hybrid Biollante all failed to eke out even a single on-screen victory. As we wait for more...

A movie from the Monsterverse has found new success on streaming after changing platforms. The Hollywood franchise blends characters and scenarios from two of the most famous and longest-running monster franchises in history. The first is Godzilla, a Japanese kaiju franchise following the various rampages of a giant irradiated lizard that kicked off in 1954 and now includes more than 30 films, and the second is King Kong, an American franchise which began in 1933 and follows an oversized ape whose rage is usually triggered when he is being exploited by humans.

The Monsterverse, which is produced by Legendary Pictures, brings King Kong, Godzilla, and a variety of other kaiju from the Godzilla movies including Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Rodan into the same universe. The franchise kicked off with Godzilla in 2014, followed by Kong: Skull Island in 2017 and now encompasses five movies and two television shows, with more on the way. All together,...

A cancelled Godzilla team-up movie provides the perfect blueprint for Rodan's potential return to the Monsterverse. By leaving Rodan as one of the survivors of the big Titan battle in Boston, Godzilla: King of the Monsters' ending effectively set the stage for the King of the Skies to re-enter the picture at a later date. Because of this, there was reasonable speculation that Rodan would appear in both Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, but neither of these scenarios panned out. However, that's not to say the Monsterverse has closed the door on his story.

With a Godzilla x Kong sequel on the way, a second Monsterverse appearance for Rodan remains on the table. As for where he'd fit into the picture, that remains unclear, especially since there's all sorts of different roles he could fit in a Monsterverse movie. Of all the options available to it,...

New details revealed about the upcoming series It: Welcome to Derry essentially guarantee one of the scariest forms of Pennywise will appear in the show. It: Welcome to Derry will premiere on Max in 2025 and serves as a prequel to It and It Chapter Two. Andy Muschietti, director of both It films, returned alongside his sister Barbara Muschietti and screenwriter Jason Fuchs to develop the series. It: Welcome to Derry's cast includes Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, and Stephen Rider.

In addition to the previously mentioned cast members, Bill Skarsgrd will also return as Pennywise the Clown, which earned him a wealth of acclaim when both It and It Chapter Two were released. It: Welcome to Derry will explore the history of Derry, Maine and of Pennywise's role in numerous horrific events that took place in the town. New images for It: Welcome to Derry have been released,...

Your browser does not support the video tag. The MonsterVerse cinematic universe dates back to the 1950s and has been a successful franchise for Warner Bros. and Legendary since it was rebooted in the 2010s. The MonsterVerse timeline includes movies such as Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla vs. Kong, which are not released in chronological order but are still easy to follow. Prehistoric events in the MonsterVerse, as depicted in Kong: Skull Island, show ancient battles between Titans, including Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah, as well as the existence of a Hollow Earth.

The current MonsterVerse timeline is now 5 movies and 2 TV shows deep as of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, but the history of this cinematic universe dates back further than some might realize. The legendary lineup of Toho creatures has been around since the 1950s. But it was in the 2010s that Warner Bros. and Legendary...

Apple TV+ is expanding the Monsterverse with multiple spinoffs, including Mothra and potential new Titans shows. Rodan could have his own solo project if the Monsterverse continues to grow in scale. A Monsterverse series set in the Hollow Earth could introduce new Titans and expand the lore beyond the movies.

Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

With numerous Monsterverse TV spinoffs on the way, it's worth wondering which characters and concepts from Godzilla and Kong's world will get their own shows next. With Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire making a splash at the box office, there's already good reason to be optimistic about the future of Legendary's Monsterverse. However, it's become apparent that it's not just the movie side of the Monsterverse that's going strong. A recent announcement indicates it will also thrive on the small screen, presumably for years.

Both Netflix and Apple TV+ have...

Adam Wingard's new film "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" has, tonally speaking, strayed far from Gareth Edwards' 2014 MonsterVerse kickoff film "Godzilla." Edwards' film was somber and sad, featuring very little "fun" monster destruction. As the MonserVerse series has progressed, however, it has crept inexorably toward a sillier tone before striking it rich with Wingard's 2021 entry "Godzilla vs. Kong." That film featured a battle between the titular titans, but also a cameo from Mechagodzilla, a monstrous robot extrapolated from the skull of the dead King Ghidorah. "GvK" also featured a fleet of human-built UFOs and a magical portal that led into the Hollow Earth, an unusual underground realm ruled by monsters.

