Matt Shakman is set to direct the first two episodes of Legendary’s live-action Godzilla TV series currently in development at Apple TV+. Shakman is best known for his work on Marvel’s Wandavision, helming all nine episodes of the Emmy-nominated Disney+ series.
Legendary Television greenlit the Godzilla series earlier this year in a bid to expand their successful Monsterverse franchise. As of yet, the series remains untitled but will explore a family’s search for answers as the whole world discovers that the monsters that were previously assumed to be mere myths are indeed real. The series is also confirmed to feature the iconic giant lizard and hordes of other titans as well. The plot synopsis for the show (via Variety) reads:
"Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the Monsterverse series will explore one family’s journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch."
Very little is known about the Godzilla & Titans series, except that father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell are reportedly in talks to play an older and younger version of a hard-nosed member of the military and that the show will be set between the events of 2014’s Godzilla and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
The Godzilla & Titans series is created by Chris Black (Star Trek: Enterprise, Outcast) and Matt Fraction (Hawkeye). Black will also executive produce in addition to serving as the showrunner. As for Matt Shakman, the director is currently busy with Hulu’s true crime series Immigrant, based on the life of Chippendales founder Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee, and is also involved in Paramount’s Star Trek 4. Shakman is a veteran television director and has worked on some of the greatest shows of this century, including Fargo, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, House M.D., Game of Thrones, The Boys, Succession, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Apple’s Godzilla & Titans show is definitely in good hands.
There is no word on the series’ release date yet, but considering Shakman’s busy schedule, the show will most likely commence production in the next few months as Star Trek 4 is confirmed to begin filming by the end of the year.
The Success Of Godzilla Vs. Kong Has Revived Legendary’s Monsterverse
The negative critical and commercial reception of Godzilla: King of the Monsters almost derailed the Monsterverse back in 2019. However, Legendary and Warner Bros. learned their lesson and made sure not to repeat the same mistakes with Godzilla vs. Kong, i.e., "not enough kaiju mayhem and too many humans."
Subsequently, Godzilla vs. Kong underwent significant reshoots that trimmed down its many human characters and focused only on the battle between the titular monsters. The result was that Godzilla vs. Kong became one of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of 2021, even after having a simultaneous streaming and theatrical release in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. A sequel is in development with Adam Wingard returning, and as for the more character-driven stories, Legendary seems to think television would be the right choice, and they are not wrong.
The plight of ordinary people as they watch their homes and entire cities get razed will make for some truly compelling drama. Godzilla and other Titans are saviors for some but catastrophic forces of destruction for others. Hopefully, the Apple TV+ series will do a better job handling the different perspectives of mankind on the Titans than the previous Monsterverse movies.