‘Godzilla Vs. Kong’ Moves To March 31

The title bought between the famous King of All Monsters and the Eighth Wonder of the World has been slightly postponed.

Deadline reports Godzilla vs. Kong will now open on March 31st, a mere five days later than originally planned. The site suggests the move is to bolster the Easter Weekend box office and take advantage of spring break. Well, presuming people will want to congregate in movie theaters two months from now. Also, the release date change is only on the domestic side of things, so international fans of the giant monsters will still get to see the film on March 26th.

And, of course, the film will also be available on HBO Max in the US on the same day of its theatrical debut — which makes us wonder if the shift will really lead to an appreciable box office gain. At the very least, it is a sign that Warner Bros. Pictures is trying to do all it can to aid movie theaters even as its corporate parent prepares for a future more reliant on streaming service subscribers than moviegoers. Godzilla vs. Kong was even part of a fight between WarnerMedia and the film’s primary production company, Legendary Entertainment, over the hybrid release strategy. While the two companies came to terms for the release of GvK, an ongoing conversation about the hybrid release of Dune, another Legendary production, has yet to be resolved.

Godzilla vs. Kong continues ideas seeded in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Kong: Skull Island with the two title characters continuing a fight started by their respective kin eons before the human race evolved. Meanwhile, on the ground, the helpless representatives of Monarch look on as the titans clash and Kong tries to protect a young girl. That latter element feels like a homage to the tiny twins who could call on Mothra in her Japanese film appearances, but a film even loosely tied to 1962’s King Kong vs Godzilla should feature a few call-outs to classic Kaiju flicks.

Godzilla vs. Kong arrives March 31st in theaters and on HBO Max.