The Hollow Earth idea is straight out of Jules Verne, but the mayhem-forward approach to a Godzilla movie comes from several of Toho's films released in the 1970s. Indeed, many critics and pundits have been comparing "GxK" to the series' Shōwa era,...

Godzilla has defeated giant spiders, giant lobsters, giant robots, giant dinosaurs, giant space dragons, giant plant monsters, giant beetles, and of course, giant monkeys. But recently, the King of the Monsters conquered a foe that many thought him incapable of taking on: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

With “Godzilla Minus One,” Toho’s iconic kaiju (or giant monster) franchise “Godzilla” earned its first Academy Award, receiving the Oscar for Best Visual Effects after wowing audiences with its impressive CGI re-creation of cinema’s most iconic movie monster. It became the first Japanese production to win the award, bookending a successful season for the film, which broke through in America in a major way. After years of the franchise’s Japanese films reaching relatively niche U.S. audiences, “Godzilla Minus One” grossed $110 million worldwide and attracted critical acclaim, bringing the franchise new fans and newfound recognition.

“Godzilla Minus One...

The success of Godzilla Minus One has set the stage for a potential Rodan remake by Toho. While a sequel to Godzilla Minus One remains uncertain, a fresh take on Rodan's story would be a smart move. A Rodan remake would avoid the challenges a sequel to Godzilla Minus One might face, offering a new and emotionally engaging story.

The success of Godzilla Minus One is a sign that a Rodan remake needs to be a high priority for Toho. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus One has emerged as a massive success for the Japanese movie studio that created the character. The records it broke at both the global and domestic box office, combined with its across-the-board critical acclaim, has boosted cries for more Godzilla movies.

While the possibility of a Godzilla Minus One sequel has been addressed on multiple occasions by those involved with the project, Toho...

Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 mega-hit "King Kong" was a marvel of special effects. It employed stop-motion animation, outsize models, rear-projection, and novel composting methods to convince audiences that a giant ape was interacting with human co-stars. Compared to modern, ultra-slick CGI effects, the 1933 King Kong may not look as realistic, but the ape shimmers with life and personality beyond what many modern effects can accomplish. Kong is the most sympathetic character in the movie, as he was kidnapped from his home and exploited by would-be entertainment moguls. Using bi-planes to shoot Kong off the top of the Empire State Building wasn't a moment of triumph for a masterful humanity, but the tragic execution of an animal that doesn't understand what it was thrust into. Not bad for a film that's going to celebrate its 91st birthday in April of 2024.

Interpreting "King Kong" in 2024 is fraught. Cooper...

Looking for something other than the “Super Bowl” to watch this weekend? Midnight Pulp and TokuSHOUTsu are joining forces to kick off the “Monster Bowl” this Sunday!

Airing on the Midnight Pulp channel all day long on Sunday, February 11, the “Monster Bowl” 2024 will feature classic kaiju movies all day long, from 4am through 5:15am Monday.

What you may not know about the Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is that several Live Channels are built directly into the app, including Midnight Pulp!

In other words, you’ll be able to stream the “Monster Bowl” live via Screambox. Other channels available 24/7 on Screambox include Retro Crush, Shout! TV, and Crime Hunters.

This year’s “Monster Bowl” celebration kicks off with the original Godzilla and continues all day with films including Rodan, Destroy All Monsters, Mothra vs. Godzilla, and more.

You’ll also be able to stream the 3rd annual “Monster Bowl” at the following places…...

The original 1954 "Godzilla" was directed by Ishirō Honda, butithout minimizing his importance, it's impossible that the film would have turned out the same way without the special effects Director Eiji Tsuburaya. Portraying a giant monster with the convincing scale of Godzilla had almost never been done before and crafting the monster was Tsuburaya's responsibility.

Tsuburaya had a prolific career that began almost 30 years before he worked on "Godzilla," and included previous collaborations with Honda on the war films "Eagle of the Pacific" and "Farewell Rabaul." Today, though, he is mostly remembered as "the father of Tokusatsu" or effects-heavy Japanese film/TV. Such productions typically depict actors in costume as giant monsters, robots, or superheroes. Tsuburaya earned this title not just through his work on "Godzilla" and subsequent films (such as "Rodan"), but by creating the 1967 TV series turned media phenomenon "Ultraman."

