Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Release poster
Genre
Based onGodzilla
by Toho Co., Ltd.
Developed by
Starring
Music byLeopold Ross
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Brian Rogers
  • Yoshimitsu Banno
  • Kenji Okuhira
  • Scott Schofield
  • Al Letson
CinematographyJean Philippe Gossart
Editors
  • Nona Khodai
  • Emily Streetz
Running time42–49 minutes
Production companies
  • Safehouse Pictures
  • Toho Co., Ltd.
  • Milkfed Criminal Masterminds
  • Chris Black Broadcasting System
  • Legendary Television
Original release
NetworkApple TV+
ReleaseNovember 17, 2023 (2023-11-17) –
present (present)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is an American monster web series created by Chris Black and developed by Black and Matt Fraction, released on the streaming service Apple TV+. Produced by Safehouse Pictures, Toho Co., Ltd., Milkfed Criminal Masterminds, Chris Black Broadcasting System and Legendary Television, it is the sixth installment and the second series in the MonsterVerse franchise based on Godzilla by Toho Co., Ltd. The series follows members of the organization Monarch as they encounter Godzilla and other monsters, known as "Titans", over the span of a half century, following the events of Godzilla (2014). Black serves as showrunner.

The series stars Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski, alongside Wyatt Russell and Kurt Russell in the shared role of Lee Shaw. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premiered on Apple TV+ on November 17, 2023 to positive reviews from critics.

Premise

Following the epic battle between Godzilla and the MUTOs that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, two siblings, following in their father's footsteps, uncover their family's connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw, taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga — spanning three generations — reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.

Cast

Main

  • Anna Sawai as Cate Randa:
    A former schoolteacher and a G-Day survivor who travels to Japan to settle family affairs but instead uncovers a family secret. Tired of running from her problems, she is determined to find answers.[1][2]
  • Kiersey Clemons as May Olowe-Hewitt:
    An American ex-pat with a roguish exterior that she uses to protect herself as well as others. Whether it be deciphering a code or finding the loophole, she is always three steps ahead of everyone around her.[1]
  • Ren Watabe as Kentaro Randa:
    An intelligent, creative, and curious young man who has yet to find his own path. He will embark on a quest to learn more about his revered yet mysterious father and discover his own talents in the process.[1][2]
  • Mari Yamamoto as Keiko Miura: A scientist who becomes involved with Randa's investigations of monsters[3]
  • Anders Holm as Bill Randa: A cryptozoologist who will eventually become a researcher for Monarch[4]
  • Joe Tippett as Tim:
    An office drone working for Monarch who dreams of secret agent adventure. His overconfidence gets him in trouble in the field, but he is determined not to fail his organization.[1]
  • Elisa Lasowski as Duvall:
    An expert operative working for Monarch with unwavering confidence in herself and her skills. She also possesses a wry sense of humor, which she uses to guide her less field-oriented colleague.[1]
  • Kurt Russell as Lee Shaw: A former U.S. Army colonel who joins Randa's investigations of monsters[6][2]

Guest

  • Takehiro Hira as Hiroshi Randa, Keiko and William’s son and Cate and Kentaro's father[7]
  • Qyoko Kudo as Emiko Randa, Kentaro's mother
  • Tamlyn Tomita as Caroline, Cate's mother
  • Christopher Heyerdahl as General Puckett, Shaw's superior officer[8]
  • Bruce Baek as Du-Ho, Shaw’s old friend and an ally

Episodes

No.Title [9]Directed byWritten by [10]Original release date [11]
1"Aftermath"Matt ShakmanChris BlackNovember 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)

In 2015, one year after Godzilla's emergence in San Francisco,[lower-alpha 1] traumatized schoolteacher Cate Randa travels to Tokyo to settle the affairs of her missing father, Hiroshi. She discovers that he had a second wife and a son, Kentaro, in Japan. Kentaro leads Cate to Hiroshi's office, where she discovers a safe containing files belonging to their grandfather, Monarch researcher Bill Randa. Seeking answers about Monarch's presence in San Francisco and Hiroshi's connection to them, Cate and Kentaro recruit Kentaro's ex-girlfriend May Olowe-Hewitt to decode the files. Monarch employee Tim is notified of their attempt.

In 1959, Cate and Kentaro's grandparents, Bill Randa and Keiko Miura, follow radiation in Kazakhstan with fellow Monarch official Col. Lee Shaw. A local boy claims that the radiation is a cover story for the government drilling a hole through the earth. Randa and Miura discover that radiation levels drop to zero around a power plant, and that hollow caverns exist in the bedrock beneath it. Venturing inside, they discover eggs belonging to insectoid Endoswarmers. Miura and Shaw rappel down to collect genetic material from the eggs, but the Endoswarmers awaken and drag Miura into the caverns below.
2"Departure"Matt ShakmanChris BlackNovember 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)

In 2015, Tim and Monarch field operative Duvall track down Cate, Kentaro, and May in an attempt to find the decoded files, but they escape. In Hiroshi's office, Kentaro discovers Monarch files indicating that Shaw, his great-uncle, moved to an assisted living facility in Japan. Cate, Kentaro, and May go on the run and find Shaw, who reveals that the facility is a pretense for Monarch to keep him under house arrest. Shaw convinces them to escape from the facility and follow Hiroshi to his last known location in Alaska.

