Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Adam Wingard |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by |
|
| Based on | Godzilla and Mothra by Toho Co., Ltd. |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Ben Seresin |
| Edited by | Josh Schaeffer |
| Music by |
|
Production company | Legendary Pictures |
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 115 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $135 million[3] |
| Box office | $194 million[4][5] |
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire[a] is a 2024 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. Produced by Legendary Pictures, it is a sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise. It is also the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and the 13th film in the King Kong franchise. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry, and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite with Godzilla to stop their tyrannical leader and a powerful, frost breathing Titan from destroying the surface.
Following the box office and streaming success of Godzilla vs. Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic, Legendary announced a sequel in March 2022 and that filming would commence later that year. In May 2022, it was announced that Wingard would return to direct and Stevens had been cast as a lead. Filming began in July 2022 in the Gold Coast, Australia, and finished in November 2022.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire premiered at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on March 25, 2024, and was released in the United States on March 29. The film received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $194 million worldwide, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2024.
Plot[edit]
A few years after defeating Mechagodzilla,[b] Kong establishes his territory in the recently discovered Hollow Earth. While on Earth's surface, Godzilla continues to maintain order between humanity and giant monsters, known as "Titans" — defeating Scylla in Rome and resting in the Colosseum afterwards.
A Monarch observation outpost stationed in the Hollow Earth picks up an unidentified signal. On the surface, the signal causes Jia, the last known survivor of the Iwi tribe from Skull Island, to experience hallucinations and flashbacks, causing her adoptive mother Dr. Ilene Andrews to worry. Also sensing the signal, Godzilla leaves Rome, attacks a nuclear plant in France to absorb the radiation, and travels to the Arctic, Tiamat's lair. Monarch believes Godzilla is strengthening himself for an oncoming threat.
When a sinkhole opens near his home, Kong discovers an uncharted region and a tribe of his species — including a juvenile named Suko. After an initial confrontation, Kong forces Suko to lead him to the tribe's lair and the two slowly bond on their journey. The tribe's tyrannical leader the Skar King battles Kong with the aid of an ancient ice-powered Titan, Shimo, that the Skar King controls with pain using a crystal. Although his right arm is badly frostbitten from Shimo's icy breath and losing his axe, Kong manages to escape with Suko's help.
Andrews and Jia, alongside Titan veterinarian Trapper and conspiracy podcaster Bernie Hayes, travel to the Hollow Earth to locate the source of the signal and find the Monarch outpost destroyed. As the group ventures forward, they discover a temple which leads them to an uncharted subterranean section that houses surviving members of the Iwi tribe, who communicate telepathically among each other. Inspecting some ruins, they surmise that the signal was a telepathic distress call sent by the Iwi.
While observing Jia socializing with the Iwi, Andrews voices her fears to Trapper that Jia may choose to stay with her people and that Andrews would have to accept it. Inside a temple, Andrews uncovers hieroglyphics displaying the past and future: the Skar King once attempted to conquer the surface world and waged war against Godzilla's species. However, Godzilla trapped him and his tribe deep within the Hollow Earth. The Iwi had been sending the distress call to bring Godzilla to defeat Skar King again, prompting Godzilla to energize himself to prepare. It also illustrates that Jia would be the key to reawakening Mothra. Sensing Jia, Kong locates the temple and is fitted by Trapper with a prototype armored glove to treat his frostbitten arm.
Godzilla defeats Tiamat in the Arctic in order to absorb the radiation from her lair, empowering him and turning his dorsal spines magenta. Hoping to lure Godzilla to the Hollow Earth to assist him, Kong surfaces in Cairo and calls out to him. Despite Kong trying to clarify his intentions and indicate to the Hollow Earth portal, Godzilla attacks him due to being provoked. A fight ensues and before Godzilla can finish Kong, Mothra arrives and convinces Godzilla to aid Kong. Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra battle the Skar King, his tribe, and Shimo in Hollow Earth after the pyramids collide creating an anti-gravity effect. Their fight drags them into Rio de Janeiro where Shimo begins to induce another ice age at the Skar King's command. The factions are evenly matched until Suko destroys the crystal used to control Shimo with Kong's axe. Godzilla, Kong, and a liberated Shimo combine their effects and destroy the Skar King.
After undoing Shimo's ice age with his atomic breath, Godzilla returns to rest in the Colosseum. Mothra restores the protective barrier of the Iwi’s home. Together with Shimo and Suko, Kong returns to the Hollow Earth where he becomes the ape tribe's new King. Jia alleviates Andrews' fears by choosing to stay with her adopted mother.
