Godzilla x Kong Director Addresses the Film’s Homage to Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire isn’t just a success, but one of the biggest money makers in theaters for 2024. Exploring the king of the monsters and the ruler of Skull Island taking on new threats from the Hollow Earth, the future is looking bright for the MonsterVerse. In a new interview, the director of The New Empire and the previous Godzilla Vs. Kong noted that he had taken some serious inspiration from the Academy Award-winning kaiju film, Godzilla Minus One. 

While Godzilla x Kong and Godzilla Minus One are two very different takes on the world of kaiju, Adam Wingard and Takashi Yamazaki are both fans of one another’s works. In a recent interview, the director of the latest kaiju film from Toho commented on The New Empire and how there can be multiple iterations of the lizard king on screen at once, “I was able to watch the big movie early! It is super fun and gorgeous. Be sure to watch it on the big screen. The Hollywood interpretation of Godzilla is a very interesting use of the IP. [The monster] can endure and survive many different interpretations To me, it’s a more fun [version] of what Godzilla can be – the classic Toho version did explore something like that at one point in its history. Within that genre, I think they do a good job of [balancing] what the humans do versus what the kaiju are doing.”

Godzilla x Minus One 

In a new interview with Deadline, The New Empire’s director Adam Wingard talked how Godzilla Minus One helped to create a shot in Godzilla x Kong, even before it had hit theaters. In trying to create a specific shot in the film, Wingard was able to take inspiration from Minus One’s trailer, helping to forge the latest chapter of the MonsterVerse. 

Despite the success of The New Empire, not projects have been confirmed for the future of the MonsterVerse. Recently, aside from Godzilla x Kong, the universe saw success thanks to Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Becoming one of the biggest series for the platform, Apple has yet to confirm if a second season is on the way, though the season finale leaves the door open for the monster tracking organization to make a comeback.

What do you think of this hilarious crossover between Legendary and Toho? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and kaiju.