Exclusive: 'Ready or Not 2' Finds a Director and Allison Janney Joins 'A Simple Favor 2'

Happy Thursday, folks! One more day to power through until we can enjoy Easter weekend…

Yesterday, I bore witness to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and while it had its charms — like Kong bathing in the blood of a dinosaur he’s ripped in half — it also served as proof that maybe 10-year-old screenwriters (as noted in last night’s edition) aren’t such a bad idea. Hollywood may be onto something there, and 10-year-olds will probably work for a lot less than whoever “wrote” this movie.

To try and describe the plot of The New Empire would be a disservice to plots everywhere. All you need to know is that Kong and Godzilla are on the same side now, fighting for us humans. That’s what the “x” means in the title — “and,” just in case you’re not 15 years old.

Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens, Bryan Tyree Henry… all talented actors, all thoroughly wasted in this movie. But they know that. At least Stevens tries to have some fun with it, but even he can’t save this monstrosity.

But for the most part, this movie is a boring swirl of completely weightless CGI pixels and totally bereft of human emotions. WB never could’ve known this, but in the wake of Godzilla Minus One, a movie like this simply won’t cut it. Maybe it will at the box office, but not from a creative point of view. From that perspective, this movie is largely a dud.

Meanwhile, can someone please save director Adam Wingard? This guy made two of the best genre movies of the past 20 years — You’re Next and The Guest — and we’ve lost him to these Godzilla movies for the past five years. I just hope this has all been a ploy from Wingard to get in tight with the studio, make some money for them, and then ask for the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. After all, he’s been a loyal soldier, so where’s his reward?

In tonight’s newsletter, you’ll read about a new director on Ready or Not 2, the Oscar and Emmy-winning actress joining Blake Lively in the sequel to A Simple Favor, and Ryan Gosling’s new deal with Amazon MGM Studios.

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