In 1952, Shaw is assigned as Miura's escort on an expedition following unusual radiation in the Philippines. They meet Randa in the jungle, who claims to be following folk tales of a fire-breathing dragon. Miura recruits Randa against a skeptical Shaw's advice, and Shaw departs. Continuing alone, Miura and Randa discover the wreckage of the USS Lawton, a Navy ship that sank in 1943 from which Randa was the sole survivor.[lower-alpha 2] They discover corpses in the ship and are attacked by an Ion Dragon. Having seen the Ion Dragon's radiation-based fire, Shaw returns to rescue them from the ship.
3"Secrets and Lies"Julian HolmesAndrew ColvilleNovember 22, 2023 (2023-11-22)

In 2015, Cate, Kentaro, May, and Shaw escape Japan on a ferry bound for Pohang, Korea. In Pohang, they are accosted by border guards before one of them, Du-Ho, reveals himself as Shaw's old friend. Du-Ho transports them to Alaska by plane; on the way, May infers from Bill Randa’s files that Hiroshi was likely following a list of coordinates identified by Monarch. In Alaska, they find the wreckage of Hiroshi’s plane as well as an encampment suggesting his survival. Du-Ho realizes that Hiroshi’s plane was attacked after landing; a Frost Vark kills him and destroys his plane.

In 1954, Shaw has joined Monarch in a command position. He, Randa, and Miura present a cast of Godzilla's footprint from Indonesia to Shaw's superior officer, Gen. Puckett, to secure uranium to lure Godzilla out of hiding. In Bikini Atoll, Randa and Miura are horrified to discover that Puckett has delivered the uranium in the form of a nuclear bomb intended to kill Godzilla as part of the Castle Bravo test.[lower-alpha 1] As Godzilla surfaces, Miura attempts to halt the detonation, but Shaw restrains her. In the aftermath, Shaw is given a blank check by Puckett for Monarch to research the Titans.
4"Parallels and Interiors"Julian HolmesMilla Bell-HartDecember 1, 2023 (2023-12-01)
5"The Way Out"Mairzee AlmasAmanda OvertonDecember 8, 2023 (2023-12-08)
6TBAMairzee AlmasKarl Taro GreenfeldDecember 15, 2023 (2023-12-15)
7TBAHiromi KamataMariko TamakiDecember 22, 2023 (2023-12-22)
8TBAHiromi KamataAl LetsonDecember 29, 2023 (2023-12-29)
9TBAAndy GoddardMatt FractionJanuary 5, 2024 (2024-01-05)
10TBAAndy GoddardChris BlackJanuary 12, 2024 (2024-01-12)

Mairzee Almas, Andy Goddard, and Hiromi Kamata direct episodes.[12]

Production

Development

Following the success of Godzilla vs. Kong, discussions commenced on ways that the MonsterVerse could be expanded beyond feature films. Legendary proposed a live-action series, and amongst the potential investors, Apple TV+ expressed immediate interest and negotiated a deal and green-lit the series in January 2022. The project will be a joint-venture production between Legendary Television, Safehouse Pictures and Toho, although Warner Bros. still owns the rights for the MonsterVerse franchise alongside Legendary. Chris Black will serve as showrunner.[13][14]

In May, Matt Shakman was hired to direct the first two episodes in addition to executive producing.[15] In addition to Black and Matt Fraction, writers for the series include Andrew Colville, Milla Bell-Hart, Amanda Overton, Karl Taro Greenfeld, Mariko Tamaki, and Al Letson.[10]

Casting

In June 2022, Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski were cast in the series.[1] In July, Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell were added to the cast,[6] with Mari Yamamoto joining in August.[3] In September, Anders Holm joined the cast while also revealing the show's title.[4] In September 2023, with the release of the teaser trailer, John Goodman was revealed to be reprising his role from Kong: Skull Island (2017) as William "Bill" Randa.[5]

Filming

In July 2022, it was revealed that principal photography had commenced in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[16] Two weeks of filming occurred in Japan in August.[17] The series is shot with 3D cameras in Apple's Spatial Video Format for the Apple Vision Pro.[18]

