Filmmaker Michael Dougherty delivered audiences horror films like Trick ‘r Treat and Krampus, with genre films being near and dear to his heart. When it came time to direct Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the filmmaker not only tapped into those more horrific corners of his mind for inspiration, but also found ways to pay tribute to iconic horror films, some of which include monsters. During a recent set visit to the film, Dougherty avoided giving direct confirmation about Easter eggs in the film, but teased that fans of The Thing, Jaws, and possibly even Rick and Morty will have a lot to be excited by.
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WARNING: Potential spoilers below for Godzilla: King of the Monsters
In the new film, one of the monsters is referred to as “Orca,” which is the name of the boat the main characters use in Jaws. One scientist character has wild hair and is named Rick, which some viewers could interpret as a nod to Rick and Morty. The most obvious reference is the location “Outpost 32,” a continuation of the name of the base in John Carpenter’s The Thing, whose Antarctic base was named “Outpost 31.”
“This is all a nod though, right? Outpost 32 is a total nod to The Thing, it’s one of my all-time favorite movies,” Dougherty shared with ComicBook.com. “I liked that idea that when Outpost 31 burned to the ground, they had to build another one. So, who knows?”
In regards to Bradley Whitford’s character potentially being a nod to Rick and Morty, Dougherty joked, “He drinks a lot, too.”
Despite Dougherty playing it somewhat coy about confirming all of these Easter eggs, his comments imply that there will be plenty of hidden references found throughout the film that will appeal to a variety of audiences. The filmmaker also pointed out that some of the references are more than just Easter eggs and relate to the film’s actual plot.
“I wouldn’t call it a horror movie, there’s definitely horror elements, we’re definitely trying to bring in some of that, definitely going for a lot of suspense, and fear, and tension, and occasionally some gross out moments, the fact that you referenced The Thing is fitting,” Dougherty confessed. “You know, ’cause regeneration is one of the things that is also drawn from nature…I’ll leave it at that. Yeah, there’s definitely a little bit more horror to it than I think the previous film had.”
Godzilla: King of Monsters will land in theaters on May 31st.
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