“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” has a teaser trailer. The sequel directed from the Alabama-raised director Adam Wingard gave Hollywood a much-needed shot in the arm when Hollywood’s movie theater future looked bleak. When all else fails, let monsters fist-fight each other.

The official synopsis: “This latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever.”

“Godzilla x Kong” brings back Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry while adding Dan Stevens to the ensemble. It also adds “The New Empire” as a subtitle, perhaps alluding to our return to Hollow Earth, where some of the action took place in the previous film. It also appears to tease a new villain sitting on a throne as the camera flies backwards to reveal the skulls of our heroes Godzilla and King Kong.

The film is a sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” directed by Adam Wingard, who was raised in Alabama. It opens in theaters everywhere March 15, 2024. Watch the teaser trailer above.

Born in Tennessee, the 40-year-old Wingard only lived in his home state for about a year before moving to Marion where he spent most of his life through high school before spending his 20s in Calera and Birmingham. The go-to horror director on projects like “Blair Witch” and “Death Note” would follow up on 2014′s “Godzilla,” 2017′s “Kong: Skull Island” and 2019′s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” finally marrying the MonsterVerse in the long-awaited bout between the iconic movie monsters. And despite never making a movie for more than $40 million at that point, Wingard felt ready for the challenge.

In spring 2021, it scored the best single day gross of the COVID pandemic and had the best opening for a Hollywood film since the COVID-19 crisis began. It finished with nearly $470 million worldwide (and certified fresh), good enough for top 10 global box office in 2021, opening the door for Marvel and James Bond to swoop back in as fans gained the courage to see movies they way we should: On enormous screens and with ear-splitting surround sound. You can stream it on HBO Max now.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” found the legendary pair clashing after Godzilla seemingly turns on humans due to unseen forces in an adventure that spans the globe and leaves a new path of destruction, heightened by eye-popping visual effects.

Wingard held a hometown screening at the AmStar theater in Alabaster the week the film released in theaters everywhere, drawing a huge crowd of Alabama film fans eager to get back into theaters after the pandemic all but eliminated that experience.

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