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https://nerdist.com/article/kaitlyn-dever-joins-cast-godzilla-x-kong-follow-up-monsterverse/
Actress Kaitlyn Dever is about to debut in HBO’s The Last of Us as Abby Anderson, fighting off both infected clickers and Ellie alike. But it looks like after that she’ll set her sights on something a whole lot larger. According to Deadline, Dever will join the cast of Legendary’s Monsterverse follow-up to Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. While the giant ape and the behemoth lizard are always the stars of those movies—not to mention others like Mothra—the list of human cast members are just as impressive.
Dever has an increasingly impressive filmography including feature films Booksmart and No One Will Save You as well as television roles in Dopesick and Unbelievable. She was also in 142 episodes of that Tim Allen show Last Man Standing. Did you know that show was on for as many seasons as Home Improvement and yet no one ever talked about it? Weird.
Of course, her role in The Last of Us season two later this year will see her play Abby, the controversial co-lead of the second Naughty Dog video game. Without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t played the game, Abby is the second protagonist, the player character for about half the playtime, and who stands in direct conflict with Ellie and Joel. Between that and her essentially solo turn in the alien invasion film No One Will Save You, Dever should be plenty prepared to tangle with some Titans.
Joining Dever so far in the cast is Jack O’Connell, who will play her brother in the Godzilla X Kong follow-up movie.
While we don’t have a title yet for the film—which continues on from the top 10 box office hit of 2024—we do know Adam Wingard won’t return to direct. The franchise’s new director will be Grant Sputore working from a script by Dave Callaham. No release date yet.
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.
Originally published on January 24, 2025.
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Actress Kaitlyn Dever is about to debut in HBO’s The Last of Us as Abby Anderson, fighting off both infected clickers and Ellie alike. But it looks like after that she’ll set her sights on something a whole lot larger. According to Deadline, Dever will join the cast of Legendary’s Monsterverse follow-up to Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. While the giant ape and the behemoth lizard are always the stars of those movies—not to mention others like Mothra—the list of human cast members are just as impressive.
Dever has an increasingly impressive filmography including feature films Booksmart and No One Will Save You as well as television roles in Dopesick and Unbelievable. She was also in 142 episodes of that Tim Allen show Last Man Standing. Did you know that show was on for as many seasons as Home Improvement and yet no one ever talked about it? Weird.
Of course, her role in The Last of Us season two later this year will see her play Abby, the controversial co-lead of the second Naughty Dog video game. Without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t played the game, Abby is the second protagonist, the player character for about half the playtime, and who stands in direct conflict with Ellie and Joel. Between that and her essentially solo turn in the alien invasion film No One Will Save You, Dever should be plenty prepared to tangle with some Titans.
Joining Dever so far in the cast is Jack O’Connell, who will play her brother in the Godzilla X Kong follow-up movie.
While we don’t have a title yet for the film—which continues on from the top 10 box office hit of 2024—we do know Adam Wingard won’t return to direct. The franchise’s new director will be Grant Sputore working from a script by Dave Callaham. No release date yet.
Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.
Originally published on January 24, 2025.
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Move over Barbie Land, Greta Gerwig is set to tackle another intensely popular world, Narnia. According to The New Yorker, Gerwig “has a deal with Netflix to write and direct at least two films based on C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.” This confirmation came straight from Gerwig herself, and recently, a deal with IMAX, shed some light on a release schedule for the first of the films. Even more interesting, IMAX’s CEO teased there may be as many as EIGHT Chronicles of Narnia movies on the horizon from Netflix.
When Will Gerwig’s Netflix Narnia Movies Begin to Release?
Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie will head to IMAX, giving us a date for its initial release in theaters. Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia movie has set an IMAX release date of Thanksgiving Day 2026 where it will play for two weeks. That means Gerwig’s first Chronicles of Narnia movie will release in IMAX theaters on November 26, 2026. It will run until December 10th. Of course, this is a Netflix movie. So when can we expect the streamer to release Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia? The trades indicate Netflix will release the film “during the Christmas period that year.”
