Two years ago, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. decided to end their eight year partnership, with the former creating a new deal with the folks over at Universal Pictures. This deal has worked out quite well for Legendary, as they wound up with a nice kickback from the massive success of Jurassic World, but now it looks like they may be bringing one of their most high-profile upcoming titles - Kong: Skull Island - back to WB. Why? If new reports are to be believed, it's because they're interested in the idea of a potential crossover with Godzilla.
Deadline has the scoop on this development, and even has what looks to be a timetable for the combination of the franchises. According to the trade's sources, Legendary is still planning on having Godzilla 2 focus on the giant lizard from Japan, but that the movie that follows that one will see the King of the Monsters go toe-to-toe with the world's biggest ape. One would assume that this crossover project doesn't happen unless Kong: Skull Island is successful at the box office, but the report seems to suggest that Legendary is very gung-ho on this idea.
Right now, Universal's position in all of this isn;t known, but Deadline makes it very clear why Legendary Pictures is interested in the Kong: Skull Island move. It's true that King Kong is currently in the public domain, but Legendary believes that having the potential crossover franchises under one roof will make waters easier to navigate as the projects make their way through development. It's hard to question the logic there.
As things stand, Kong: Skull Island is a bit of a question mark. The project is set to be helmed by Kings of Summer's Jordan Vogt Roberts, and it was recently revealed that Jurassic World co-writer Derek Connolly has been brought on to work on the script by Max Borenstein. As the movie has made its way through production, on pace to come out in 2017, there have been a few casting shakeups, with Michael Keaton and J.K. Simmons signing on and then deciding to drop out. That being said, the film has put together one hell of an ensemble that includes Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Toby Kebbell, and possibly Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Wilkinson and John C. Reilly. Because the feature is set in the 1970s, however, it's unclear if any of these actors would actually get to be in a Kong/Godzilla crossover film.
Fans will be quick to point out that a King Kong vs. Godzilla movie does already exist - directed by Ishirô Honda and released back in 1962 - though with modern technology we can assume that the new crossover would be a wholly different kind of beast. Do you like this idea? Hit the comments section with your thoughts.
