Why The Godzilla And King Kong Crossover Movie Release Date Changed

Fans will have to wait to see Godzilla and King Kong’s grand battle now that the studio has moved the movie’s release date. “Godzilla vs. Kong” was originally slated to be released on March 13, but the studio changed it to fall 2020, an entire year away.

Filming wrapped in April 2019 and stars Alexander Skarsgård, Brian Tyree Henry, Julian Dennison, Demian Bichir, and Eiza Gonzalez. Adam Wingard, who directed indie horrors “You’re Next” and “The Guest,” stepped up to tackle the big-budget studio titan that is “Godzilla vs. Kong.”

“I do want there to be a winner,” the director told Entertainment Weekly in regards to exactly where he wants his movie to go. He noted that the previous installment was a slug-fest left ambiguous and cites maybe that had something to do with the mixed reviews.

When the "MonsterVerse" launched with 2014's "Godzilla," the ultimate goal would be to pin the two iconic monsters against each other. Yet, with the low box office success of the last installment, “Godzilla: King of Monsters,” it appears the studio wants to take some time to make sure “Godzilla vs. Kong” is as good as it can be.

“King of Monsters” had a budget of around $200 million, yet only grossed $385 million. While you wouldn’t call that a “box office bomb,” it does raise concerns from studios when it underperforms. If there is an upcoming sequel to that movie, taking a moment to evaluate it is a natural next step.

According to Screen Rant, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich previously said that release could be delayed to ensure they are creating an “A+ film.”

There haven’t been any announcements of re-shoots, so the extra 9 months they are spending on “Godzilla vs. Kong” is presumably entirely on post-production. That means they’re likely spending this time on editing and special effects.

“Godzilla Vs. Kong” hits theaters on Nov. 20, 2020.