In March of 2024, Gerwig herself shared with Deadline that the Narnia movies are in “the very early stages of pre-production in the UK.” The publication additionally adds that “Narnia more than likely won’t be ready to go before cameras until late this year or possibly early next. It’s yet to be determined, plus Gerwig has yet to appoint key department heads who will create the magical land where animals behave as equals with humans, witches wage war and dragons and horses fly.”
What Can We Expect From Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Movies? (Apparently, Rock and Roll)
For now, very little information is available about these new Greta Gerwig Chronicles of Narnia movie adaptations. We don’t know which parts of the series will get adapted or even in what format we’ll see them come to life. The Chronicles of Narnia received a big-screen adaptation in the 2000s, with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader all receiving live-action movies. However, the series did not take as well as hoped. (Although the movies did launch Ben Barnes, for which we appreciate them.)
Recently, we got a small but strange update on Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia Netflix film. This new bit of information came from from producer Amy Pascal, who is working on the upcoming movie. Pascal revealed, Gerwig would bring to life “a very new take on Narnia. It’s all about rock and roll.” We personally do not really remember rock and roll being a huge feature of any of the Chronicles of Narnia books, but hey, if Mr. Tumnus wants to get his shades on do a dance number, we’re not against it. Jadis the White Witch does have some pretty rocking vibes, we’ll give them that. And lions have been dancing and singing all over recently, so, okay, punk rock Aslan with a mohawk mane, here we came.
How Many Chronicles of Narnia Movies Will We See From Netflix (And Maybe Greta Gerwig)?
Just how many Chronicles of Narnia movies will we see, though? It sounds like at least one movie for every book and then some. Talking about IMAX’s deal to screen Gerwig’s first Chronicles of Narnia movie, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond shared, “This was a really great movie [for us] because I think there are like eight movies planned … and what Imax does best is launch franchises and launch events, [and] this is the kind of movie that is very conducive to an Imax release.”
“Like eight movies” planned is news to us. In total, there are seven Chronicles of Narnia books, and this would mean Netflix plans to make one movie for every book and then some. Of course, it could be that Gelfond means seven Chronicles of Narnia movies when he says “like eight,” or perhaps one of the books will see two movies made about it. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair have all been made into movies before. But some Chronicles of Narnia books have never been adapted. It certainly would be fascinating to see The Magician’s Nephew finally on our screens. Or could these eight Chronicles of Narnia movies dive into only one of the stories instead? Only time will tell.
What we do know is that Greta Gerwig is set to write and direct at least two of these movies. But could she bat for all eight? We wouldn’t be against it.
Could We See a Deeper Take on the Chronicles of Narnia?
The idea of a Chronicles of Narnia movie done by Gerwig is a fascinating one. The books by C. S. Lewis are dense and heavily philosophical and religious. While the latest Narnia movies leaned more heavily into broad fantasy themes, a Gerwig-helmed Narnia series could get deeper and more existential. But for now, we’ll just have to imagine the possibilities and hope the movies do indeed come to pass. Long live Aslan, hopefully, he’s more than just a Ken.
Originally published on July 5, 2023.
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Star Trek is an age-old story about exploration, the good of human and alien-kind, and the future we want to see. As we all know, Star Trek has always boldly gone where no one has gone before. The new Paramount+ original film Section 31 is trying just that. Going somewhere that the Star Trek franchise has not necessarily gone, under-the-radar espionage missions across space…and dimensions.
Section 31 is a secret federation development that isn’t about science and exploration. Instead, this faction sets out to exact covert missions to stop intergalactic threats using a ragtag team of not-so-savory characters. If I were a Vulcan, I’d say this breaks several federation protocols. But clearly, breaking protocols is the purpose of the entire operation, which is all for the greater good. This is a big step for the federation, one that, if done well, would expand the Star Trek worlds. The department was first introduced in 1998 through Star Trek’s Deep Space Nine. Now, we’re seeing it resurface for modern audiences. I was beyond excited to see a more gritty side of the federation getting the main focus. I was the one who watched Star Trek (the Chris Pine arc) and got excited when they made a Star Fleet ship battle-ready. So, I sat down with some of the cast and crew to glean their ideas about this new direction, how the film influenced them, and the future of Star Trek narratives.