While Ultraman is a hero, Godzilla is (at least...

In 2022, director John Carpenter curated a special four-film marathon for Shout! Factory TV, one of the best streaming services out there. As recorded by Den of Geek, the lineup included Carpenter's four favorite films in the Godzilla mythos: "Gojira" (1954), "Rodan" (1956), "Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster" (1964), and, naturally, "War of the Gargantuas" (1966). One should be warned, however, that watching all four of those films in a row will instigate severe brain growth and usher in a phase of enlightenment previously unexperienced by most mortals.

Carpenter has long been a fan of Godzilla movies, having grown up in the 1950s when many of Toho's celebrated kaiju movies were opening in the United States. Carpenter's exposure to Godzilla at an early age not only contributed to his love of cinema but encouraged him to make movies of his own. As Carpenter's own fans might know, he got his start in filmmaking as a kid,...

Last year, legendary genre filmmaker John Carpenter teamed up with Shout! Factory TV, TokuSHOUTsu, Scream Factory TV, and Shout! Cult to host Masters of Monsters, a marathon of kaiju movies. The marathon played out on Shout! Factory TV over the course of three days in the first week of November last year. This year, the Masters of Monsters marathon is going to play out on one day, November 3rd – which also happens to be Godzilla Day, the anniversary of the release of the original Godzilla film.

Here’s the information on the marathon: John Carpenter, director of films released by Shout! Factory/Scream Factory such as Halloween, Escape from NY/Escape from LA, Body Bags, Big Trouble in Little China, The Fog, The Thing, and many more; is a huge Godzilla fan. He sits down to present his 4 favorite monster films directed by Ishiro Honda: Godzilla, The Uncut Japanese Original (Gojira), Rodan,...

U.S. audiences tend to accept Toho's earlier Godzilla movies as being high camp, usually thanks to Gen-x's half-remembered airings of late-'60s kaiju flicks broadcast on Uhf TV channels back in the 1980s. While there are some absurd and terrible Godzilla films from the Showa era (1954-1975), and many of them contained surreal, kitschy plot elements like invading aliens, one might also find several movies -- "Gojira," "Destroy All Monsters" -- that focus on Japanese national pride, the role of destructive weapons in the world, and a barely-simmering resentment lingering after a massive attack on the country. If modern superhero movies sprung from the U.S. subconscious as a fantastical revenge/preventative measure against 9/11, so too did Godzilla spring fully formed from the trauma left behind by the U.S.' atomic bomb attacks.

In the original "Gojira," that is literal. The titular creature, a stories-high amphibious animal,...

Apple TV's Monarch: Legacy of Monsters cleverly tackles the CGI de-aging issue by casting Kurt and Wyatt Russell to play the same character in different time periods. Kurt Russell, a legendary actor, teams up with his real-life son Wyatt Russell to bring the character Lee Shaw to life in the new series. Lee Shaw is a mysterious Army officer who will be a central figure in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and his knowledge poses a threat to the Monarch agency, raising questions about his role as a hero or villain.

Apple TV's Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has come up with the best possible solution to avoid one of the most common pitfalls of CGI. The new series will follow the Monarch organization that has acted as a common thread between the movies of the ever-growing MonsterVerse that features Kong, Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and a number of other well-known kaiju.

Rick Dalton, the fictional star of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” has died at the age of 90. Played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Dalton starred as the lead in “Bounty Law” before pivoting to several smaller Western films and series including “Nebraska Jim” and “Tanner.”

Tarantino announced the character’s death via tweet through The Video Archives, a podcast co-hosted by the director and his “Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avary.

“We are saddened by the news of the passing of actor Rick Dalton, best known for his roles in the hit TV series ‘Bounty Law’ and ‘The Fireman’ trilogy.”

The tweet also offered additional information about the history of Dalton, stating that “Rick passed away peacefully in his home in Hawaii and is survived by his wife Francesca. Rip Rick Dalton 1933-2023.”

We are saddened by the news of the passing of actor Rick Dalton, best known for...

