Zhang Ziyi is set join Legendary’s “Monsterverse” in a major franchise role, beginning with the next Godzilla film, Godzilla: King Of The Monsters.
The Beijing, China-born actress will star opposite Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Bradley Whitford and Ken Watanabe.
The film is set several years after the events of the 2014 Godzilla, and her character is a significant figure within the covert Monarch organisation established in that film.
Krampus helmer Michael Dougherty is directing the project from a script he penned with Zach Shields.
Alex Garcia will oversee the tentpole for Legendary. Godzilla: King Of The Monsters has been scheduled to release on March 22, 2019, with the monster mash-up Godzilla Vs Kong slated to release the following year on May 22, 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.
Zhang first came into international spotlight when she starred alongside Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yuen-fat and Chang Chen in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000.
The actress received Golden Globes, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for her role as Sayuri in director Rob Marshall’s Memoirs Of A Geisha (which also starred Michelle Yeoh). Additional film credits include Hero, House Of Flying Daggers, 2046, and The Grandmaster. – Reuters/Justin Kroll
