Already Saw The New Empire? 5 Best Movies About Godzilla & King Kong You Can (Re)Watch Next

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has exceeded even the wildest expectations at the box office. Initially, the film was predicted to make around $135 million, but since the premiere, the possible final figure has grown at a rapid pace.

As a result, the monstrous blockbuster opened with a worldwide haul of $194 million.

If you've already seen the new flick, but still want more exciting battles between giant kaiju, then these five movies are definitely for you.

1. King Kong, 2005

Peter Jackson was approached to direct a King Kong film in the 1990s, but he took on The Lord of the Rings first. However, Jackson loved the classic Kong movie and dreamed of returning to the subject.

After the worldwide success of the trilogy based on Tolkien's books, he responded to Universal's offer. The director's extensive experience in working with fantasy came in handy: King Kong is still impressive in terms of visuals.

For the first time, Kong moves not like a man in a costume, but like a real gorilla. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, was hired to do the motion capture. The actor visited zoos where he studied animal behavior and copied their movements.

2. Godzilla, 2014

Once upon a time, scientist Joe Brody was forced to sacrifice his wife to save Tokyo from destruction. Years later, he tries to prove that the seismic tremors were not caused by earthquakes, but by a giant creature.

It turns out that several monsters have emerged from the ground – they were sleeping in cocoons, but now they are coming to life. Suddenly another kaiju appears – Godzilla. He will fight the monsters to restore the balance of nature.

It was with this movie that the MonsterVerse cinematic universe began: the Monarch organization appears in this movie, studying kaiju. In 2023, the series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was released, dedicated to the organization itself.

3. Shin Godzilla, 2016

In Tokyo Bay, the water suddenly turns red. It means that the ancient and very dangerous creature Godzilla has awoken. Soon the monster rises to the surface and begins destroying settlements. Military and scientists are trying to figure out how to defeat the creature without using nuclear weapons, which would also harm humans.

The Japanese studio Toho decided to shoot another of its own reboot of Godzilla. In the new version, the creators decided to use all available types of special effects: animatronic puppets, computer graphics and costumes.

As a result, with $15 million invested, the Japanese got a very impressive monster – not as realistic as the American counterpart, but scary and dangerous. Especially since they made him even bigger to present viewers the scariest version of Godzilla.

4. Kong: Skull Island, 2017

In 1973, an expedition of military and scientists was sent to the lost Skull Island – the person who organized this trip was trying to find ancient giant creatures.

Suddenly, a giant gorilla attacks the group. But it soon becomes clear that Kong, as the local tribes call him, is not evil; he is protecting the people from Skullcrawlers that emerge from the ground. But the soldiers create their own problems when they decide to take revenge on the ape for the death of their friends.

The movie immediately fits into the MonsterVerse: the Monarch organization appears in the plot, and other kaiju are hinted at in the post-credits scene.

Kong himself plays the same role as Godzilla does in the 2014 movie: he keeps the world in balance by attacking either the people who throw bombs on his island or the Skullcrawlers who eat innocent natives.

5. Godzilla Minus One, 2023

Just before the end of World War II, the Japanese base is attacked by the giant monster Godzilla. Two years later, the monster reappears, and it turns out that he has gained new powers after testing an atomic bomb.

The movie's budget is quite modest, only $15 million, but that did not stop the creators from filming an amazing story that is impressive both visually and plot-wise.

Godzilla Minus One returns the franchise to the ideas of the first film: it reminds us that the monster is the embodiment of the consequences of war and the use of nuclear weapons.

In terms of special effects, of course, the movie cannot be compared to Hollywood blockbusters. But Godzilla is still impressive and scary without looking like a puppet. Considering that a very small team worked on the movie, it becomes clear why Godzilla Minus One won an Oscar in the Best Visual Effects category.