Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. revealed on Thursday that they have delayed the Godzilla vs. Kong film sequel Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire from March 15, 2024 to April 12, 2024.
The delay is due to the two companies delaying the Dune: Part Two film from November 3 to March 15, 2024 due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The companies then moved Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire so it did not open on the same day as Dune: Part Two.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, the new feature film by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Eden of the East), was previously slated to open on April 12, 2024. The companies similarly delayed the film to December 13, 2024.
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will have IMAX screenings on its release date.
Adam Wingard (Death Note, The Guest, You’re Next) is returning to direct the film. Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod, Thomas Tull, and Jon Jashni are producing the movie.
The first film opened internationally in March 2021 in territories where the HBO Max streaming service is not available. The film opened later that month in theaters in the United States at #1. The film has earned US$100,916,094 in the United States and has earned a total worldwide of US$470,116,094 according to Box Office Mojo.
The film opened in Japan in July 2021, delayed from its original May 2021 opening, topping the box office chart.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Middle-Earth. New Line Cinema is producing the film in partnership with Warner Bros. Animation. Sola Entertainment is responsible for the animation studios for the film, and Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute the film.
The film is described as an original anime feature, depicting “a legendary battle that helped shape Middle-earth and set the stage” for Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It “explores and expands the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep, delving into the life and bloodsoaked times of one of Middle-earth’s most legendary figures; the mighty King of Rohan – Helm Hammerhand.”
Joseph Chou (Blade Runner: Black Lotus TV series) is producing, and Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) are writing the screenplay. The Oscar-winner Philippa Boyens, who was part of the screenwriting team on the live-action The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, is a consultant on the project.
Jason DeMarco — Adult Swim‘s senior vice president and head of anime and action series as well as senior vice president in the anime and action series/longform department at Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios — is a producer on the film, and he confirmed that the film will be in 2D.
Sources: Legendary Entertainment‘s Twitter account, Deadline (Anthony D’Alessandro)
