Legendary recently debuted a brand new trailer for the upcoming MonsterVerse film, Godzilla vs. Kong. Now, a fan-made video offers a side-by-side comparison of the upcoming 2021 film and its 1962 Japanese counterpart, King Kong vs. Godzilla.
In the video, uploaded to YouTube by the channel FALLEN, both trailers play simultaneously, with the 1962 version edited to resemble the 2021 update. Watching the footage from both films side by side really shows just how far these two infamous giant movie monsters have come.
Godzilla vs. Kong will be the fourth installment of Legendary’s ‘MonsterVerse’ franchise. Previous entries in Legendary's cinematic universe include Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). Based on the trailer, it seems like the 2021 film will mainly be a sequel to Godzilla: King of the Monsters, with actors Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler reprising their roles from the previous movie.
Watching the two trailers also gives you a sense of how different a movie about two giant monsters looks today compared to the early '60s. A huge percentage of the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer is composed of shots that are either mostly or entirely CGI while the 1962 version is done entirely with practical effects, as two stuntmen duke it out in costumes on a miniature set. Regardless of the modern-day feats in digital filmmaking, the 1962 version certainly has its charm and admittedly looks like a lot of fun. Perhaps when the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong is released later this year, fans will do a double feature of the two films.
It also serves as a reminder of how much the film industry recycles old ideas and updates them for newer audiences. This is, after all, the 36th film in the Godzilla movie franchise and the 12th for the mighty King Kong. Although the two films bear similar names and concepts, producer Alex Garcia has gone on the record to say that the film is not a remake.
Godzilla vs. Kong is just one of many big-name Hollywood films to have constantly-shifting release dates due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The film was originally slated to come out in 2020, shifting around from March 13th, May 22nd, May 29th, November 20th, until it was finally pushed back to May 21st, 2021. It has since been moved up to March 2021.
Godzilla vs. Kong will be released simultaneously in theatres and on HBO Max on March 31st, 2021.
Source: FALLEN/YouTube