From Warner Bros
ONE WILL FALL
From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures comes the long-awaited showdown between two icons in the epic adventure “Godzilla vs. Kong,” directed by Adam Wingard.
Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The initial confrontation between the two Titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.
The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, with Kyle Chandler and Demián Bichir.
Wingard directed from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, story by Terry Rossio and Michael Dougherty & Zach Shields, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD. The film was produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull and Brian Rogers, with Jay Ashenfelter, Herbert W. Gains, Dan Lin, Roy Lee, Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira executive producing.
The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team included director of photography Ben Seresin, production designers Owen Paterson and Thomas S. Hammock, editor Josh Schaeffer, costume designer Ann Foley and visual effects supervisor John “DJ” DesJardin. The music is by Tom Holkenborg.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present a Legendary Pictures Production, A Film By Adam Wingard, “Godzilla vs. Kong.” It will be released nationwide in 2D and 3D in select theaters and IMAX on March 31, 2021 and will be available in the U.S. on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of creature violence/destruction and brief language.
www.GodzillavsKong.com
“We need Kong. The world needs him…to stop what’s coming.”
–Dr. Nathan Lind
For decades, cinematic titans Godzilla and Kong have been following their own, separate theatrical journeys…until now. “Godzilla vs. Kong” is a monster-sized event film with heart, humor and enough non-stop action to transcend the genre. This rivalry for the ages fuels an epic adventure that spans the globe to bring these two forces of nature, both more powerful than ever before, face to face and fist to fist on land and at sea in a battle to restore balance to the Earth.
Director Adam Wingard states, “Godzilla and Kong have an incredible legacy in film. Originally you could look at them almost as monsters from the East and West, Godzilla storming Tokyo and Kong being brought by man to New York. But however you perceive them, they are movie icons that excite audiences all across the globe.”
And audiences of all ages. “I remember as a kid having arguments on the playground with my friends about who would win in a fight, Kong or Godzilla,” Wingard laughs. “In reality, directing this film started as the perfect excuse to go revisit all the Godzilla and Kong films in sequential order; that was the first thing I did when I began talking to Legendary about the possibility. And that really became a huge influence in terms of my approach to this film in general. For starters, Godzilla went from being a bad guy to a good guy to a bad guy again, and I think that's what's cool about the evolution of both Godzilla and Kong, and what keeps the stories we tell about them new and fresh.”
Producer Mary Parent acknowledges that this story is the pairing fans have been waiting for and that will absolutely thrill audiences, whether they’ve seen the recent movies or not. “We’ve had both Godzilla and Kong battling to survive and thrive in their own spheres, so bringing them together as the surviving heavyweight champions at last is the natural next step.” But, she adds, “This is also a story that stands on its own, independent of the previous films. Both of these larger-than-life creatures have intelligent and empathetic human characters fighting for them in ways that render them relatable and heroic. Because of that it’s not necessary to have followed their earlier stories to be thoroughly engrossed by them in this newest adventure.” And whether you root for Kong or for Godzilla, she says, “It’s all about getting your popcorn and enjoying an incredible ride.”
The film not only promises intense battles between these two behemoths, but emotion, laughs, and even a mystery. Wingard elaborates, “The story starts in a place where humanity has accepted Godzilla as a savior, or a protector, and we’re flipping that and showing that something weird is going on with him—he’s on the attack and acting recklessly, and no one knows why.”
And he’s heading straight for Kong, who’s been liberated from Skull Island after its been proven that the isolated locale can no longer contain him.
Alex Garcia, who also produced the film along with Parent, Eric McLeod, Jon Jashni, Thomas Tull and Brian Rogers, states, “For all of the Monsterverse films we’ve sought filmmakers who have a deep appreciation and understanding of these creatures and their legacies. Storytellers who understand why both Kong and Godzilla have lived in audiences’ hearts and minds for as long as they have, but who are equally excited to do something new with them. Adam has a really distinctive visual style, and what he and the writers have done with this film, both story-wise and aesthetically, is very dynamic.”
