Godzilla and King Kong Monster Movie Team-Up Confirmed

It was rumoured last month, but now the onscreen team-up of Godzilla and King Kong has been confirmed. Producers Legendary and Warner Bros have issued a statement revealing that the two companies would be creating an "an epic, new shared cinematic franchise" for these famous movie monsters.

The companies have mapped out an initial trio of films that will form part of this new universe. The first, Kong: Skull Island, is due to begin production early next year, and will arrive in 2017. Godzilla 2, the sequel to 2014's blockbuster Godzilla, will follow in 2018. The two creatures will then meet in 2020, when Godzilla Vs Kong is released.

In the statement, Thomas Tull, the CEO of Legendary, said: "Audiences really responded to Godzilla. Today, I'm excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I've always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we're pleased to be announcing that and more."

Kevin Tsujihara, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros, added: "We enjoyed tremendous creative and commercial success with Godzilla. It's great to be able to revisit these characters and help create a franchise with so many creative possibilities for filmmakers. Fans love these big, globally iconic films and it doesn't get any bigger than this."

It was also revealed that other classic monsters from Japanese studio Toho may make an appearance in future movies, including Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah.

In September, Legendary moved Kong: Skull Island from previous distributors Universal to Warner, with whom they had worked on Godzilla. Skull Island will star Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, and John C. Reilly, and is due in March 2017.