Filmmaker Adam Wingard directed the two most recent entries in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise. Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021 did very well considering the world was still hip-deep in COVID. This year’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire crossed half-a-billion dollars worldwide to make it the highest-grossing yet in the series. But Wingard will step back from directing the next installment. Taking his place is Grant Sputore, working from a script by Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Deadline shared the news.
Sputore is a successful commercial director whose debut feature film is 2019’s I Am Mother. That movie, starring Hilary Swank and Rose Byrne, was a Sundance fave which then went to Netflix. It’s a pretty interesting sci-fi thriller about a girl raised by a robot. This is obviously a huge step up in budget for Sputore. However, the Monsterverse has made its name utilizing indie genre directors, so Sputore is right at home.
The next movie, still untitled, will be the sixth feature film in the franchise. It will follow Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024). This year also saw the release of the first live-action series in the franchise, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV+.
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Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.