The Titans will soon be making their return, and WandaVision director Matt Shakman will be leading the way. Read on as more details are learned about the Monarch Monsterverse spin-off coming to Apple TV+.
Shared universes are all the rage these days, and Legendary Pictures has found success building around some of the most iconic monsters in all of cinema. 2014’s Godzilla established a world that would later be dubbed the “Monsterverse”, which includes such other films as Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla vs. Kong. The franchise as a whole has pulled in nearly $2 billion worldwide, so Legendary is looking to expand its Monsterverse offerings to the small screen.
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A streaming series set after the events of Godzilla is in development, and now Matt Shakman has been revealed as part of the show’s creative team.
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Variety is reporting WandaVision director Matt Shakman is joining the yet untitled Monsterverse series that’s being produced by Legendary Television. The show is being made for Apple TV+, but it’s unknown when production will begin or when it will debut on the streamer. Shakman is set to direct the first two episodes of the series, and will also receive an executive producer credit. As the official synopsis describes, the series will be picking up in the aftermath of Godzilla’s explosive showdown with the MUTOs in 2014:
“Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the Monsterverse series will explore one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.”
Not much else is known about the series, but as The Illuminerdi exclusively reported earlier this month, some exciting names are being eyed for the cast list. Wyatt Russell is being considered for the role of “Young Lee Shaw”, with the actor’s legendary father Kurt Russell possibly playing an older version of the Lee Shaw character. The series will seemingly be taking place across multiple time periods, with Kurt Russell’s portrayal of Shaw being set in 2015, and Waytt taking the reigns of the character in the 1950s/1960s era.
The casting has yet to be officially announced, but having a father and son play the same person, especially with actors the caliber of Kurt and Wyatt Russell, is certainly an exciting possibility.
Matt Shakman has kept himself very busy over the last few years, directing episodes of such series as The Great, Succession, The Boys, Billions, and Game of Thrones. The bulk of Shakman’s work has been on the long-running comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, of which he’s directed 43 episodes, but none since 2017. The Monsterverse series isn’t the only high profile project that Matt Shakman is working on, as he’s been selected as the director of the next installment of the rebooted Star Trek franchise J.J. Abrams launched in 2009. The untitled sequel is expected to release in 2023, and will reunite the cast from the first three films in the series.
In addition to a streaming series, the Monsterverse is also set to continue on the big screen, as a follow-up to Godzilla vs. Kong is currently in development. Adam Wingard is expected to return to the franchise to direct the sequel, and Dan Stevens will reportedly play the lead role in the film. Production will be getting underway in Australia later this summer, but a release date is unknown at this time. Godzilla vs. Kong was the first blockbuster to find success at the box office during the pandemic, grossing more than $468 million worldwide upon its release last year.
Are you excited about all of the development happening with the Monsterverse? What do you think about Matt Shakman joining the Apple series? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to follow us on social media for more!
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Source: Variety
