Godzilla X Kong Director Adam Wingard Isn't Returning For The Sequel

Who's ready to start their midweek, Hump Day grind on a bit of a mixed note? The good news is that I'll never again use the phrase "Hump Day grind" because, frankly, that just sounds unbearably filthy. Okay, the real good news is that Warner Bros. Discovery and Legendary Pictures continue to be in the business of making money and remain intent on keeping their kaiju-sized MonsterVerse movies going. The bad news, unfortunately, is that the next installment will have to do so without the involvement of director and writer Adam Wingard.

For those who've enjoyed the franchise's pivot towards rampant silliness throughout both "Godzilla vs Kong" in 2021 and its sequel, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," it appears that the MonsterVerse must change course once again. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker has mutually parted ways with the franchise and the hunt is now on for a new director to helm the next sequel. The reason? The report chalks it up to "timing issues," for better or worse, as opposed to the ever-ominous declaration of "creative differences." This isn't an entirely shocking development, mind you, since Wingard has been making moves behind the scenes to return to smaller and more original movies that he's been itching to focus on — notably, a title called "Onslaught" that was recently picked up by indie studio A24 earlier this month.

But don't rule out Wingard's eventual return to the Hollow Earth, as THR describes the situation as somewhat fluid ("The door remains open," as their sources put it), should he wish to direct another sequel down the line.

Don't cry because it's over, folks. Smile because it happened! Nobody was more surprised by the idea of horror filmmaker Adam Wingard stepping up to the major leagues and guiding the MonsterVerse to a revitalization (of sorts). The director behind movies like "The Guest," "Blair Witch," and "Death Note" was always an unconventional pick for two team-up movies between Godzilla and King Kong, and the results were ... well, extremely silly, as /Film's review of "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" by Witney Seibold aptly put it. Still, the blockbuster was a surefire box office hit upon release and plans for another sequel were all but inevitable, especially since the studio's return on investment, combined with the film's relatively low budget, meant that the franchise has never been on more solid footing.

In a roundabout way, we now know that Warner Bros. and Legendary are definitely in the midst of preparing the next movie, as THR previously reported that "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" scribe Dave Callaham had been hired to begin writing a draft. The studio will surely be on the lookout for a worthy name to step into Wingard's shoes and guide the series to even greater heights. If he hadn't just been hired to direct the new "Jurassic" movie, I absolutely would've loved to see Gareth Edwards make a grand return to the franchise that he singlehandedly rebooted back in 2014. While we wait for more updates, feel free to recklessly speculate about how you'd like to see take on the next MonsterVerse movie.