A decade ago, Legendary Pictures secured the rights to Godzilla and other characters owned and created by the Japanese company Toho so they could launch a cinematic universe they call the MonsterVerse – and they also secured the rights to the King Kong character so he could be part of their MonsterVerse as well. Things got started with Godzilla in 2014, and since then the universe has expanded with Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, the animated series Skull Island, the live-action series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. A third Godzilla / Kong mash-up is now in the works – and Deadline has learned that the iconic monsters are being joined in the cast by Kaitlyn Dever this time around.

Dever’s credits include Good Grief, No One Will Save You, Next Goal Wins, Rosaline, Dear Evan Hanson, Last Man Standing, Booksmart, Justified, Short Term 12, and The Spectacular Now, among others. She’ll soon be seen in The Last of Us season 2, where she’ll be playing the controversial character Abby Anderson. Deadline notes that, as the MonsterVerse marches on, “Legendary is looking to build on its human characters and the first logical choice landed on Dever, whose star has been on the rise for some time. She now joins the franchise as it combines character-driven storytelling with its signature epic scale and Titan-clashing action.“

Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire were both directed by Adam Wingard, but he has decided to return to his roots with the gonzo action horror thriller Onslaught rather than return for another round of monster brawls. The new sequel is set to be directed by Grant Sputore, who previously directed the Hilary Swank sci-fi thriller I Am Mother. Sputore will be working from a screenplay by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse writer Dave Callaham.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was the franchise’s highest-grossing installment and the highest-grossing Godzilla film of all time, pulling in $571.9 million at the worldwide box office. Kong: Skull Island was the previous MonsterVerse record holder, having made $568 million. Deadline hears that the next entry is described as a continuation of the franchise centering Godzilla, Kong, and an assortment of other Titans. It will feature several new human characters alongside Godzilla and Kong as they face off against a cataclysmic world-ending threat. 

Are you looking forward to the Godzilla x Kong sequel? What do you think of Kaitlyn Dever joining the cast? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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