THR reports that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire director Adam Wingard will not return for the sequel. According to insiders, the split is amicable and was due to scheduling issues, but the door remains open for Wingard to come back to the franchise down the line.

The studio had been keen on Wingard returning for the Godzilla x Kong sequel, but no deal was in place for him to do so. The director had been open to returning, previously saying, “There’s always the seduction of making a trilogy out of it, and I think that there’s some untapped areas to go into. There’s also ways to continue to innovate the stylized approach to the MonsterVerse, and what’s great about the MonsterVerse is that it’s allowed so many different directors to approach it with their unique style and color palette.” However, Wingard is set to direct Onslaught later this fall, and the studio wanted to quickly get the ball rolling on the next MonsterVerse sequel.

The studio tapped Dave Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) earlier this month to write the script for the Godzilla x Kong sequel.

Godzilla x Kong has grossed $563.8 million worldwide, making it one of the more profitable movies in the Monsterverse franchise. It reportedly had a budget of just $135 million. It’s also on track to dethrone Kong: Skull Island as the highest-grossing movie in the series. While some fans may be disappointed that Wingard will be leaving the franchise behind, I think I’m ready for a new director to bring a fresh vision to Godzilla, Kong, and the rest of the Titans.

Although Godzilla x Kong has received mixed reviews, it sounds like it’s a lot of pure fun bursting with monster mayhem. However, our own Chris Bumbray did have one complaint. “While the trailers made it look like it’s a non-stop brofest between Godzilla and Kong, the two are kept apart for close to ninety minutes, and this movie is just under two hours,” Bumbray wrote. “All of the scenes you’ve seen of them doing their thing together are from the last chunk of the film. While that’s a bummer, I must admit that I found myself surprisingly engaged by the build-up.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.

Now that Adam Wingard is out, who would you like to see direct the Godzilla x Kong sequel?

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