Eight of the stories set up by Godzilla: King of the Monsters haven’t been paid off in the MonsterVerse. Through the credits and the story itself, the third MonsterVerse installment laid the groundwork for a number of new developments to occur in the franchise’s immediate future. Many of them, though, remain loose ends.

In terms of its importance to the MonsterVerse and its Godzilla lore, King of the Monsters was a massive movie for the franchise. Continuing what Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island started, the 2019 film established much of the mythology that the world is now built on. It also served as a major stepping stone toward Godzilla vs. Kong. However, quite a lot of the setup found in King of the Monsters wasn’t revisited in the crossover. Some of it may have been dropped altogether, while other developments may have been reserved for future projects. Here...

It has been a slow few weeks for the end of the summer moviegoing season after a string of big hits like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" made 2022 feel pretty close to normal in the box office department. But Hollywood has decided to leave a (mostly) barren wasteland from now until mid-October, with few big films coming out to give movie lovers much of a  reason to leave the house. That having been said, dear reader, I am here to tell you that lovers of Idris Elba, creature features, and movies that are charmingly straightforward have a very good reason to get off the couch -- and that reason is "Beast."

Universal Pictures released the film in mid-August to try and round out the summer with something original. Or, at the very least, something not based on a pre-existing piece of material or set within an established franchise.

There’s nothing so good as being able to consult people who know more than we do, who deal in facts and can back up their assertions with proof. The excellent new Blu-ray for Monster from Green Hell has a nifty color sequence at the end which raised a lot of questions and wrong guesses. Thanks to prime source evidence, we can show you how the original looked … uh, after a little Eastmancolor fading. It’s what passes for an Article of Importance at CineSavant, the usual display of breathtaking journalistic originality.

What Color is Green Hell?

CineSavant Article

The Proof is in.

This article is an addendum to the March 8 Blu-ray review of The Film Detective’s Monster from Green Hell, a fun creature feature released in 1958 but likely filmed more than a year earlier. It’s a rather good disc despite not being mastered from pre-print material — a few scratches,...

By the mid-1960s, Toho Studios had fully showcased the broad, international appeal of the kaiju film with numerous Godzilla and other stand-alone genre entries like Rodan, Varan the Unbelievable, and Mothra among numerous others that were scoring global success. Spurred on by this success, rival Daiei studios attempted their own kaiju cash-cow in Gamera: The Giant Monster which would soon become its own franchise after the studio attempted this new effort headed by veteran director Kimiyoshi Yasuda. Mixing together the kaiju scale of destruction with a jidaigeki story framework and setup, the first of the Daimajin trilogy is available in a spectacular boxset from Arrow Video

A samurai lord of a once peaceful village was murdered by one of his own men. The traitor Samonosuke (Ryutaro Gomi) then claims the throne, forcing servant Kogenta (Jun Fujimaki) to take the lord’s two small children Tadafumi (Yoshihiko Aoyama...

Quicksand are teasing their upcoming album, Distant Populations, with a heavy new song, “Missile Command.” The album is due out digitally on August 13th and on vinyl on September 24th.

Over a serpentine groove by bassist Sergio Vega and drummer Alan Cage, singer-guitarist Walter Schreifels sings oblique lyrics about love and rain. “True worlds bring/As lights fill up the sky,” he sings. “You better get used to it.”

“It really kind of focuses on Sergio’s whole motif in a very simple way,” Schreifels said in a statement. “He...

Idw and Toho International, Inc. announced a multi-year publishing program that will bring Godzilla and dozens of monsters from the Godzilla live-action films to a wide selection of publications and merchandise. Beginning in spring 2021, Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and dozens of kaiju will stomp their way across Idw’s line of comic books, graphic novels, trade collections, art books, coloring books, […]...

” I can’t believe that Godzilla was the only surviving member of its species… But if we continue conducting nuclear tests, it’s possible that another Godzilla might appear somewhere in the world again.”

