If you didn’t catch Legendary Entertainment and Apple TV+’s MonsterVerse show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (and read along with our weekly recaps at MONARCH: Declassified), you better get yourself up to speed, as the hit series has been renewed for a second season – plus, a new multi-series deal is en route that will bring “multiple spinoff series'” – yep, more kaiju goodness for the small screen.
Created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction, the hit series, which premiered in November of last year, followed on directly from Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla, and, as an official press release reminds us…:
Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga – spanning three generations – reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.
Alongside Kurt and Wyatt Russell, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters starred Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Mari Yamamoto, Ren Watabe and Anders Holm.
Lest you need reminding of the power of the MonsterVerse, the multimedia franchise has grossed over $2 billion at the global box office, with the latest instalment, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire already topping the charts. Needless to say, between this and Godzilla’s recent record-breaking success over in his native Japan, it’s safe to say the people are hungry for kaiju chaos, and the MonsterVerse ain’t going anywhere.
Morgan Wandell, head of international development for Apple TV+, had this to say of the renewal:
‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ has left an indelible imprint on the hearts, minds and imaginations of audiences around the world, led by the brilliance of Chris, Matt, Kurt, Wyatt and the incredibly gifted talented cast and creative team […] We couldn’t be more excited for viewers to not only have the chance to experience even more thrills in season two, but to embark on epic, new journeys in the franchise, as we expand Legendary’s Monsterverse.”
More news on these spin-offs will surely follow (might we get some Mothra action in the near future?) and we’ll bring all the updates for you as and when we get them.
