At long last, Godzilla vs. Kong is almost upon us, with the latest chapter in the MonsterVerse coming to HBO Max and domestic theaters on Wednesday. Pandemic-era box office records are set to be not just shattered, but left in a pile of smoldering rubble similar to the destruction that the two title characters are going to leave in their wake.
After a troubled production that involved poor test screenings, extensive reshoots, multiple release date delays and even the possibility of legal action, it’s been smooth sailing for Godzilla vs. Kong ever since the first trailer was released. The debut promo broke records for Warner Bros., and Adam Wingard’s mega budget creature feature was even named as the most-anticipated movie coming in March, which is an impressive achievement when you consider that low profile intimate character-driven drama Zack Snyder’s Justice League arrived last week.
As the marketing campaign enters the home stretch now, we’re being bombarded by a deluge of TV spots that reveal plenty of major moments and action sequences, but don’t give too many spoilers away, apart from the notable exception of the film finally admitting what we’ve known for months and confirming Mechagodzilla.
The latest promo finds our hirsute simian hero swinging a dragon/bat/snake hybrid around with reckless abandon, and those keeping track of how long ago the tie-in merchandise began giving the game away will recognize Kong’s foe as Warbat. Godzilla vs. Kong might not be quite as heavy on the sheer volume of kaiju as predecessor King of the Monsters, but there are still plenty of critters to be dealt with before the main event and battle of the century begins in the third act.