One of the dozen or so films shook up by Warner Bros.’ HBO Max streaming plan was Godzilla vs Kong, the upcoming colossal bout between… well, Toho’s Tokyo terror and the King of Skull Island. Whatever platform the the film would take on for release, it seems fans will be able to catch the slugfest sooner than expected.
Originally set for a May 21, 2021 release, Godzilla vs. Kong will hit available theaters and HBO Max two months earlier on March 26. The monster mash stars Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, and Rebecca Hall, and is directed by Adam Wingard, who mostly recently helmed the live action Death Note film.
Warner Bros.’ move to stream their 2021 slate of films will likely have ripples even further down the line, in the wake of the ongoing pandemic and critical past year for the film industry and theatrical exhibition. The decision to stream Godzilla vs. Kong was met with outrage from Legendary Entertainment, who provided a majority of the film’s production budget, with Legendary now looking to pursue potential legal action against Warner Bros. for the shift to streaming without consultation. Similarly, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation is being released to stream on HBO Max, and is largely a Legendary production.
However the money people shake things out, Godzilla vs. Kong‘s early release to screens of any size will be the end of a long road for the film, which was originally set to premiere on multiple dates last year; it feels like this movie should have been in front of us ages ago! With two months to go and not much in the way of promotional material, expect to see a trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong very soon, and stay excited and seek shelter for the new release on March 26, 2021.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