The Skyview Drive-in in Belleville (5700 N Belt W, Belleville, Il 62226) will be showing Godzilla (1954) Double Feature With National Rodan (1956) beginning August 28th. The Skyview’s site can be found Here . The other screen at the Skyview will be showing The Natural and Field Of Dreams

The post Godzilla (1954) Double Feature With Rodan (1956) Starts Friday at The Skyview Drive-in in Belleville, Il appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and Tom Stockman

Special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, whose dazzling and innovative visual effects work on fantasy adventure films such as Jason And The Argonauts and The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad passed away in 2013 at age 92. In 1933, the then-13-year-old Ray Harryhausen saw King Kong at a Hollywood theater and was inspired – not only by Kong, who was clearly not just a man in a gorilla suit, but also by the dinosaurs. He came out of the theatre “stunned and haunted. They looked absolutely lifelike … I wanted to know how it was done.” It was done by using stop-motion animation: jointed models filmed one frame at a time to simulate movement. Harryhausen was to become the prime exponent of the technique and its combination with live action. The influence of Harryhausen on film luminaries like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and...

Mill Creek again dips into exotic Japanese sci-fi fantasy, and this time scores with the desired language choices and subtitle configurations for these spectaculars from the beginning of Toho’s strongest period. The H-Man is a stylish gangster-horror melange about a radioactive slime that cheerfully transforms Guys ‘n’ Dolls into living goo. Then, a Battle in Outer Space is the result when a two-rocket expedition to the moon uncovers an imminent alien invasion, and flying saucer vs. rocketplane dogfights break out in low Earth orbit and in the skies over Tokyo. Was matinee moviegoing ever better than that? CineSavant writes, uh, at length about all the fan concerns over this disc.

Toho Double Feature

The H-Man & Battle in Outer Space

Blu-ray

Mill Creek

Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date June 9, 2020 /

Cinematography: Hajime Koizumi

Director of Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya

Produced by Tomoyuko Tanaka

Directed by Ishiro Honda

Here’s how a...

Mill Creek again dips into exotic Japanese sci-fi fantasy, and this time scores with the desired language choices and subtitle configurations for these spectaculars from the beginning of Toho’s strongest period. The H-Man is a stylish gangster-horror melange about a radioactive slime that cheerfully transforms Guys ‘n’ Dolls alike into living goo. Then, a Battle in Outer Space is the result when two-rocket expedition to the moon uncovers an imminent alien invasion, and flying saucer vs. rocketplane dogfights break out in low Earth orbit and in the skies over Tokyo. Was matinee moviegoing ever better than that? CineSavant writes, uh, at length about all the fan concerns over this disc.

Toho Double Feature

The H-Man & Battle in Outer Space

Blu-ray

Mill Creek

Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date June 9, 2020 /

Cinematography: Hajime Koizumi

Director of Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya

Produced by Tomoyuko Tanaka

Directed by Ishiro Honda

Here’s how a...

HBO Max launched on May 27th and has been off to a pretty good start with well over 10,000 hours worth of content on the service from day one. If you’re a horror fan, you may be excited to hear that a fairly decent portion of those 10,000 hours include some of the biggest and most popular horror films of all time. So, if you haven’t subscribed yet, now might just be the time to do so.

Do you like Steven Spielberg and massive sharks eating people? If so, you’ll be delighted to hear that you can catch the entire Jaws franchise – which spans four films – on HBO Max right away. If you haven’t ever seen them, now’s a great opportunity to take a trip back in time to catch up on what was arguably the very first blockbuster movie series.

The majority of the Aliens films...

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and Tom Stockman

Special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, whose dazzling and innovative visual effects work on fantasy adventure films such as Jason And The Argonauts and The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad passed away in 2013 at age 92. In 1933, the then-13-year-old Ray Harryhausen saw King Kong at a Hollywood theater and was inspired – not only by Kong, who was clearly not just a man in a gorilla suit, but also by the dinosaurs. He came out of the theatre “stunned and haunted. They looked absolutely lifelike … I wanted to know how it was done.” It was done by using stop-motion animation: jointed models filmed one frame at a time to simulate movement. Harryhausen was to become the prime exponent of the technique and its combination with live action. The influence of Harryhausen on film luminaries like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and...

Godzilla: King of the Monsters might not have been a critical and commercial success on the same level as its 2014 predecessor, but the movie nonetheless delivered enough city-leveling destruction to send the fans home happy, with the latest entry in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse earning over $385 million at the box office, bringing the franchise’s total haul up to almost $1.5 billion with Godzilla vs. Kong scheduled to hit theaters next March.

