It doesn't matter how polished a film's script is or how solid the performances are. Without proper direction, a movie is nothing. The buck stops with the director in a Hollywood film, and that's why it's so important for a studio to bring in the right talent for the right project. Godzilla 2 recently suffered a major setback when Gareth Edwards declined to return for the sequel. However, it now seems that the film has taken a huge step forward by enlisting the talents of director Michael Dougherty.
According to a brand new report from Screen Crush, it appears that Godzilla 2 may have finally found a director to take the reigns on the upcoming kaiju sequel. It appears that, in addition to his newfound role as the film's writer (alongside Zach Shields), Godzilla 2 has tapped Michael Dougherty to helm the upcoming film.
At first glance Michael Dougherty definitely seems like an odd choice to helm the upcoming monster movie. Primarily known for his work as a screenwriter, Dougherty has never helmed a major blockbuster like Godzilla. However, he does have extensive work with creature features. His work as a director has primarily come in the form of darkly comedic seasonal horror movies like Krampus and Trick 'r Treat. If his style remains consistent through Godzilla, then we can likely expect quite a bit of humor to be injected into the upcoming monster movie -- something that was lacking from the original film.
Michael Dougherty's involvement in Godzilla 2 could also have some major implications for another major aspect of the film: special effects. Although CGI is obviously necessary to properly bring Godzilla to life on the silver screen these days, Dougherty has proven that he has no problem using practical effects whenever possible in order to properly craft monsters. We still have no definitive idea as to what his Godzilla 2 will really look like, but we genuinely expect plenty of practical effects to define the film.
Of course, the next Godzilla film only represents the beginning. Movie monsters have started to experience a major resurgence. In addition to the giant lizard's upcoming standalone sequel, the legendary movie monster will also face off against King Kong in an upcoming film -- effectively creating a kaiju cinematic universe. It's a great time to be alive, monster fans.
CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant details related to Godzilla 2 as more pertinent information becomes available to us. Godzilla 2 is currently slated to rampage its way into theaters on March 22, 2019. Stay tuned for more details!
