February 22nd is just two days away and we are already seeing leaked images and news about Godzilla vs Kong merchandise. To be honest, I didn't expect to see any merchandise for the film until after the first movie trailer was officially released. Perhaps this to keep the excitement for the movie alive until we do see that first trailer. If that is the case, then there are suspicions that the marketing for Godzilla vs Kong could be starting up sooner than we thought. We are seeing hints with the recent rise of merchandise news like the MONOPOLY: Godzilla and Jenga: Godzilla games, the official Godzilla vs Kong art book, and now New York Toy Fair. Today, Toy News International put out a press release giving details about Legendary's/TOHO's retail and partnership program.
We learned in August 2019 that Playmates Toys is making toys for Godzilla vs Kong and pictures of those toys were leaked online in January showing a big spoiler of the movie. This morning, a display booth at New York Toy Fair showed concept art of the movie used as a backdrop. It is highly likely this booth could belong to Playmates Toys.
There are other companies confirmed to be working on merchandise for Godzilla vs Kong, as well. Rubie's Costume Company Inc. and Funko POP! will be returning to make costumes and figurines. Rubie's Costume Company has made costumes for all three movies in the Monsterverse series (Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King Of The Monsters) and Funko POP! is no stranger to Godzilla and Kong as they have made Godzilla and Kong figures as well. The leading pop-culture apparel and accessory manufacturer, Bioworld, will probably be working on clothing that reflects the movie. Escape room producer, 60 Out, and virtual reality studio, The Virtual Reality Company (VRC), will most likely be making Godzilla vs Kong content for San Diego Comic Con this year. Probably we will see something similar to the Godzilla Experience at San Diego Comic Con back in 2013.
Currently, Legendary Comics, which was created by Legendary Entertainment, is working on two graphic novels, an art book, the movie's novelizations, and children's books for Godzilla vs Kong. We got a teaser of the next graphic novel back in 2013 that follows Kong after the events of Godzilla: King Of The Monsters where we were introduced to the new monster, Camazotz.
Legendary Entertainment Executive Vice President and Franchise Management, James Ngo, states, "Kong and Godzilla permeate every aspect of pop culture, and we are excited to bring them back to the forefront of the zeitgeist with our best in-class partners. We are also working to expand the program into gaming, fashion, sports, food & beverage and more in order to create additional entry points for fans to engage with these two larger–than–life titans."
Chief Godzilla Officer of TOHO, Keiji Ota, added, "Godzilla has become a beloved international figure since the first film nearly 65 years ago. We're thrilled to work with these companies to bring the awesome power of Godzilla vs Kong to life with toys and products for kids of all ages."
From this, it sounds like we are getting a lot more than what we are expecting with Godzilla vs Kong. I am interested in the gaming part of the program's expansion. Even though there is a slot machine being made based on the Monsterverse series, I would really like to see a fully fledged out video game based on the movies rather than a slot machine. I am even more interested that we are getting two graphic novels hopefully leading into Godzilla vs Kong. We already know that the first one Legendary Comics is based around Kong, but I wonder if the second comic will based around Godzilla and both comics ending with both of them meeting face to face.
Which one has you interested? Are you looking forward to any of the merchandise? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment in the comments section. Make sure to follow me on my Facebook, Twitter, and Minds pages to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.
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