“I knew Star Wars, but now I know Star Trek.”
Omari Hardwick (Power), a newcomer to the Star Trek universe, spoke about being a Black nerd and being introduced to a whole new space.
Black Nerd Problems (BNP – Aisha): You both worked on some very epic, you know, projects in the past. In varying genres. Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is your first kind of Star Trek introduction. What was it like getting immersed in this world?
Omari Hardwick: So I…it’s funny. Yesterday, I got to the hotel and on TNT, which was my first TV network I was on (was) Saved. And my first Vancouver or Canada, Canadian job was, um, Saved, which shot in Vancouver. Get to the hotel on is Return of the Jedi… No, Empire Strikes Back.
And I’m looking at it. And all I could think is I knew every single beat that was about to take place. And so it was a very interesting thing to come to the hotel room, knowing that I’m in town where, to your point, one of the epic jobs that I was humbled to be able to have is Power shot in New York, as you know.
And I get in the hotel room and learned within some hours that Rob had not really necessarily done New York and known it the way I know it. But I knew Star Wars while knowing Star Trek. I knew Star Wars like the back of my hand. What was it like for me to join Star Trek? It was such an incredible reality.
And I guess, along to the point, I’m making that while sitting with my dear brother last night and he goes, I don’t know New York like that. And in my mind, I’m like, it’s similar to when I came to the Star Trek family.
At that moment, he motioned to his partner in crime, Robert Kazinsky, who plays the mec (mechanically enhanced) character Zeph. The bromance between these two is palpable. They give praise back and forth and blush with compliment acceptance. Every once in a while, cracking the sly joke. I smiled from ear to ear. What is this? It made me want to watch the show even more.
Hardwick: I didn’t know Star Trek like that. I knew Roddenberry. I knew Desi. I knew that it connected itself to Lucy and Desi. I knew that it was the first interracial kiss, right? It was the home of the first interracial kiss. I knew all of these incredible actors who were a part of it all, but I didn’t know it know it. And so because our characters [Alok,(Hardwick) Zeph, (Kazinsky)] are so close, I probably got the greatest cliff notes of all time, because Rob [Kazinsky] came in knowing what my character needed to be, and in many ways, Alok was aided in being constructed by this gentleman, because he knew so much about Star Trek. So that’s what it was like for me. It was like really grabbing onto his coattail and going, just help me out with this. You know, cause I knew Star Wars, but now I know Star Trek. And it’s really humbling to be able to say.
“The Next Generation has taught me more about morality, kindness, and how to walk.”
Kazinsky corroborated Hardwick’s statements and told his own origin story that could have melted the hearts of every press person at that table.
Robert Kazinsky: Yeah, Star Trek‘s my thing. Uh, it has been. I was raised on the original series movies. Um, not the original series. I was raised on the original series movies. I was obsessed with them. I loved them. And TNG [The Next Generation] has taught me more about morality, kindness, and how to walk [the talk and do] the right things. I mean, there’s an episode of TNG. I can never remember what it’s called. And I should just commit it to memory one day. But it’s where Riker meets Thomas for the first time, who’s been left at the space station.
It’s the finest example of what Star Trek‘s about for me, because they present Thomas’s position, Will’s position, Deanna’s position, everyone’s position, what everyone’s position is, and at no point are you told what is the correct side to be on, what is the correct answer, what is morally correct in this incredibly grey situation. The episode finishes with nobody in there being in the right, nobody being in the wrong. When did we lose the ability to do that? I know when – it was about 2016. But that way to approach morality, all of that kind of stuff, that informed the person I am for my entire life. And when I got the chance to be part of this, this is my dream job.
“And That’s My Bargaining Power”
Aside from the obvious bond between the two main characters, I was intrigued by every word they had to say. Both Hardwick and Kazinksky spoke with such respect and reverence for the fandom and were so honored to be a part of the new world. Hardwick made an effort to be as inclusive as he could while talking about his character Alok, which gave me reassurance he was properly cast for the Star Trek Universe.
