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So what is it about the Monsterverse that has allowed it to be one of the few surviving attempts as a "Cinematic Universe"?

Kalentan

Kalentan

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Oct 25, 2017
45,296
After the MCU there was multiple attempts to create a cinematic universe out of various franchises. Yet, they basically all failed and yet here we are, over 10 years since Godzilla 2014 and the Monsterverse still persisting. It now has a TV Show that is getting a second season, and I believe I heard there is another show also in the works? Then there is the numerous comics that I believe are canonical? Maybe?

Godzilla x Kong seems to have made money then GvK, meaning the likelihood of more movies is seemingly high.

Is it expectations that keeps the Monsterverse in check? These aren't billion dollar movies, they make a good amount of money, but they aren't making all the money. Maybe that is why it's managed to go on this long? Cause they are seemingly fine with it doing good, but not mad it hasn't made as much money as something like an MCU movie pre-Covid?

It's terms of critical reception, the movies have been on the lower end, if not outright have rotten scores, yet that doesn't seem to matter to audiences at this point?

Curious to hear what folks think.
 
Strings

Strings

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Oct 27, 2017
31,767
Legendary had nothing else the last decade basically. Pokemon was their other thing and that was a non-starter.
 
flatearthpandas

flatearthpandas

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Oct 26, 2017
5,240
Japan is going to keep Godzilla relevant no matter how hard Hollywood tries to drive it into the ground.

From what I can tell the Monsterverse is hanging on to Godzilla and King Kong with abject failures otherwise
 
HeySeuss

HeySeuss

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
8,898
Ohio
What exactly do you consider a Monsterverse? Godzilla and King Kong have been rivals for ever. Mothra and some of the other lesser known adversaries. But outside of that what are you including in this universe that broadens it beyond a well known franchise?
 
BassForever

BassForever

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
30,122
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Thus far they've really just done King Kong and Godzilla films along with two cross overs. That's really not any different from how those ips were handled for 70ish years. I'll be impressed with Monsterverse when they make a Gamera film and/or a Jet Jaguar film that does well and leads to a bigger cross over.
 
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OP
Kalentan

Kalentan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
45,296
HeySeuss said:
What exactly do you consider a Monsterverse? Godzilla and King Kong have been rivals for ever. Mothra and some of the other lesser known adversaries. But outside of that what are you including in this universe that broadens it beyond a well known franchise?
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Monsterverse is the official name of the Legendary produced movies, Godzilla 2014, Skull Island, KOTM, GvK, GxK, and the Monarch tv show.

flatearthpandas said:
Japan is going to keep Godzilla relevant no matter how hard Hollywood tries to drive it into the ground.

From what I can tell the Monsterverse is hanging on to Godzilla and King Kong with abject failures otherwise
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I mean, the Monarch show was successful AFAIK.
 
Wrexis

Wrexis

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Nov 4, 2017
21,589
It's Kong rather than Godzilla that kept this franchise going, which I find fascinating. Maybe it's the whole Planet of the Apes thing, which I don't understand.
Or just that Kong seems more "human" and can be empathized more than a giant lizard. See the most recent movie in particular where he's basically ape-Kratos.

Or maybe people just seem to like apes/monkeys? I dunno.
 
HeySeuss

HeySeuss

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
8,898
Ohio
Kalentan said:
Monsterverse is the official name of the Legendary produced movies, Godzilla 2014, Skull Island, KOTM, GvK, GxK, and the Monarch tv show.



I mean, the Monarch show was successful AFAIK.
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Interesting I guess. I wouldn't peg it as a universe but it works I guess. Skull Island I didn't watch but that's a tie in to Kongs origin right? I need to watch that.
 
KDC720

KDC720

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,419
Only 5 movies and 1 TV show so far and the quality has been consistently decent to great for the most part. It's not a chore to keep up with. It's also its own niche right now, not many other studios trying to do kaiju movies at the moment.
 
egg

egg

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
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1d2c6b4a584b98e15bd8e1973c6f61b0b47cecdd.gifv
 
Mister Ursine

Mister Ursine

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Sep 10, 2023
1,260
Luck, mainly. Godzilla vs Kong was already done filming by the time King of the Monsters came out and underperformed. I don't know if they would've kept going if GvK was contingent on KotM being a success. Especially since the production cost would've gone way up trying to film early in the pandemic.

