The MonsterVerse Is Coming To AppleTV+

This was my debut piece when I took over as editor of KaijuRamen.com. It was a nice experiment that I wish could have continued. This article was originally published on KaijuRamenMedia.com on January 21, 2022.

The MonsterVerse is expanding. After Godzilla vs. Kong became one of the first pandemic era hits, many were wondering what would be next for the budding franchise. Legendary has already announced an animated show on Netflix, and now they’re actively developing a live-action series for AppleTV+. Almost a year ago to the day, Netflix announced that Powerhouse Animation and Legendary Television were developing a series called Skull Island, which will follow a group of shipwrecked people as they try to escape from the titular island. 

This new, currently untitled, series will be set shortly after the events of 2014s Godzilla and will follow a family as they look to understand the secrets of this new post-Titans world. While doing so they uncover that they may have a mysterious connection to the secret organization, Monarch. As MonsterVerse fans will know, Monarch has been the major connective tissue that has run through all four MonsterVerse films. Some of the early reports for Skull Island suggested a Monarch connection as well, which would suggest that Legendary is interested in keeping the S.H.I.E.L.D.-like connective tissue running through every MonsterVerse project.

Legendary Television is producing this new Godzilla series, along with Chris Black (Outcast) and comic book superstar Matt Fraction, who will write the series with Black. Executives from Toho Co. Ltd, Godzilla's parent company, will oversee the production since they’ve licensed out the character for it. This will mark the first time Godzilla has made an appearance in a western live-action series. No word, as of yet, what the King of the Monsters or other Titans’ role in the series will be, but considering that it’s a show, fans shouldn’t expect him to appear in every episode. Even though it's a streaming show, budget restrictions still plaque genre television. This and its placement in the MonsterVerse timeline points to a more character-focused drama and not an action-heavy all-out monster brawl. 

AppleTV+ is a curious place to put the series, but sources say they won a bidding war for it. The fact that it’s not on HBO Max could point to WB having minimal to no involvement in the new MonsterVerse entry. Legendary Television has been making shows for Netflix for a number of years now, so Skull Island felt at home there, but this would be their first partnership with Apple’s streaming service. It’s also a sign that Apple is looking to acquire more IP-based content since most, if not all, of their shows, are originals.

Regardless of where the next movie will take the MonsterVerse, for now, the past of the universe is being explored through Television. However, it's nice to know that the future of the MonsterVerse is secure. Now that the franchise is expanding to live-action and animated television, MonsterVerse fans can sleep well knowing that they won’t have to wait long to see their favorite giant monsters grace their screens again.