Matthew Modine Joins the ‘Godzilla x Kong’ Sequel

‘I Am Mother’ director Grant Sputore will make this this new Monstervese outing, which already has Dan Stevens returning as Trapper.

(Left) Matthew Modine in 'Hard Miles'. Photo: Blue Fox Entertainment. (Right) Godzilla and Kong in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Preview:

Matthew Modine will be part of the cast for the ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ sequel.
His character is a mystery for now.
Grant Sputore is in the director’s chair.

As Legendary and Warner Bros. look to keep the Monsterverse marching onwards, the latest movie in the ever-expanding creature feature franchise is stomping towards production on its latest installment, with cameras ready to roll in Australia starting next month.

Just last month, we learned that Dan Stevens would be returning to play Trapper, the cocky, Hawaiian shirt-sporting vet who helps treat King Kong when the giant beast is injured.

Now, per Deadline, Matthew Modine is also joining the new movie, playing a character whose motivations are a mystery.

Could he be a wrong ‘un, like Modine’s last big genre effort, ‘Stranger Things,’ where he played a nefarious scientist? Or possibly a benevolent type who just wants to help the other human characters from becoming monster-bait.

If we’re honest, we could picture the actor as a shady higher-up within the Monarch organization that monitors monster developments.

What was the story of ‘Godzilla x Kong’?

(L to R) Godzilla and Kong in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The movie followed up the explosive showdown of ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat of a monstrous white ape hidden within our world, challenging their very existence –– and our own.

It delved further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.

The new, untitled effort is still mostly being kept under wraps, but according to the first official details, it’ll follow “several new human characters alongside the beloved and iconic Titans Godzilla and Kong as they face off against a cataclysmic world-ending threat.”

Yep, apparently, there are still some giant threats lurking out there; so the big ape and the giant lizard will have to spring into action once again. At least Kong will know his teeth will be taken care of…

Who is working on the new movie?

Kaitlyn Dever as Rosaline in 20th Century Studios' 'Rosaline,' exclusively on Hulu. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Alongside Grant Sputore (who made his directorial debut with Netflix sci-fi thriller ‘I Am Mother’), the film will have a script from ‘Shang-Chi’ and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ writer Dave Callaham.

And back in January, Deadline reported that the movie saw its first piece of casting as Kaitlyn Dever locked in a deal to star.

Best known for her roles in TV limited series ‘Dopesick’ and the 2019 movie ‘Booksmart,’ Dever will next star in the Netflix limited series ‘Apple Cider Vinegar,’ and will also show up in the second season of HBO’s ‘The Last of Us.’

Details on her character are also, like much of the movie, a mystery, though apparently it represents a renewed push to add in solid characters, which has been a common complaint of especially some of the more recent Monsterverse efforts.

We can also add to the new recruit list the likes of ‘Unbroken’ and ‘Back to Black’s Jack O’Connell and Delroy Lindo, most recently seen in ‘The Harder They Fall’ and headed our way in Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ this April.

As with Dever, we don’t yet know who they’re playing.

Where else have I seen Matthew Modine?

Matthew Modine as Richard Dreyer in 'Zero Day'. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Netflix © 2024.

Modine is a veteran actor who certainly scored a new generation of fans thanks to ‘Stranger Things’ but he’s probably still best known for his role as Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War epic ‘Full Metal Jacket.’

Yet his resume stretches far beyond that, to include the big screen likes of ‘Birdy,’ ‘Memphis Belle,’ ‘Pacific Heights,’ ‘Any Given Sunday,’ ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’

On TV, in addition to ‘Stranger Things,’ he’s popped up in ‘The West Wing,’ ‘Weeds,’ ‘Proof’ and, most recently, he was seen opposite Robert De Niro in Netflix thriller series ‘Zero Day.’

What has happened with the Monsterverse so far?

'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,' coming soon to Apple TV+.

Already around for a decade, Legendary’s Monsterverse follows humanity’s battle to survive in a world facing a catastrophic new reality –– the monsters of our myths and legends are real.

It all kicked off with ‘Godzilla’ in 2014 and continued through 2017’s ‘Kong: Skull Island,’ 2019’s ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters,’ 2021’s ‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ and last year’s record-breaking ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.’

The Monsterverse has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the global box office and has expanded onto smaller screens via ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ for Apple TV+, which has been renewed for a second season.

When will the new Monsterverse movie be on screens?

The movie is currently scheduled for release on March 26th, 2027. So if you hear rumbling around that time, chances are it’s because some massive monster is headed to your local cinema.

Kong in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.