Hardwick: When I looked at Alok, trying to figure them out, I don’t think an actor, and I’m being politically correct to state it’s female and or male, or any other gender for that matter. I don’t find that an actor is where they need, he or she needs to be or they need to be, when they know: you shouldn’t figure that character out ’til like 10 years after that project is done. The character’s got to take you to places you can’t control, you know. So I loved Tunde [Director Olatunde], Alex Kurtzman, Craig Sweeney, and Star Trek the franchise, even if fans aren’t aware that they were a part of it.
They threw me a lob. And the lob was, I’ll give you leverage, and I’ll give you that, which you’re allowed to go to Michelle’s character [Phillpa Georgiou] and say, these are the things we’re going to do. There is a scene where she’s got to sit and look at all of the people that I’ve put together. And she’s got to decide her collective bargain.
And/or decide whether there’s leverage enough for her still by joining forces. You know, they say, meet a person’s friends, you know the person. Look at somebody’s bedroom, you know the person. Guilty by association is something else. And guilty sometimes is sexy versus innocent by association. So, if Alock [my character] is guilty by association, it’s that I’ve collectively put together quite the group. And that’s my bargaining power.
“This is another flavor, another color in the rainbow, but it’s still Star Trek.”
While Star Trek continues to carry out its mission of inclusion, equity, and representation, the story of exploration takes a turn in Section 31. I spoke with Director Olatunde Osunsanmi (Executive Producer, Star Trek Discovery and Falling Skies) and actor Kacey Rohl, who plays Starfleet’s Rachel Garrett, about this new direction for the franchise.
Osunsanmi spoke about the show’s collaborative nature and how he relied on the writers and actors to fortify his decisions in this new territory.
BNP: In the feel of this film, it feels very different than the traditional Star Trek, for lack of a better term, vibes. How did you all approach that in directing and in acting, that different feel of Star Trek?
Olatunde Osunsanmi: Yeah, I think the wonderful thing about what Alex has done, Alex Kurtzman has done with this modern-day Star Trek, is he’s tried to have different flavors and different colors of the rainbow to appeal to different segments of the population, while all still trying to keep it all Star Trek. So that was really important. This is another flavor, another color in the rainbow but it’s still Star Trek. And, I think what’s wonderful over the years, we’ve seen this amazing expansion of Star Trek. You also see other franchises trying to do it, like Star Wars.
Being a part of the Star Trek franchise, I would argue that maybe we’re doing it better – No, just kidding. Don’t want to get into that (Osunsanmi laughs.) It is a very difficult thing that takes a lot of thought. It’s a team effort. Fortunately, we have a wonderful leader at the top doing it, and Alex, who cares tremendously about getting it right. And so we’re, you know, we all try to get it right.
“There’s a lot of twists and turns.”
At the time, we all waited with bated breath to hear just a bit more about what we were to expect in this new film.
Kacey Rohl: Well, yeah, full of surprises. Truly, I mean, I remember first reading the script and being like, What? What? What? Uh, so, strap in for that. In terms of Rachel [my character], I mean, it’s a very interesting journey to put a tightly wound Starfleet officer in that world. And so we do get to go on a little bit of a journey with her through that, uh, of self-discovery.
Olatunde Osunsanmi: There’s a lot of twists and turns. You’re right about that. We [cast and crew] get desensitized to it because we watch it over and over again, you know, and we read the scripts. But there are a lot of twists and turns. So, hopefully, there’s a lot of open-mouth moments that really throw everybody for a loop.
Kacey Rohl: I hope the experience of watching this movie is like when we got to shoot, um, things where we had to do this [throws her body around while seated] in the chair a lot. That’s what I hope the experience is of.
The interviews concluded, and I made my way to a pretty thrilling panel on the current Star Trek lineup. The cast and director took the stage, mirroring much of what we had heard in the interviews. This time, accompanied by the fabulous Michelle Yeoh! Although on screen, she still emanated the radiance we all have seen in her many works. