“Godzilla vs. Kong” Moves Up Its Release Date

Anyone who has been eager to finally see the modern incarnations of Godzilla and King Kong do battle, well…have we got some good news for you. Yesterday, the report came down that not only has Legendary and Warner Bros. settled their potential legal issues over Godzilla vs. Kong, they’ve moved up their release date. Now, instead of being a May 21st release in theaters and on HBO Max, it’s now scheduled to do the same two months early. So, fans can now see the film on March 26th. The sequel to Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Kong: Skull Island has been delayed essentially a full year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so this is one of the next big releases from WB since their decision to utilize HBO Max. Read on for more…

Here’s some of the story from Deadline:

Warner Bros, in the wake of making good with Legendary on the simultaneous release of Godzilla vs. Kong in theaters and on HBO Max, will be releasing the movie on March 26 instead of May 21.

It was reported last Friday that Warner Bros and financier Legendary, which owns a majority of the movie, avoided a legal entanglement over the former’s decision to take its entire 2021 slate and throw it day-and-date on its frosh streaming service HBO Max. Warners had blocked a $200M bid by Netflix to acquire the monster mash movie.

A settlement over whether Denis Villeneuve’s Dune goes theatrical and HBO Max day-and-date is still being hashed out between WarnerMedia and Legendary. That movie currently has a October 1 release date.

Godzilla vs. Kong will look to see some dough from those Asian markets that are open, particularly China. The last movie, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, didn’t do so hot stateside with $110.5M, but it fared better abroad with $276.1M for a total of $386.6M.

The fourth Legendary monster movie after Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island and King of the Monsters cost a reported $200M, backed 75% by Legendary, and is directed by Adam Wingard and written by Terry Rossio.

Here’s the Godzilla vs. Kong logline: Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash in a spectacular battle for the ages. As a squadron embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans’ very origins and mankind’s survival, a conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.

Stay tuned for more on Godzilla vs. Kong!

(Source: Deadline)