We’re still about a year away from the release of Godzilla 2 (currently going with the title Godzilla: King of the Monsters), but it looks like the film is sharing a lead actor with the recent monster movie Rampage. But don’t expect Dwayne Johnson to be making a cameo appearance. Instead, the performance capture artist who played George the albino gorilla will be stomping on skyscrapers as Godzilla’s ultimate nemesis, King Ghidorah.

The sequel to Gareth Edwards 2014 version of Godzilla actually completed filming last year, and is currently undergoing the extensive post production and visual effects work. Directed by Michael Dougherty, the movie will be an important part of the Legendary’s MonsterVerse, which was further established in Kong: Skull Island. The plot is being kept vague but is said to detail the rise of additional monsters around the world, including classic Toho studio creatures like Mothra and Rodan. The government run crypto-zoological agency Monarch will try to keep them in check, but they will no doubt have to stand back again as Godzilla enters the fray and they “Let them fight.” This will certainly be the case when the confirmed presence of King Ghidorah makes itself known, as the three-headed dragon has fought (and even beat) Godzilla many times in the Toho films.

In interesting news, The Wrap reports that King Ghidorah is being played (via the magic of motion capture) by Jason Liles, along with 2 other actors for each of the heads. The actor was most recently ‘seen’ portraying George in Rampage in a performance that gave the film some of its best moments, particularly with George’s questionable taste in humor. Liles is building up a strong reputation in this field, and he has been compared with Andy Serkis (War for the Planet of the Apes). He also appeared as Ryuk in Death Note and has some history with Dougherty, having played the titular character in the director’s Krampus.


While this bodes well for the movements of Ghidorah, it remains to be seen how well it will translate to film. Fans of the earlier Godzilla films will be used to the scaly monster waving its three heads goofily about, shooting lightning, and having no arms. Much of this did change as visual effects improved in quality of course, and the presence of Liles and the other actors point to this monster having much more personality and movement than has been seen in any film before. Cast member O’Shea Jackson has further promised that the climatic fight between Godzilla and King Ghidorah in the movie will be something “you will never forget.”

The film also has a strong human lineup to scurry beneath the feet of the Kaiju, including the likes of Millie Bobby Brown and Vera Farmiga, along with returning Monarch members Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe. Although Johnson was a factor, the strong opening of Rampage indicates that the market is still there for giant monster movies and the first Godzilla grossed over $529M worldwide. Hopefully, all the factors will come together here, with Liles performance providing some solid work for the arch-nemesis of Earth’s defender. And after that, it will be the big match with King Kong in 2020.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Godzilla: King of the Monsters release date: Mar 22, 2019
Godzilla vs. Kong release date: May 22, 2020