The screenplay was written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, based on a story by Terry Rossio, Michael Dougherty and Zach Shields. Borenstein reflects, “When I started work on the first Legendary-Warner Bros. ‘Godzilla’ film 10 years ago, and on ‘Kong: Skull Island’ only a few years after that, the Monsterverse was just a glimmer in the eye. Four films and a decade later, getting to bring our Titans together for a showdown that gives new scale to the word epic has felt like watching our children graduate from Mayhem University.”
Rossio offers, “It was an honor to be entrusted with two iconic characters of world cinema and design a film to bring them together. So much cinema history collides when these two giants of our collective consciousness face off against each other. We always knew there would be spectacle, but kudos to the executives and producers at Legendary, who took the time in developing the story, working with a number of writers, to ensure that the film featured intimate character relationships, universal themes and genuine heart.”
“Godzilla’s out there and he’s hurting people and we don’t know why.”
– Mark Russell, Monarch
“There’s something provoking him that we’re not seeing here.”
– Madison Russell
GODZILLA, a towering apex predator awakened by humankind’s use of elemental weapons of war, has come to be a ferocious protector of the natural world and of Earth. His devasting breath and thunderous roar, paired with his brute strength on land and under water, have allowed him to survive battles with powerful predators, such as his canonical arch nemesis, the three-headed Ghidorah.
But in “Godzilla vs. Kong,” Godzilla has begun uncharacteristically attacking cities, seemingly at random—and soon Kong finds himself in Godzilla’s crosshairs.
“The film picks up close to the last one, so in a lot of ways we’re picking up with Godzilla where we left off,” Wingard says. “But he’s suddenly behaving differently, and the scientists at Monarch—the government’s crypto-zoological agency dedicated to studying the Titans—as well as Madison Russell and a few others, are trying to figure out why he’s seemingly turned his back on humankind. Face it, it’s great if Godzilla’s on your side, but the second he turns against you, you’re in really big trouble.”
“Who bows to who?”
– Admiral Wilcox
“Kong bows to no one.”
– Ilene Andrews, Monarch
KONG has, for decades since his heroic and brutal rite of passage, lived—and been studied by scientists—on the uncharted Skull Island. He is no longer an adolescent but fully grown and bigger, bolder and more badass than ever.
The Kong seen in this film is by far the largest incarnation that has ever appeared on screen. And as always, Kong has an endearing bond with a human—this time it’s a young Skull Island orphan who is, like him, the last of her line, Jia.
“This movie is Kong’s exploration into his own history—his roots. It’s about discovery,” says Wingard, “and that opens a lot of doors to see what’s out there for the character.”
Because Kong and Godzilla are humanized not only by their own actions (and by the talented craftsmen and women who render them via spectacular visual effects), but also by the characters in the story who work so hard to ensure their survival and safety, whether they are heroes or villains is always in the eye of the beholder—the moviegoer.
Which is why, at its core, Wingard promises, “This is a massive monster movie with not one but two of the most iconic characters in all of movie history battling each other. And they’re both good guys. Or maybe not, depending on how you look at it. What’s going to be really fun is to see who the audience roots for and to see their reaction when they find out who comes out on top!”
“This child, she’s the only one he’ll communicate with.”
– Dr. Nathan Lind
“I knew that they had a bond… I made a promise to protect her
and I think that, in some way, Kong did the same.”
– Ilene Andrews, Monarch
CAST & CHARACTERS
To help weave the two Titans’ stories together, the filmmakers cast a strong ensemble in roles that include franchise favorites and a mix of new characters, delivering the emotional layers and connections to both Godzilla, whom audiences have seen in contemporary battles, and Kong, who was last seen in the post-Vietnam War era. With the Monarch organization still entrenched in the welfare of both, and with outside forces at work as well, the story ensures the ancient rivals’ paths cross, at the same time upping the personal stakes.