Director Michael Dougherty is clearly a massive fan of the title character, and King of the Monsters is packed full of references to the extended Godzilla mythology, as well as heavily featuring classic Toho creations Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidora. However, the filmmaker admitted in a recent interview that he would have included more of the franchise’s rogues gallery if he could have afforded to.

“Originally, I hoped to use other monsters from the Toho-verse, like Anguirus, Gigan or Biollante,...

Godzilla: King of the Monsters comes out via DVD special edition, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and 4K Uhd Combo Pack on August 27. The feature also arrives on Digital August 6.

Starring Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, and Thomas Middleditch, Godzilla: King of the Monsters features the titular creature facjng off against Mothra, Rodan, [...]

The post ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Lands Blu-ray And DVD Release In August appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

After stomping onto the big screen in May, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is looking to reign supreme in your own home when the latest movie in Legendary and Warner Bros.' Monsterverse comes to Digital on August 6th, followed by a Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on August 27th:

From the Press Release: Experience the epic monstrous action as legendary Titans collide when “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” arrives on 4K Uhd Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD Special Edition and Digital. Directed by Michael Dougherty, the film stars Kyle Chandler, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown (TV’s “Stranger Things”) in her feature film debut.

From Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Toho Co. Ltd. and Huahua Media, the film’s acclaimed ensemble cast also includes Bradley Whitford, Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” took first place at the box office this weekend, grossing $49 million domestically and a little lower than initial projections which pegged the film to open between $55-65 million.

In comparison, the 2014 “Godzilla” grossed $93.1 million in its opening weekend, and “Kong: Skull Island” ended up with a $61 million opening in March 2017. Overseas, the $170 million-budgeted movie took in $130 million — which is again under the $140 million international gross for the 2014 film.

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is directed by Michael Dougherty and finds the legendary kaiju monster facing off against his greatest titanic foes, including Mothra, Rodan and the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. Its score of Rotten Tomatoes is 40% and its CinemaScore if B+.

Also Read: 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' on Pace to Overtake 'Aladdin' at Box Office

Disney’s “Aladdin” came in as a close second with $42.3 million.

“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” the follow-up to 2014’s “Godzilla” and 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” in Warner Bros. and Legendary’s MonsterVerse, stomped into the Thursday box office and earned an impressive $6.3 million.

The latest “Godzilla” film will be locked into an epic battle with another behemoth as Disney’s “Aladdin” enters into its second weekend and hopes to hang onto the top spot at the box office. It also opens against Universal and Blumhouse’s horror film “Ma” starring Octavia Spencer and “Rocketman,” Paramount’s music biopic on the life of Elton John.

“King of the Monsters” is projected for an opening weekend between $55-65 million. It currently has a 41% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The previous “Godzilla” film earned $9.3 million at the Thursday box office in the summer of 2014 and opened to $93.1 million. “King of the Monsters” however is tracking closer to “Kong: Skull Island,” which earned $3.7 million in...

Who are the real monsters? The humans or the creatures that terrorize them. It’s a classic monster movie theme that, dare I say, can’t really be approached in a new way after over 70 yrs of creature features. Sure, it’s a trope of the genre that has effectively won over my heart time and time again. And yet, it feels a little forced and hollow when it takes a backseat to explosions, destruction, and roars from gigantic titans.

In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, the crypto-zoological agency, Monarch, is under fire as the government wants to take over their monster-hunting activities. Meanwhile, they have been able to locate several god-sized monsters, including Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed Ghidorah. Monarch’s Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) has developed a device known as the “Orca” which allows communication with the creatures by layering the sounds of species to create sonic-waves…...

Godzilla: King of the Monsters smashes its way into theaters today and fans will finally get to witness the return of Godzilla as he engages in battle with Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. I already had a chance to see it and it was an extremely fun movie. Sure, it had its problems, but it was a lot of fun watch these giant Titans fight.

We’ve got a new featurette for you to watch today called “Meet The Titans” and it focuses on bringing the Titans to life for this movie. As far as the creatures go, the film nailed them in the best possible way. They were my favorite part of the film.

The featurette includes interviews with members of the cast and director Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat), who clearly has a love for these monsters and you can tell when you see the movie. There’s...

