The upcoming monster movie Godzilla vs Kong will be released earlier than expected. The film was due to hit theaters and HBO Max simultaneously in May, but it will now arrive in March instead.
As reported by Deadline, Godzilla vs Kong hits theaters internationally and on HBO Max in the US on March 26. The film was originally set for release in November last year but was pushed to May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new date for Godzilla vs Kong follows several weeks of negotiations between distributors Warner and Legendary, who financed the majority of the movie. In November, Warner reportedly blocked a $200 million deal for Legendary to sell the film to Netflix, only to announce it was putting it straight onto HBO Max, its own service, along with every other Warner movie in 2021. Legendary threatened legal action over this decision, but have now reached an agreement with Warner, which includes the earlier release date.
Godzilla vs Kong isn't the only Legendary movie that Warner is releasing this year. The sci-fi epic Dune is currently set for an October release, although Deadline states that negotiations are continuing over whether that will also hit HBO Max. Director Denis Villeneuve has been very outspoken about the fact he wants people to see the movie on the big screen, and the vaccine roll-out could mean that a lot more theaters are open by the fall.
Godzilla vs Kong stars Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Alexander Skarsgård, Rebecca Hall, Zhang Ziyi, Brian Tyree Henry, and Demián Bichir. It's directed by Adam Wingard.