On modern-day Skull Island, the scientists at Monarch who continue to study and oversee the welfare of Kong have created a vast biodome to secure his safety from the increasingly unstable climate affecting the surrounding ecosystem. Unfortunately, Kong himself—proven to be not only massive but highly intelligent—isn’t on board with living under the multi-camera microscope they’ve set up. Fully grown and even more powerful than he was before, he is now threatening to break through the confines of his observatory-like living space.
A visit from former Monarch Chief Geologist and Subterranean Cartographer, Dr. Nathan Lind, could provide a solution if he can convince his colleagues to go along with it. Lind approaches his job with the passion of a man who understands how close to extinction humanity may be. Fueled by speculative science and next-generation technology, he proposes a bold mission involving unimaginable dangers: to deliver Kong to the one place he might be able to thrive, the storied Hollow Earth, in an effort to locate a mysterious energy source discovered by tech company APEX with the hopes of using it to put an end to Godzilla’s destruction.
Alexander Skarsgård portrays Lind as a mix of pseudo-action hero and science nerd. “Nathan was fun to play because he’s not a tough guy or ex-military or what you’d expect to find in a proponent of this dangerous mission. He’s smart, he knows the stakes are high, and he’s very motivated.”
One of the things that attracted Skarsgård to the role is that, he says, “It’s more nuanced than good versus evil, because Kong and Godzilla are not good or bad. They may be apex predators but really they’re animals and they do what animals do. One reason they go after each other is because they’re both alphas, and there can only be one alpha.”
“Alex is really amazing because he's able to do all the physical stuff, but he knew that while this film needed sort of an action star, neither one of us wanted him to do the stoic action guy,” Wingard says. “We wanted Nathan to have flaws and be kind of nerdy in a lot of ways, and Alex—who we all know can pull off the action hero—pushed that into the character from the get-go, which was really great.”
Nathan is tasked with convincing Kong’s on-site team to take him from the only home he’s ever known on a potentially deadly journey to what could be his ancestral home, where Titans like him may have originated. That involves getting Monarch’s Anthropological Linguist, Dr. Ilene Andrews, on board.
Andrews has become an expert on Kong after spending years on Skull Island studying his behavior in his natural habitat. With time running out for the Titan, Andrews is confronted with the harrowing choice to keep Kong on Skull Island and risk his extinction or use her expertise to help Lind uproot him—and still potentially risk his extinction if the plan fails.
Rebecca Hall stars as Dr. Andrews. “There were a couple of things that really pulled me towards the movie,” she relates. “I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to film history, so I did a bit of a deep dive prior to starting, and it was really fun. One thing I found is that in a lot of the King Kong films, there’s a beautiful lady and he wants to save her; but what I found really interesting in this one was the person that Kong has the connection with is a child, a little deaf girl he can communicate with. And when I found out that Kaylee, who is Deaf, would be playing the part, I thought that was really interesting and valid. My character is connected to them both—she is Kaylee’s mother figure as well as a sort of Jane Goodall type of researcher. Playing opposite Kaylee gave me the opportunity to learn a little ASL, which I loved. When a role requires me to learn something that I wouldn’t necessarily otherwise, that always draws me, so I was really excited by that.”
Hall developed an off-screen bond with Hottle as well. “Kaylee is, number one, a really good actor,” Hall states. “This film was the first time she’d done anything like this, and she was as instinctive and brilliant as you could be given those circumstances and very, very talented. It was so rewarding to work with her as an actor because she gives so much in each scene. I also realized that she’s extremely funny and playful and just a great kid to be around. She also very patiently helped teach me ASL, which she frankly discovered that I’m fairly bad at,” Hall laughs, “and she had no problem telling me that. We had a game we’d play every day where I would walk around pointing to things on set and then she’d tell me what the sign is, and then later on in the day she’d point to it very quickly and ask me, ‘Come on. What’s the sign? Quick, quick, quick.’ Of course I was usually like, ‘Uh...’
