'Godzilla vs. Kong' Set for 2020

By Dave McNary

Warner Bros. and Legendary are teaming up on a 2020 movie Godzilla vs. Kong, representing the official unification of the two monster franchises.

The companies jointly announced Wednesday that the basis for the film would be an “ecosystem” of giant super-species, both classic and new, as the Monarch organization that uncovered Godzilla in the 2014 film expands its mission in multiple releases.

The first films in the partnership have already been announced: Kong: Skull Island, which opens on March 10, 2017, and Godzilla 2 on June 8, 2018.

The announcement noted that while Legendary maintains its new home at Universal Pictures, the Godzilla films and the Kong origin film will be distributed via Warner Bros. Production on Kong: Skull Island, which had been at Universal until recently, begins Oct. 19.

“Audiences really responded to Godzilla,” said Legendary topper Thomas Tull. “Today, I’m excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I’ve always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we’re pleased to be announcing that and more.”

Warner Bros. topper Kevin Tsujihara said in a statement: “Working with our partners at Legendary, we enjoyed tremendous creative and commercial success with Godzilla. It’s great to be able to revisit these characters and help create a franchise with so many creative possibilities for filmmakers. Fans love these big, globally iconic films and it doesn’t get any bigger than this.”