Warner Bros Discovery has had a busy post-merger period, with new CEO David Zaslav making cuts in the executive suite, axing CNN’s streaming service, and starting beef with rival streaming networks. Now he’s added “rearranging the studio’s release schedule” to his to-do list, as he’s moved the release date for Legendary studio’s Godzilla vs. Kong sequel to March 15, 2024.
This is per a report in Deadline, which also notes that the studio had been holding that date for an untitled DCEU film. This is not surprising, considering that one of Zaslav’s priorities seems to be restructuring Warner’s deal with JJ Abrams, with whom he has publicly expressed impatience for grabbing the film and television rights to DC Comics characters and taking years to develop them.
Godzilla v. Kong director Adam Wingard will return for the sequel, along with GvK producer Eric McLeod. According to the film’s IMDBPro profile, the only announced actor for the sequel will be Dan Stevens, best known for his role as Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey episode “The Guest.”
The first Godzilla vs. Kong talkie was released over the Easter 2021 holiday via Warner’s “day and date” theater and streaming model, where a movie would premiere on HBO Max the same day it hit the cineplex. Considering that the world was still (mostly) in lockdown, GvK did blockbuster business, earning $100 million in the United States and almost $500 million globally.
There’s no word on whether Godzilla offspring Gadzookie will appear in the sequel.