Hall adds that another game involved Hottle “timing me on a stopwatch to see how quickly I could sign the alphabet, which she could do in, I believe, seven seconds. Maybe less. My personal best was holding firm at about 25, so…pretty, pretty poor by comparison.”
Wingard says the actors’ on-set companionship carried into their scenes together. “Rebecca brought a lot of depth to Ilene both as a linguist and as an adoptive mom to Jia, and I think much of that emotional connection you see in the film is from all the time they spent getting to know each other and forming that bond.”
In the film, newcomer Hottle plays the one human with whom Kong has a bond—and the only one who doesn’t possess a healthy fear of the 300-foot ape. Little Jia is a member of the Iwi tribe of Skull Island, adopted by Andrews after her parents were killed by a Skullcrawler.
Much like Hall, Wingard says, “Traditionally, King Kong’s emotional relationship with the female protagonist is always something that really draws me in and helps me empathize with him, and we wanted to put our own spin on that in this story. We wanted a character to really have a unique bond with Kong, so the fact that Jia cannot hear anything and communicates with sign language felt like a new evolution of what we could do with Kong, who is always seen as a very intelligent character. So, because her parents died at an early age, Kong became this kind of almost like savior to Jia, and even though she sees Dr. Andrews as a mom, she loves Kong as her best friend and, as we learn, she’s obviously taught him to understand sign language and to communicate with her.”
Garcia notes, “Finding the right girl to play Jia was an incredible challenge. We had to look outside of the traditional casting channels to find her, and Kaylee, whom we were very fortunate to cast, had never been in a film before. But through a network of casting directors and theaters, our terrific casting director, Sarah Halley Finn, was able to locate her. And the moment we met Kaylee we knew she was the right girl for the part.”
Wingard concurs. “You’d never have guessed this was her first movie. Kaylee was one of the most professional actors I’ve ever worked with.”
Hottle enjoyed the experience of making her first film, offering, “I liked being on set and seeing what the movie looked like from behind the scenes.” However, not having watched any of the Godzilla or Kong films previously, she says, “I didn’t realize that Godzilla and Kong would be just on a green screen the whole time.”
When describing Jia, Hottle offers, “She is from Skull Island, and she and Kong are best friends.” She also confirms Jia’s feelings about Hall’s character, Ilene Andrews, noting, “She’s essentially my mother and she takes care of me.”
In addition to learning ASL from Hottle, Hall revealed that, in their down time, she got Hottle interested in magic and that the quick study was quite entertaining for them as a magician. “I play with magic,” the young actress humbly confirms.
Filming on the movie also brought her to Australia for the first time, where she was able to meet real-life creatures—though ones much smaller than her king-sized co-star. “We saw koalas and kangaroos,” she says, and recalls that she held the former, but not the latter. Although, she states, “those are my favorite animals, actually.”
Jia joins Dr. Andrews, Lind and the massive crew it takes to transport Kong on an immense aircraft carrier across the high seas.
“The other half of our journey explores the reawakening of Godzilla,” Wingard offers. “And that immediately brings to the forefront Godzilla’s greatest advocate, the one person who’s convinced he’s not a villain but simply misunderstood: Madison Russell.”
Millie Bobby Brown, who originated the role of the apex activist in “Godzilla” and took her to the next level in “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” returns to lead Team Godzilla as he faces off against the massive ape. The actress says of her director, “I loved working with Adam. He’s a pure Godzilla fan, and when you work with someone who is the biggest fanboy of an iconic movie or series, you can’t help but have the ultimate respect for them. It’s fantastic to work with someone who is so dedicated and motivated and appreciative of the chance to work on a property they’ve been studying their whole life.”