I don't think there's any type of cohesive roadmap. The tone of all the films are wildly different. They're just swinging and seeing what hits.
 
MasterYoshi

MasterYoshi

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,127
I hope they change it up with the next film with a baby Godzilla. Suko may play that role if Kong is back in the follow up.. but everyone wants a baby Godzilla. It's a billion dollar movie if they do it.

I'm afraid the monster of the week formula is probably stale after this movie.
 
Jubilant Duck

Jubilant Duck

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Oct 21, 2022
6,254
It's also less a cinematic universe and more just a series of sequels and one prequel (Kong: Skull Island). Outside of Skull Island, it's basically just a series of Godzilla films also featuring Kong.

The Apple TV series is less "essential entry to understand the story" a la the MCU Disney+ stuff, but more just a traditional spin-off you can take or leave.
 
skeezx

skeezx

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,482
all the movies did okay enough commercially and they naturally tied together (big monsters fucking shit up). I almost don't even want to call it a "cinematic universe" though yeah I understand technically it is
 

Blagtier

Member
Jul 7, 2020
61
No one else is doing what they are doing. Gamera isn't getting new movies, Pacific Rim was killed by the sequel. So it is only Gozilla and Kong that are recognisable IP in this space, any other studio would have to make new IP or get an obscure IP to compete. Monsterverse is doing things no other movie does. Big monsters fighting.
 
S1kkZ

S1kkZ

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Oct 27, 2017
4,526
- low budgets (well, compared to most other hollywood blockbusters)
- it never felt like a forced "universe". you can easily watch these films on their own (i have not seen GxK yet)
- 5 movies in 10 years is pretty mild. no oversaturation.
- no homework for the audience required
- there are no other kaiju films (even godzilla minus one is a VERY different thing)

they do what the mcu should have done for a few years: keep budgets low, release less stuff, don't make it feel like homework is required and just let it build over time till there is a big audience again.
 
Wrexis

Wrexis

Member
Nov 4, 2017
21,589
Blagtier said:
No one else is doing what they are doing. Gamera isn't getting new movies, Pacific Rim was killed by the sequel. So it is only Gozilla and Kong that are recognisable IP in this space, any other studio would have to make new IP or get an obscure IP to compete. Monsterverse is doing things no other movie does. Big monsters fighting.
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RIP Pacific Rim. Maybe the Godzilla vs Kong universe will end with Godzilla being shunted to another dimension and I'll finally have my Gypsy Danger/Avenger vs Godzilla fight.
 
blackhawk163

blackhawk163

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Oct 28, 2017
1,260
They're fun. At least the last two were. The first one was trying to be grounded and the second was to be a spectacle (I actually liked it save for the family drama) .

Sometimes you just want to escape your reality and see monsters wreck stuff.
 

SasaBassa

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,198
Good escapism with recognizable characters and better characterization than nerds will give it credit for given the source material. It's obviously connecting with people in a way they don't understand, same shit for any big IP that others find mid.

As a superlative "for instance", I don't get the character appeal of the avatar universe but lots of people clearly do based on the ridiculous numbers. I totally see the action appeal of it.

It survives bc people expect to be entertained and are.

Then they go and attach masterpiece shit like Godzilla minus one too
 
makonero

makonero

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Oct 27, 2017
9,727
blackhawk163 said:
They're fun. At least the last two were. The first one was trying to be grounded and the second was to be a spectacle (I actually liked it save for the family drama) .

