Ready and 'Roaring' to Go: 'Godzilla' Sequel Officially Begins Production and Shows off Impressive Cast

Prepare for another monster mash washing in from the shores of Japan, because Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are thinking big as #Godzilla2 has officially started production. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2014's reboot blockbuster, the tentatively titled Godzilla: King of the Monsters hopes to expand the tale of our reptilian overlord and his city-destroying ways. While only Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins (sorry Cranston) will be returning from the first film, we now know that there are more than enough big name stars to keep us excited.

Big Footprints To Fill

Similar to Gareth Edwards's first film, Godzilla 2 looks to be a star-studded affair, with actors like The Conjuring's Vera Farmiga and The Wolf of Wall Street's Kyle Chandler surely set for big parts. Elsewhere, cameo king Charles Dance has nabbed a part, and we will also get shining Stranger Things star #MillieBobbyBrown in her feature film debut. Rounded off by Bradley Whitford, Thomas Middleditch, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Aisha Hinds, and Zhang Ziyi, is there any room for our giant Godzilla in and among the human contingent?

The heroic efforts of the sometimes shady Monarch corporation will see another batch of scientists and civilians drawn into the world of the big ol' lizard. If one prehistoric threat weren't enough, this time Godzilla will be joined by other Toho monsters like Mothra, Rodan, and the three-headed King Ghidorah. Although there are plenty of human roles touted for the sequel, it sounds like there will be some serious monster-on-monster brawls and a rise in the big fireworks action sequences.

Although Edwards was originally attached to create a trilogy of "new" films, he dropped out to be replaced by Michael Dougherty. With writing credits on the likes of X2 and Superman Returns, he certainly has a good knowledge of Hollywood heroics, while his directorial style is also something to boast about. Edwards was masterful at crafting an epic action movie, but with Dougherty's directorial projects including the lauded Trick 'r Treat and Krampus, will we see a move more in the horror direction for the sequel?

A Monster Feat Of Cinema

Slightly more on the gritty side than Roland Emmerich's '90s feature — which was led by Matthew Broderick and had a Jamiroquai soundtrack — 2014's Godzilla rightly kicked off the Warner Bros. #Monstersverse in style. The story then continued in this year's Kong: Skull Island, which should lead to #GodzillavsKong in 2020. TriStar had planned to turn the Broderick era into a trilogy, but with extremely negative reviews in 1998, the whole idea was Spider-Man'd under the carpet. With the Edwards reboot fairing much better with critics and audiences, here's hoping that the pairing of Warner Bros. and Legendary can finally craft the trilogy we have been waiting for.

Since Godzilla's first appearance in 1954 there have been some 29 Japanese films and three Hollywood versions (including 2019's film), and thankfully we appear to be learning from the mistakes of the past. Legendary Pictures released a full statement revealing the cast, but never referred to the film by its King of the Monsters title, suggesting this could change. Production is underway in Atlanta, and we hope to see our titular tyrant rise from the oceans on March 22, 2019.