'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Star on Sequel's Cultural Significance

Godzilla has been a cinematic icon for over 60 years. This year's Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be the character's 35th movie, the longest continuous movie franchise in history. The creature has gone through different iterations and interpretations over that span of time. Sometimes all of the dread of the nuclear era given shape, other times he’s the savior of humanity come to fight giant monsters from space. Legendary’s new incarnation is part of a larger shared MonsterVerse along with other kaiju monsters new and old and King Kong of Skull Island fame. During a visit to the set of Godzilla: King of the Monster, star Kyle Chandler discussed where the film fits into today's cultural tapestry.

"There's a story that goes throughout the film, it deals with what goes on today as far as how to heal the land," Chandler says. "And I think you'll see that in the movie that's important to the director, and that's his in with today's culture. I think that's what's you're saying? Yeah, throughout the time, so, it's a similar deal for this time."

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the sequel to 2015’s Godzilla. It is also the third film in Legendary’s shared cinematic MonsterVerse, following Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. Principal photography on Godzilla: King of the Monsters began in Atlanta in July 2017 and continued through late September. The film will pit Godzilla against some of his most famous rival monsters from classic kaiju movies, including the like of Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, all with humanity caught in the middle.

The film's official synopsis reads, “Members of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch 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 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.”

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed and co-written by Michael Dougherty and stars Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford, Sally Hawkins, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ken Watanabe, and Zhang Ziyi. The film will set up the crossover movie Godzilla vs. Kong. That film is being directed by Adam Wingard.

Are you excited about Godzilla: King of the Monsters? Do you think of Godzilla as a hero? Let us know in the comments!

Godzilla: King of the Monsters opens in theaters on May 31st. Godzilla vs. Kong is scheduled to release one year later, on May 22, 2020.

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