Sometimes you just want to escape your reality and see monsters wreck stuff.
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I legit had a dumb goofy smile on my face while watching the creators play with their toys and make explosion noises in G x K. Love big dumb fun movies sometimes.
 
blackhawk163

blackhawk163

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Oct 28, 2017
1,260
Wrexis said:
RIP Pacific Rim. Maybe the Godzilla vs Kong universe will end with Godzilla being shunted to another dimension and I'll finally have my Gypsy Danger/Avenger vs Godzilla fight.
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Where DelToro was going with it seemed interesting in a I have mixed feeling about it kinda way.
That whole it was future humans sending the Kaiju back thing seemed rather iffy.
 
Soap

Soap

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Oct 27, 2017
15,598
The Big Short said:
It's about as much of a cinematic universe as Transformers and Fast and Furious to me.
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Funnily enough I think this is probably a good comparison. I think the simplicity of the mosterverse is just an easier sell internationally and probably an easier sell to most domestically. A lot of people just want to see 'splosions.
 
Kormora

Kormora

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Nov 7, 2017
1,422
Technically Godzilla did the first Avengers level crossover with Destroy All Monsters in 1968. 11 iconic monsters.
 
Kinketsu

Kinketsu

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Nov 17, 2017
2,000
I think they stay in their lane, basically. Solid concept that has worked for years. Easily grasped by a 4 year old. They arent trying to flood the media with content or anything yet and it is mostly big punchy movies. Maybe the first one was going for something different but Skull Island and Godzilla 2 definitely werent. Mid-budget, mid-expectations. Not Monsterverse but G Minus Zero also did pretty well in Japan because of low expectations for sure.

I dont think people expect much from them, and they deliver on what they expected. I have seen all I think and fuck me if I know anything about the Upside Down verse or whatever. But I know when a big Kong absolutely chins a Zilla on top of an aircraft carrier. And as long as there is more of that from the trailers in the movies, I think people are happy.
 
808s & Villainy

808s & Villainy

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Oct 27, 2017
43,103
  1. Well it's literally only 2 IP not a bunch you have to follow.
  2. And they might as well all be considered Godzilla movies at this point, considering his movies have historically always featured other kaiju.
  3. Also, whether you've watched any of the Kong movies or not doesn't really matter and you aren't really any more confused jumping in (I certainly wasn't)
 

jdmc13

Member
Mar 14, 2019
2,959
These movies know what they (Kaiju movies with some little bits of drama sprinkled throughout) and execute on them well. Most failed franchises don't know/care what they are and/or execute on them poorly.
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

â–˛ Legend â–˛
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Oct 28, 2017
27,103
Low expectations.

American takes in Kaiju movies are usually middling at best, so a half way decent Kong movie or a Godzilla movie that misses the point but looks nice without making people think can do Numbers.
 

fancyarcher

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,910
Should be noted, they don't really try to expand it. Outside of Monarch, it's just Kong and Godzilla. Pretty smart, because it means the franchise takes extended breaks.
 
GamerJM

GamerJM

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Nov 8, 2017
15,795
I think a notable factor is that these movies are so infrequent and generically titled/advertised that I would not be surprised if a lot of the general audience doesn't even know that there is a universe.
 
carlsojo

carlsojo

Shinra Employee
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Oct 28, 2017
34,232
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IIRC Godzilla v Kong was going to be the last one because they weren't doing so hot. Wingard turned that shit all the way around and said let the people see monsters fight in a well-lit battleground.
 
Dan Thunder

Dan Thunder

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Nov 2, 2017
14,263
Cinematic universe is generous as three are sequels and one is a standalone film. It's like having a Police Academy cinematic universe because it had loads of films and a tv series!

It's probably also because expectations are lower. I mean if these were Marvel films then pretty much every one of them would be considered a box office failure at around $500m worldwide gross.
 
Doug Dimmadome

Doug Dimmadome

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Jan 20, 2022
3,688
Haven't the majority of their films not done super well? Godzilla King of the Monsters notoriously underperformed and Godzilla x Kong came out during covid. It really seems to have survived based on executives belief in the IP. New Empire (is that the name) is doing well though so it seems their faith has paid off. But at this point I doubt Godzilla or Kong get solo movies so is it really even a cinematic universe?
 
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