The summer box office is now in full swing, featuring this weekend's face-off between a kaiju and a rock star.  

Legendary and Warner Bros.' Godzilla: King of the Monsters is tracking for a bow in the $50 million-$55 million range across 4,100 theaters, according to those with access to early surveys.

Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler and Millie Bobbie Brown star as a family in the movie that will see Godzilla collide with Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. The large supporting ensemble includes Bradley Whitford, Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Thomas Middleditch, Sally Hawkins and O'...

The summer box office is now in full swing, featuring this weekend's face-off between a kaiju and a rock star.  

Legendary and Warner Bros.' Godzilla: King of the Monsters is tracking for a bow in the $50 million-$55 million range across 4,100 theaters, according to those with access to early surveys.

Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler and Millie Bobbie Brown star as a family in the movie that will see Godzilla collide with Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah. The large supporting ensemble includes Bradley Whitford, Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Thomas Middleditch, Sally Hawkins and O'...

David Crow May 29, 2019

Michael Dougherty tells us what Godzilla and Toho meant to him before his love letter to the Showa era in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Godzilla was always a mythical creature to Michael Dougherty, even before he was in charge of quickening the Big G’s atomic breath back to life again in this summer’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Growing up in a multicultural background in Columbus, Ohio, boyhood Dougherty saw Godzilla movies as more than camp delights about men in rubber suits knocking over paper buildings—they were an expression of deep-seated paranoia about the consequences of man’s hubris in trying to control the natural world, as well as monuments to a type of professional craft mostly alien to Hollywood cinema.

“I grew up watching these movies,” Dougherty tells a group of journalists at Toho Studios in Japan, who have assembled to glimpse...

Damn straight you want to go to the movies, shove popcorn in your face and watch giant creatures from a digital lagoon kick each other’s ass. The title alone means most of us are in the tank for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Besides the jolly green giant lizard, we get Mothra, Rodan, the three-headed Ghidorah, a.k.a. Monster Zero and the barest hint of King Kong (we have to wait till next March to see Kong and Godzilla go head to head as part of Legendry studio...

Don Kaye May 29, 2019

The “Queen of the Monsters” has been Godzilla’s staunchest ally over the years.

She’s been called the Queen of the Monsters, and she is perhaps the most beautiful and mystical of the classic Toho kaiju. While colleagues like Godzilla and Rodan have been ambivalent about their relationship with humanity over the years -- if not outright hostile on a number of occasions -- Mothra has almost always seen it as her duty to protect those little creatures running around on the surface of the Earth, even if they often did not accord her the proper respect and understanding. Her defense of the planet and its people continues in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, her first Hollywood movie.

Mothra made her debut in 1961, and alternated between appearing as either a giant larva/caterpillar or a massive moth. She is actually known as Mosura in Japan and...

Ahead of its May 31st theatrical release from Warner Bros., the final look at Legendary's Godzilla: King of the Monsters reminds us that the summer doesn't start until Godzilla lets out a radioactive roar on the big screen—something we won't have to wait much longer to see.

You can view colossal creatures engaging in a city-wide smackdown in the new teaser video below, and check here to catch up on our previous coverage of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

"Following the global success of “Godzilla” and “Kong: Skull Island” comes the next chapter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse: “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” an epic action adventure that pits Godzilla against some of the most popular monsters in pop culture history.

The film was directed by Michael Dougherty (“Krampus”), and stars Kyle Chandler as well as Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown...

Sneak Peek more new footage from "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters", directed by Michael Dougherty, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe and Bradley Whitford, opening May 31, 2019:

"...the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency 'Monarch' has its members face off against a battery of monsters, including the mighty 'Godzilla', who collides with 'Mothra', 'Rodan' and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed 'King Ghidorah'.

"When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters"...

"Godzilla" Comic Books...

Take a look at a new Japanese trailer supporting the latest 'immersive' theatrical experience "ScreenX", using multi-projection technology with a screen that wraps around the front of an audience, to be used in select venues for "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters", directed by Michael Dougherty, starring Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe and Bradley Whitford, opening May 31, 2019:

"...the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency 'Monarch' has its members face off against a battery of monsters, including the mighty 'Godzilla', who collides with 'Mothra', 'Rodan' and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed 'King Ghidorah'.

