Legendary, the backing studio for 2014's blockbuster reboot "Godzilla" has confirmed the release date for "Godzilla 2."
"Warner Bros. and Legendary released Godzilla in May 2014 with an agreement to release Godzilla 2 on June 8, 2018. Both films feature the human Monarch organization," reads Legendary's official press release.
Along with the release date, Legendary has also confirmed the monsters appearing in the sequel - all of which have previously appeared in the "Godzilla" films of the 50's and 60's.
"Shortly following Legendary's pact with NBC Universal, Legendary acquired rights to additional classic characters from Toho's Godzilla universe, including Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah."
Following the success of last year's reboot, Legendary plans on giving the monsters their own Cinematic Universe similar to Marvel's cinematic superhero franchise.
"Audiences really responded to Godzilla," Legendary CEO Thomas Tull added. "Today, I'm excited to reveal that film was only the beginning of an epic new entertainment universe. As a lifelong fan of these characters, I've always wanted to see the ultimate showdown, and today we're pleased to be announcing that and more."
"This paved the way for developing a franchise centered around Monarch and anchored by Godzilla, King Kong, and other famous creatures."
Along with "Godzilla 2," Legendary has also announced "Kong: Skull Island" and "Godzilla vs. Kong" to their slate.
All the films will be tied together by the Monarch organization, which consists of several governments that have joined forces to monitor, study and hunt Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms or MUTO's. Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (played by Ken Watanabe in the reboot) is the son of one of Monarch's earliest operatives.
According to the Franchise Herald, "Kong: Skull Island" will hit theaters on March 10, 2017, followed by "Godzilla 2" on June 8, 2016.
"Godzilla 2 vs. Kong's" release date is said to be set sometime in 2020.