Once more leading the charge to ensure the safety of Godzilla, Madison may not be able to converse with Godzilla the way Jia does with Kong, but there’s no one who feels more protective of the largely misjudged creature. “I’ve always felt Madison is a really relatable teenager who just goes through things that are obviously quite extraordinary,” Brown observes. “I mean, seeing a monster like Godzilla right in front of your face is probably not going to happen to most of us, but…
“Like all kids, she has something to say and she wants to be heard, to have a voice,” she continues. “For me, that’s what she’s always brought to the table as part of her family: a point of view. It might be different from her parents’, but she’s always been around their work as scientists, so it’s had an effect on her, and now she’s really good at educating herself about what’s going on, especially where Godzilla’s concerned.”
Kyle Chandler also reprises his role from the prior films as Mark Russell. Once a Monarch skeptic and outsider, Dr. Russell has now taken on the mantle of Monarch Deputy Director of Special Projects in the uncharted new world left in the wake of recent events. In his new position, he grapples with the responsibility of helping to lead a global Titan defense organization while also being present for his rebellious teenage daughter. Despite his wishes, he knows Madison is passionately determined to venture into the dangerous world of superspecies study.
Chandler—who not only makes his second appearance in a film featuring Godzilla, but also Kong—was thrilled to return to the Legendary Monsterverse, stating, “It’s such an adventure for an actor. You step onto these incredible sets, crafted by the best in the business, and you also get a chance to create your own reality because there’s of course some green screen work as well.”
Describing how his character has evolved since he last played him, Chandler observes, “I think his outlook might be summed up by the old saying ‘If you can’t beat them, join them.’ He’s more involved with the defense of the Earth from these Titans. His transition to his position in Monarch now indicates to me that he wanted a little more control over what’s going on with the world and that he has more to offer along those lines.”
And control over his teenager? “She a teenager and my character’s job keeps him pretty busy, so he’s probably not the best father when it comes to the time he spends with her, but his intentions are all good. Of course, as we know, by running around the globe and chasing Godzilla she’s doing things a teenager—or almost anyone, really—shouldn’t be doing,” the actor quips.
Rebounded from the events seen in the last film, Madison has become a sort of “storm chaser” when it comes to giant monsters; this time, she ropes in her best friend, Josh Valentine, played by Julian Dennison.
“Josh is a big nerd, the kind of kid who’s a little scared but also fascinated by all these Titans, and probably also by Madison,” he says. Dennison, however, had no apprehensions about going along for the ride. “I knew it was gonna be fun and I was excited to play a character that brought a little light and humor.”
Their scenes may have been intense, what with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, but offscreen was anything but. Says Brown, “Julian was amazing, we got along so well, and he made me laugh all the time. He’s brilliant and the most soulful person I’ve ever met, and such a gentleman. Everything you could ask for in a co-star.”
“Millie’s such a cool person and was so great to work with,” Dennison says, confirming as well that she has a bit of a playful streak and is known to be a prankster on set. “She did scare me a lot—I mean, literally, she would just sneak up and scare me,” he laughs. “But luckily I’m a pretty tough dude, let’s be honest, so I was prepared for anything.”
Actor Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie Hayes is really the catalyst for Madison to pursue her nagging suspicions. Deeply in tune with others who feel like she does—that there must be a reason for Godzilla’s increasingly erratic behavior—she and Josh track down the underground podcaster-cum-conspiracy theorist who posits there’s a connection between recent events and the company he works for, aptly named APEX. The result is as unlikely a band of heroes as you’ll ever find embarking on what quickly escalates to a heart-pounding trip across the globe and a dark mystery—a real conspiracy—that threatens not just Godzilla but the future of the planet.
“If the Kong portion of the film is a journey into the past and the very origins of the Titans, the other portion, led by Madison, Bernie and Josh, is the exploration of the future—and whether or not planet Earth will have one,” Wingard comments. “As serious as that sounds, though, their journey is a really fun one because all three actors are just hilarious and have such great chemistry together. They were unbelievably funny—when the cameras were rolling and when they weren’t. It was so fun to watch.”
