Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Leaned on Lethal Weapon for Inspiration

Godzilla vs Kong: The New Empire is preparing to unpack the MonsterVerse's next era. In the wake of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the franchise will turn to theaters this March. All eyes are about to turn to Godzilla as they team up with Kong for another adventure. And according to director Adam Wingard, they looked to Lethal Weapon for inspiration while crafting the movie.

Speaking with Empire, Wingard opened up about Godzilla x Kong in a recent interview. It was there the director admitted the movie's monsters team up rather reluctantly this time around, and audiences will watch their dynamic change slowly but surely.

"There's a bit of a truce – Godzilla's in control of the surface world and Kong is down in Hollow Earth," Wingard admits. "It wasn't, 'Okay, give me a call when something goes wrong, Kong. And I, Godzilla, will rush to the rescue!'"

"The buddy-cop dysfunctional relationship dynamic is probably the best one to describe Godzilla and Kong. My influences are always embedded with the '80s, and the '80s were prime for [that] storyline."

Of course, the buddy-cop genre is alive and well in the film industry these days. Some of these movies stand out amongst the rest, and Wingard has his own favorite pick. Lethal Weapon is the director's go-to choice for buddy-cop films, and that will be apparent to fans watching Godzilla x Kong.

With the new MonsterVerse film on the horizon, all eyes are on Wingard to see what his vision has in store. Godzilla vs Kong was a huge hit despite its release at the pandemic's height. Godzilla x Kong hopes to capture that same success as it pits its titans against an ancient threat. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will go live in theaters on March 29th. So if you want more info on the movie, you can read its official synopsis below:

"This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the mighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever."

Are you excited to see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!