“Straight Outta Compton” star O’Shea Jackson Jr. is in negotiations to join Legendary’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”
The movie already stars “Stranger Things” stand-out Millie Bobby Brown, along with Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga. “Krampus” helmer Michael Dougherty is directing the project from a script he penned with Zach Shields.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe, and Elizabeth Olsen starred in the 2014 “Godzilla” reboot, directed by Gareth Edwards. Sources tell Variety that Watanabe is the only original cast member likely to return for the second installment.
Alex Garcia will oversee the tentpole for Legendary. “Godzilla: King of Monsters” hits theaters on March 22, 2019, with the monster mash-up “Godzilla vs. Kong” slated to bow the following year on May 29, 2020.
Legendary and Warner Bros. announced in late 2015 that all future “King Kong” and “Godzilla” movies would be developed by Legendary and distributed by Warner Bros., starting with “Kong: Skull Island.” Legendary currently holds a distribution deal with Universal, but in order to re-team Godzilla and King Kong, the studio returned the rights to WB.
“Kong: Skull Island” recently opened with $61 million and currently has $392 million at the worldwide box office.
Jackson garnered rave reviews after portraying his father, Ice Cube, in the N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton.” He recently received another round of strong notices (including being named one of Sundance Film Festival 2017’s breakout stars by Variety) for his role as Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen’s drug dealer in “Ingrid Goes West.”
Jackson is currently filming the STX action pic “Den of Thieves.” He is repped by WME, Cube Vision, and Ziffren Brittenham.
Source: Variety