Henry enjoyed becoming part of the cinematic legacy. “Godzilla’s a beast! He’s been around for forever. I grew up with it and I think I’ve seen every incarnation of this huge monster going around town, knocking things down in his path,” he relates. “It’s especially fun to watch with friends. I’ve always been a real fan and it’s an incredible realization to know I’m part of this universe now.”
The actor also appreciated being part of the team that’s on Godzilla’s side. “I was secretly hoping for that. It was great to play an APEX engineer who starts to realize there are unexplained things going on in the world, who then tries to figure out how to understand Godzilla, rather than destroy him,” he says. “And running around with Millie and Julian brought out the wacky side of me; the adventure of it all was so exciting. I also just really loved playing Bernie—his heart is so big and he’s a little bit kooky, even for a conspiracy theorist, but he’s a champion in my mind. His intentions are pure, and he wants to do what’s right because humanity’s at stake.”
Bernie works at APEX Industries, a massive tech company run by CEO Walter Simmons that’s taken the lead in rebuilding the world after the events of the last movie. Charming and charismatic, Simmons will do whatever it takes to further the APEX mission, which is to ensure a safer world in the wake of Titan destruction.
Demián Bichir, who plays the powerful executive, was on board from the get-go. “This was without a doubt one of those scripts that, when you read it, you want to see the film,” he recalls. “Godzilla and Kong—such a great duo. I’ve always been fascinated by dinosaurs and that time in history when those massive creatures roamed the Earth. The idea of it…I think that’s what gets people hooked on films like these and want to see them over and over.”
As a titan himself—of industry, that is—Simmons’ APEX corporate headquarters were clearly built to intimidate and impress, and Bichir definitely felt the latter when he stepped onto the various sets. “It was fascinating to see what they did with the art design and production design, really phenomenal. The environment gave us so much to work with as actors, all the elements needed to create a fully realized character. It was such a joy.”
Wingard suggests that with the longstanding presence of the Titans in the world, the presence of a similar organization to Monarch would be inevitable. “Simmons is a quadrillionaire who took his money and fulfilled a dream of creating this company that, like Monarch, is focused on managing these monsters and their effect on the planet and mankind. Demián plays him so well, the sheer glee he displays as the character admiring his burgeoning technology is a lot like a kid with a new toy—a very, very expensive new toy.”
Working for Simmons, Ren Serizawa is an APEX Industries operative—and the son of Monarch legend Dr. Ishirō Serizawa. Ren is cool and collected, with an air of mystery about him, conducting business somewhat under the radar. Actor Shun Oguri portrays the legacy character.
“APEX is a tech company that is trying to protect the world from the Titans,” Oguri explains. Ren, who has helped create technology that would draw monsters like Godzilla away from humanity, takes his orders directly from Simmons. The actor, who shared most of his scenes with Bichir, says, “Demián is a great actor and he was very kind to me. I enjoyed working with him, and with everyone in the cast.”
Oguri felt the same about director Wingard. “You could see how much Adam enjoyed directing this movie, and that made it fun for me, too. He carefully shot many different choices, which always makes it more interesting for me. I think the audience will be very excited when they see it.”
Though APEX swims in the same figurative waters as Monarch, the philosophical approach is different. Simmons prefers to oversee from afar, first dispatching Nathan Lind to deliver his solution to Kong’s housing problem to Lind’s former Monarch team, then charging his daughter, Maia, with making sure things are carried out according to APEX’s plans.
Played by Eiza González, Maia Simmons is a top executive and an authoritative force, with calculating intelligence and the swagger that comes with commanding one of the most powerful technology forces in the world. She eagerly joins the mission to Hollow Earth, even though she may get more than she bargained for en route to the brave new world.
“I love the approach these films take in that, amid all the CGI effects, which are incredible, you also have a completely human story,” González says. “My character is in a situation that’s basically a choice between humanity versus a personal agenda, and we all have to ask ourselves what we would choose. You can see either side.”
“The myths are real. There was a war, and they’re the last ones standing.”
– Ilene Andrews, Monarch
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