Ever since the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong dropped back in January, fans have been eagerly awaiting the epic battle between the two mythical creatures and debating who will reign supreme in their first onscreen fight since 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla (our money is on Kong, just quietly).
The film currently boasts the highest international box office debut of the pandemic era, having made USD $123.1 million from 38 overseas markets and AUD $8,095,099 in its first five days of screenings in Australia.
In order to best prepare you for your viewing experience, we’ve rounded up five fun facts to help you enjoy the film even more.
The Movie Is Just Shy of Two Hours and No, There Will Not Be a Director’s Cut
If you were hopeful that Godzilla vs. Kong would be given the old Justice League treatment and be released down the track as an extended version, we are sorry to say we are here to dash your dreams.
Director Adam Wingard has revealed that the version you will see is the only version you’ll get as he is a firm believer in keeping his movies to a two-hour run time and keeping them exposition free.
The Blair Witch helmer told Variety, “I like movies under two hours. I think if you do a movie over two hours, you better have a damn good reason for it to be that long. At the end of the day, if you’re going to make this movie into three hours, you’re not going to get an extra hour of monsters fighting. You’re going to get an extra hour of people talking about monsters.”
According to Millie Bobby Brown, Demogorgan’s Are Scarier Than Titans
In Godzilla vs. Kong, Stranger Things star Milly Bobby Brown plays Maddison, the daughter of scientists with a special interest in Titans — as the two giant beasts are known — who have emerged from beneath the surface of the Earth to either save or destroy the planet.
During the filming process, Kong and Godzilla were actually tennis balls or a rag doll for the actor to perform with before being magicked to life with CGI.
Brown told The Sydney Morning Herald that watching back the scenes with the CGI creatures in place was “so beautiful and so magical.”
“And it’s great to not be in this world,” she said. “Because this world is kind of scary sometimes.”
When asked by the publication if the Titans were scarier than the demogorgons that plague the town of Hawking in Stranger Things, Brown replied, “A demogorgon, definitely,” she says. “Because that was actually a full man in a costume.”
The Film Boosted the Queensland Economy by Millions
The majority of Godzilla vs. Kong was filmed in South-East Queensland with additional scenes shot in Hawaii and Hong Kong.
Shot at Village Roadshow Studios, and on location around the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Ipswich, the film employed over 1200 local crew members, cast, extras, and stunt performers.
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich said that in addition to creating those jobs, Godzilla vs. Kong injected an estimated $36.5 million into the Queensland economy.
Sunshine Coast-based filmmaker Luke Barrowcliffe joined the Camera Department Attachment for the blockbuster as part of Screen Queensland’s SQ Attach program, which offers paid placements for emerging-to-mid career practitioners.
Speaking to Mirage News, Barrowcliffe said, “To be a part of such a massive team effort and to stand next to the best in the business in a sound stage set, is a priceless privilege that you never forget; and that you get to relive when the movie is released.”
So, when you go to watch Godzilla vs. Kong, you can feel good knowing that you are watching the work of your very talented country people.
People Are Loving It So Far
The lucky journalists and critics who have already seen Godzilla vs. Kong have been sharing their reviews on Twitter and it seems as though the movie is a winner.
Eric Eisenberg of Cinemablend described it as a “fun watch with wonderful design work”, while entertainment journalist Adam Holmes said, “if you’re chiefly looking forward to seeing Godzilla and King Kong collide in a fight for the ages, you won’t be disappointed!”
Another viewer called it “one hell of a ride,” while another still enthused, “Godzilla vs Kong 100% delivers on what it promises: being one badass monster movie.”
Multiple early viewers also weighed in to say that “Godzilla vs. Kong is the best of all the recent Godzilla and Kong films” and that “the final battle is the most satisfying brawl we’ve had from this franchise yet.”
Director Adam Wingard Played Favourites a Bit
In his Variety interview, Wingard revealed that he did play favourites when it came to the two beasts.
“You can’t help but identify with Kong more,” Wingard said. “He’s more like us. I’ve always been a bigger Godzilla fan, but I found myself falling in love with Kong in a way that I wasn’t expecting to. I really worried about him. There are certain things in the scripts that came about and were supposed to happen to him and I nixed them. I felt too bad for him.”
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