Pandemic Blockbusters ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ ‘Dune’ Getting Sequels; Release Dates Announced

Warner Bros. and Legendary have big plans for the sequels to “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Dune.”

The film production companies announced Thursday their theatrical release plans for the two high-profile films that managed to perform well despite releasing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adam Wingard”s “Godzilla vs. Kong” is getting a sequel after the original movie, released in March 2021, grossed $468.2 million globally, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” hit cinemas and the streaming service HBO Max simultaneously due to the pandemic, and it performed quite well despite the global health crisis.

Banking on the success of the first film, producers are eager to release another installment that is scheduled to come out on March 15, 2024.

Little is known about Legendary’s monster universe so far, but Collider reported that Earth’s two mightiest defenders will likely face a new giant beast in the next movie.

Filming for the still-untitled sequel is reportedly set to commence in Australia this year, but specific details are kept under wraps. What’s known is that Dan Stevens has been cast in an undisclosed role so far.

Before “Godzilla vs. Kong,” Legendary made notable releases featuring the two behemoths in the starring roles. The list includes 2014’s “Godzilla,” followed by 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” and 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”

Another project in development at Warner Bros. is the follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune.” The first film starred Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem.

“Dune” followed the experimental hybrid release strategy of the company and secured $400 million worldwide. Aside from its commercial success, the movie raked in 10 Oscar nominations and won six.

“Dune: Part Two” was previously scheduled for release on Oct. 20, 2023, but producers announced this week that the date has been moved to Nov. 17, 2023.

With its new release date, the second “Dune” installment is going head-to-head with other highly anticipated films at the box office, including Universal’s “Trolls 3” and Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” prequel, titled “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”

The original cast is coming back to reprise their roles. Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Austin Butler have been tapped to join the sequel, Variety reported.