Why Godzilla X Kong Director Adam Wingard Gave Godzilla An 'Orgasmic' Pink Makeover

Japanese production company and "Godzilla" creator Toho typically makes two types of films about the King of the Monsters. There are the ones where the G-man functions as a metaphor for the horrors of the atomic bombing of Japan and the lingering scars of war (like in "Godzilla Minus One"). Then there are the movies where Godzilla is a glorified bouncer whose job is to slap around any trouble-making kaiju that gets it into their head to wreak havoc on humanity.

Director Gareth Edward's 2014 U.S. "Godzilla" was different in that sense, presenting Godzilla as a misunderstood force of nature while also portraying him and other giant creatures as an allegory for climate change. The next two entries in what's now known as the MonsterVerse, "Kong: Skull Island" and "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," followed suit before culminating with the monster jam that was director Adam Wingard's "Godzilla vs. Kong." Having settled into its groove as a kaiju free-for-all on the film side (with spinoff series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" focusing more on the humans), the MonsterVerse will return for another clash of the Titans with Wingard's "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."

"They're toys, basically. I'm an adult being able to play with hundreds of millions of dollars," Wingard explained to Total Film. He also cited the Godzilla films from Toho's Showa era (1954-1975) as a major influence on his MonsterVerse installments, which explains why they depict Godzilla in hero mode (aside from the misunderstanding that initially sees him and Kong duking it out in "Godzilla vs. Kong"). But what about Godzilla's magnificent pink makeover in "Godzilla x Kong" this year? Well, that has less to do with homaging the past and more to do with Wingard adding a little more of his own flavor to the recipe.

Wingard, as a director, loves an arresting palette. His home invasion breakout hit "You're Next" grows increasingly blood-splattered as the bodies start piling up, whereas his found-footage horror sequel "Blair Witch" becomes ever grungier as it goes along (much like its characters, as they find themselves trapped in an endless forest). However, it's in his cult thriller "The Guest" that Wingard fully lets loose, bathing the proceedings in vibrant neons. So, of course, he's only continued to embrace his artistic impulses while playing in the MonsterVerse sandbox. In his own words:

"Whenever I was talking to the visual artists, what I told them was, 'I want the color palette of this film to resemble the experience of what it was like to walk down a toy aisle in the 1980s when you had ThunderCats, G.I. Joe, and Transformers.' There was just this orgasmic feeling. So many colors and textures. That's what I wanted to bring to this movie. This new, heightened reality. I wanted to find out: can you take that over-the-top toy-aisle experience, but then find a way to ground that into a reality?"

Considering Wingard is loosely attached to helm a live-action "ThunderCats" film at some point after finishing "Godzilla x Kong," it's clear he intends to bring even more bold shades to the modern blockbuster landscape going forward. It could certainly use some, too, after years of tentpoles that either feature muddy colors or place so much emphasis on visual realism that it sucks the joy out of their spectacle. Building on "Godzilla vs. Kong" and director Greta Gerwig's beamingly colorful blockbuster "Barbie," there's no better time for the King of the Monsters to add a little pink to his own aesthetic.

Godzilla's "Barbenheimer"-style refashioning in "Godzilla x Kong" isn't just about adding a little more flair to our beloved chonky boy. It's also about Wingard getting to leave his mark on the character in a way that he didn't in "Godzilla vs. Kong." That goes double for Kong, who's gained some distinguished greys in the latest MonsterVerse film since the last time we saw him. To quote Wingard on the matter directly:

"Very specifically in the last film, I wanted Godzilla to have a continuity, to look the way that he had in 'King of the Monsters' and the 2014 'Godzilla.' But then I didn't get a chance at doing my version of Godzilla. So now I wanted to do different things with the spines and try different colors. I didn't want it to just be random; it's part of the story. And similarly, with Kong, I wanted to give him some sort of new look as well. We grew his beard out, and gave him a little bit more grey hair and stuff."

These elements also serve to further distinguish the MonsterVerse's Godzilla visually from his counterpart in "Godzilla Minus One," who is much more unsettling and scary in appearance (as befits the movie he's in). Thankfully, there's plenty of Godzilla goodness to go around right now, whatever version of the kaiju you prefer. After terrorizing the denizens of Japan in "Minus One," it's time for Godzilla to switch gears and get back to punching giant monsters in the face.

"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" opens in theaters on April 12, 2024.