'Godzilla vs. Kong' Casts Demian Bichir

With production expected to begin next month, The Hateful Eight star Demián Bichir is the next reported cast member to join Godzilla vs. Kong.

Bichir joins the previously announced Millie Bobby Brown, Julian Dennison, and Brian Tyree Henry in the Adam Wingard-directed monster brawl. The film is slated to hit theaters on May 22, 2020.

The actor snagged an Oscar nomination for his role in A Better Life, though Bichir has recently starred in a number of successful horror franchises. Last year Bichir starred in Alien: Covenant, while he more recently appeared in last month's The Nun.

Details about the film are being kept to a minimum, though, as the name implies, audiences will be getting to see a showdown between two of the biggest on-screen monsters of all time. The new film will be the fourth entry into a shared universe of monster movies, which kicked off with 2014's Godzilla, followed by 2017's Kong: Skull Island, and will continue with next year's Godzilla: King of Monsters.

Few storytelling structures have been as successful in recent years as the "shared universe" model, in which a number of films debut in the same narrative timeline, ultimately building to massive teamups. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most effective demonstration of the concept, while Universal Studios' lackluster Dark Universe has been the biggest disappointment. To date, that franchise has only seen the release of last year's The Mummy, with no further details being confirmed about a follow-up film in the franchise.

Luckily for Godzilla fans, 2014's reboot of the franchise from director Gareth Edwards was far more successful than the 1998 attempt, ensuring that the film's Easter eggs about the future of the franchise could be followed up on.

Director of Godzilla: King of Monsters Michael Dougherty previously revealed the state of things in his new film and how the emergence of the massive beast impacted the entire world.

"The world is reacting to Godzilla in the same way we would react to any other terrifying incident, in that we are overreacting," Dougherty said. "There's paranoia and endless speculation about whether he is the only one out there or whether we're threatened by others like his kind."

Godzilla will be facing off against well-known creatures like Rodan and Mothra, with the film likely only teasing at the ultimate showdown between the reptile and the massive simian.

Check out Godzilla vs. Kong on May 22, 2020. Godzilla: King of Monsters hits theaters on May 31, 2019.

Does this casting news have you excited? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T The Hollywood Reporter]