See Godzilla TV Series First Image Released
Check out the first image from the Godzilla TV series that's coming to Apple TV+. This could be awesome for the genre
Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. launched the MonsterVerse in 2014 with the Gareth Edwards-directed picture Godzilla, which starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston. Unlike the 1998 film of the same name, which was distributed by TriStar and was considered a box-office bomb at the time, the 2014 movie was successful enough for the studios to launch an entire cinematic universe centered around Godzilla, Kong, and other Toho titans. In fact, news broke back in January of this year that Apple TV+ had landed an epic Godzilla TV series, which would be based in the same universe and the film franchise.
Since the project was announced, details have slowly leaked out about the Godzilla TV series including minor plot details and cast announcements. Just recently, ComicBook revealed that the MonsterVerse team had uploaded a cryptic image on social media, giving us our first look at the upcoming show. The photo features a cluttered desk, a bundle of pictures, and a tattered bag with the Monarch symbol on the side. Interesting…
Monarch is a secret organization that exists in Legendary Picture’s MonsterVerse. The group first appeared in 2014’s Godzilla and has been featured in follow-up movies. They are dedicated to hunting and studying giant monsters including Godzilla, Mothra, and Kong. With the organization’s logo practically dead center in the above photo, it’s safe to assume Monarch will play a significant role in the Godzilla TV series.
According to a release by Apple, the upcoming series will take place after the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, which pit the two titans against one another in a battle for the ages. The Godzilla TV series will center on one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy tying them to the secret organization known as Monarch.
Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski have been confirmed to star in the Godzilla TV series for quite some time. Last month, it was announced that Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt Russell would be joining the impressive cast line-up.
Emmy Award-nominated director Matthew Shakman (WandaVision) will direct the first two episodes of the Godzilla TV series in addition to serving as executive producer. Also executive producing the project are co-creators Chris Black (Star Trek: Enterprise) and Matt Fraction (Hawkeye), with the former serving as showrunner as well.
Legendary Pictures’ Monsterverse first launched with Godzilla in 2014 and follow-up with Kong: Skull Island in 2017. Godzilla: King of the Monsters was released in 2019 and in 2021 came Godzilla vs. Kong. All four pictures, which were co-produced and distributed by Warner Bros., received generally positive reviews from both audiences and critics. The franchise has grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide.
With that said, it makes you wonder why the Godzilla TV series is premiering on Apple TV+ and not HBO Max. Perhaps Warner Bros. is more focused on the cinematic side of the MonsterVerse as there is currently a follow-up to Godzilla vs. Kong in development with Adam Wingard back in the director’s chair. Whatever the case may be, we’re hoping the success of the film franchise translates to the small screen.
