“Godzilla 2" synopsis and full cast revealed

Production is officially underway on “Godzilla 2” in Atlanta, as Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have released a press release touting the full cast, synopsis, and production details for the follow-up. While previous reports pegged the movie's title as “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, this press release never refers to the film by any title, meaning that the title might be changing. The follow-up is described as “the next chapter” in WB and Legendary's “cinematic MonsterVerse” which includes Gareth Edwards' 2014 “Godzilla”, Jordan Vogt-Roberts' “Kong: Skull Island”, and the upcoming “Godzilla vs. Kong”.

While Edwards was intending to direct “Godzilla 2”, he dropped off the project a while back. Instead, “Krampus” filmmaker Michael Dougherty is directing from a screenplay co-written with Zach Shields. Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins are reprising their roles from “Godzilla” alongside franchise newcomers Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler and “Stranger Things” breakout Millie Bobby Brown. The official synopsis is as follows:

The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.  When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.

The full cast also includes Bradley Whitford, Thomas Middleditch, Charles Dance, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Aisha Hinds, and Zhang Ziyi.

As the third film in the MonsterVerse, this untitled “Godzilla” sequel will be followed by “Godzilla vs. Kong”, which recently landed “You're Next” and “Blair Witch” filmmaker Adam Wingard to direct. The “Godzilla” sequel is expected to hit theatres on March 22, 2019.