"When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Godzilla: King Of The Monsters" in "Screen X"...

"Godzilla" Comic Books...

David Crow May 29, 2019

Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty reveals what monster he'd absolutely love to see in a sequel down the road.

When Godzilla: King of the Monsters makes landfall in theaters later this month, it has every reason to knock the socks off of audiences, particularly of the Western variety. For the first time, a Hollywood adaptation of Toho Co., Ltd.’s kaiju universe captures the bizarre heights of the Japanese classics that inspired it. With Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan facing off for the first time in an American movie, the future has never looked more inviting than the strangely lovable apocalypse in Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse.

While a follow-up is already in the works with Godzilla vs. Kong due out next year, King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty is now thinking about which giant kaiju he’d love to see down the road.

Following the global success of Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island comes the next chapter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse: Godzilla: King Of The Monsters.

The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.

Directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown, with Ken Watanabe and Ziyi Zhang. Dougherty directed from a script he wrote with Zach Shields, story by Max Borenstein and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields, based on the characters “Godzilla,” “King Ghidorah,” “Mothra” and “Rodan” owned and created by Toho Co., Ltd.

Sneak Peek more new footage from director Michael Dougherty's "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", showcasing 'Godzilla', 'Rodan', 'King Ghidorah', and 'Mothra', opening May 31, 2019 in 2D, 3D and IMAX:

"...the heroic efforts of the 'crypto-zoological' agency 'Monarch' begins to take its toll as its members face off against a battery of monsters...

"...including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with 'Mothra', 'Rodan' and his ultimate nemesis...

"...the three-headed 'King Ghidorah'.

"When these ancient super-species – thought to be mere myths – rise again, they all vie for supremacy...

"...leaving humanity's very existence...

"...hanging in the balance..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Godzilla: King of the Monsters"...

"Godzilla" Comic Books...

Sneak Peek more new footage from director Michael Dougherty's "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", showcasing 'Godzilla', 'Rodan', 'King Ghidorah', and 'Mothra', opening May 31, 2019 in 2D, 3D and IMAX:

"...the heroic efforts of the 'crypto-zoological' agency 'Monarch' begins to take its toll as its members face off against a battery of monsters...

"...including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with 'Mothra', 'Rodan' and his ultimate nemesis...

"...the three-headed 'King Ghidorah'.

"When these ancient super-species – thought to be mere myths – rise again, they all vie for supremacy...

"...leaving humanity's very existence...

"...hanging in the balance..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Godzilla: King of the Monsters"...

"Godzilla" Comic Books...

Ahead of its May 31st theatrical release from Warner Bros., the final trailer for Legendary's Godzilla: King of the Monsters reminds us that there is "one king to rule them all" when it comes to colossal creatures capable of Earth-shattering carnage.

You can view the new trailer below, and check here to catch up on our previous coverage of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

"Following the global success of “Godzilla” and “Kong: Skull Island” comes the next chapter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ cinematic Monsterverse: “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” an epic action adventure that pits Godzilla against some of the most popular monsters in pop culture history.

The film was directed by Michael Dougherty (“Krampus”), and stars Kyle Chandler as well as Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown (TV’s “Stranger Things”) in her feature film debut. The acclaimed ensemble cast also includes Bradley Whitford...

We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto. Only instead of wicked witches, the scary monsters in the universe of “Godzilla: King of Monsters” are “Mothra, Rodan, Ghidorah, Oh my.”

That’s not the only “Wizard of Oz” reference in the latest and final trailer for “King of Monsters,” which features a melancholic and soaring version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” atop of all the glorious carnage and jaw-dropping visuals for the biggest kaiju battle yet.

The trailer opens with Thomas Middleditch explaining that we’re seeing the rise of Titans, 17 massive, mythical creatures in all. Each one is seeking out an “alpha,” or in this case Ghidorah, leaving untold destruction behind in their battles. The heroes are then forced to awake Godzilla as Earth’s only hope to defeat Ghidorah.

Also Read: 5 Biggest Summer Box Office Showdowns, Including 'Aladdin' vs. 'Godzilla' (Photos)

“Oh yeah, let’s...