One of my favorite theatrical experiences was seeing the 2014 Godzilla at a screening packed with college students on the brink of finals week. When the titular Titan used his atomic breath for the first time — something I, a Godzilla newbie, had no idea was coming — the entire theatre lost it’s collective mind and all screamed/roared along with our pal Godzilla. As a result, no matter what you think of Gareth Edwards’ first foray into blockbusters, I’ll always have a fondness for it.
Couple that with strong affection for the other entry into the Monster ‘Verse, Kong: Skull Island, and you’ve got one very excited fan. The first trailer for the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters was exquisite; the frightening imagery set to “Clair de Lune” was an excellent marketing choice. This second trailer, released today, focuses more on the plot of the film rather than teasing the monsters, though rest assured, there are plenty of monsters present.
This time, we get to see Monarch scientists, including Ken Wanatabe’s Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, talking to Congress about the looming threat of the Titans. When a senator jokingly asks if Godzilla should be our pet, Serizawa replies that we’ll be his. It looks like D.C. might be the setting of the climactic battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah, as we do see a destroyed and on fire Capitol building at one point in the trailer.
While the first trailer highlighted Millie Bobby Brown’s Madison, her mother Emma (Vera Farmiga), and her father Mark (Kyle Chandler), this film is more about the monsters themselves and Monarch trying to figure out what to do as more and more Titans keep appearing. We see all of them — Mothra, Rodan, and Ghidorah — and they’re all pissed as hell. Godzilla, fresh off a fight with the MUTOs, is facing a serious challenge.
We know Godzilla makes it out alive, as does Madison; both are tapped for 2020’s Godzilla Vs. Kong. What remains to be seen is what the world looks like after the events of King of the Monsters. This film looks to have some serious ecological damage going on, with a shot of an ocean full of dead fish, volcanoes erupting, monsters burrowing out of the ground, and apocalyptic clouds. Could the world theoretically end in King of the Monsters, and we see who emerges as the, well, King of whatever’s left in the sequel?
This is a theory supported a bit by the first trailer, where Emma talks about a mass extinction event coming and how if the Titans are found, it will be the only guarantee that life will continue. It’s unclear why the Titans need to be found, or what is happening with Emma’s character (she appears to be on Team “Unleash Scary Monsters” which is a bit of a mood in 2018), but it points to a very different world being the backdrop for Godzilla Vs. Kong.
It is unclear if there will be a fifth movie after Godzilla Vs. Kong, so get your giant monster fix while you still can. Check out the trailer below, and catch Godzilla: King of the Monsters in theaters next May. A dark apocalyptic monster movie will be the perfect chaser to Avengers: Endgame.
(via IndieWire, image; Warner Bros)
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