Music

In October 2023, Leopold Ross was confirmed to be composing the score for the series.[19] The soundtrack was released digitally by Milan Records on November 17, 2023, with the series' main titles track released on November 3 as a single.[20]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack)[20]
No.TitleLength
1."Main Titles"1:30
2."Depth Charge"4:06
3."Legacy"2:40
4."Hostile Takeover"2:43
5."Family Business"3:28
6."Colonel Shaw"3:56
7."Separate Lives"5:17
8."Not in Trouble"1:47
9."Love and Titans"3:38
10."Critters"3:20
11."Lost Time"4:05
12."Homecoming"4:00
Total length:40:30

Marketing

In August 2023, Apple released first look images of the series, now officially titled Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.[2] The teaser for the series was released on September 8, 2023, along with more images.[21] The first trailer for the series debuted at the 2023 New York Comic Con, and the official poster was also revelead.[22] In October 2023, a viral marketing website called "Monarch Unlocked" was created for the series that featured some Monarch computer private files.[23]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 85% based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 7.05/10. The site's consensus reads, "With performances by father-son duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell that work a charm, Monarch adds a welcome wrinkle to the Godzilla legacy by honing its monstrous scope to a very human level."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 69 out of 100, based on 25 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25]

Mike Hale of The New York Times commended the film's straightforward narrative and visual effects.[26] He noted that Kurt Russell's presence lent a "nostalgic charm" to the film. In Variety, Aramide Tinubu wrote that the series "will likely satisfy the most novice MonsterVerse explorer".[27]

Writing for RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico praised the performance of Kurt and Wyatt Russel, but he expressed dissatisfaction with the writing, describing the characters as "underdeveloped", the plot as lacking depth, and the dialogue as too lengthy.[28]

Notes

  1. 1 2 As depicted in Godzilla (2014)
  2. ↑ As mentioned in Kong: Skull Island (2017)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cordero, Rosy (June 30, 2022). "Anna Sawai, Joe Tippett & Kiersey Clemons Among Cast Of Apple's Live-Action Godzilla and Titans Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Apple TV+ unveils first look at highly anticipated Godzilla and Titans live-action original series, "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters"". Apple TV+ Press (Press release). August 17, 2023. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Cordero, Rosy (August 18, 2022). "'Pachinko' Star Mari Yamamoto Boards Apple Series Based On Legendary's Monsterverse Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Alex, Mateo (October 3, 2022). "Legendary Entertainment's Live-Action Godzilla Series Casts Anders Holm". Anime News Network LLC. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Holmes, Martin (September 8, 2023). "John Goodman Tries to Fix the Past in 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' Trailer (VIDEO)". TV Insider. TV Guide.
  6. 1 2 3 Ryan, Joel; Bowen Smith, Brian (July 20, 2022). "Godzilla and the Titans Live-Action Apple Series Casts Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell". Variety. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  7. ↑ ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Review: Kurt and Wyatt Russell Anchor Apple TV+’s Refreshingly Human-Scale Godzilla Series
  8. ↑ Producer Talks Kurt Russell’s Godzilla Casting
  9. ↑ "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters". Apple TV+. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Shows A-Z - monarch: legacy of monsters on apple tv plus". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  12. ↑ Amaya, Erik (October 13, 2023). "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Release Date, Trailer, Cast & More: Everything We Know About the Godzilla Universe Series". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ Lane, Carly (January 20, 2022). "Godzilla and Titans MonsterVerse TV Show in the Works at Apple TV+ From Chris Black and Matt Fraction". Collider. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ Kroll, Justin (January 20, 2022). "Apple TV+ Lands Godzilla & Titans Series Based On Legendary's Monsterverse". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ Otterson, Joe (May 19, 2022). "Godzilla and the Titans Live-Action Series at Apple Sets WandaVisions' Matt Shakman to Direct (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022.
  16. ↑ Vincent, Maxance (July 14, 2022). "MonsterVerse Godzilla TV Show's Setting Revealed In New Set Photos". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  17. ↑ Rosser, Michael (November 18, 2022). "Spotlight on Japan". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Archived from the original on November 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ Webmaster, MacDailyNews (June 13, 2023). "'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' is being shot in Apple's 3D Spatial Video format for Apple Vision Pro". MacDailyNews. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Leopold Ross Scoring Apple TV+'s 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters'". Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. November 2, 2023. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Apple's highly anticipated "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" unveils monstrous teaser trailer and sets global premiere for Friday, November 17". Apple TV+ Press (Press release). September 8, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Apple TV+ unveils trailer for its highly anticipated series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" at New York Comic Con". Apple TV+ Press (Press release). October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  23. ↑ Flook, Ray (October 18, 2023). "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Releases New "Monsterverse" Map Clue". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023): Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023) Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  26. ↑ Hale, Mike (November 16, 2023). "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Review - Kurt Russell". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  27. ↑ Tinubu, Aramide (November 17, 2023). "Kurt and Wyatt Russell's Charisma Eclipses Godzilla's Destruction in Apple TV+'s 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters': TV Review". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  28. ↑ Tallerico, Brian. "Apple TV+'s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Doesn't Have a Big Enough Footprint | TV/Streaming | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
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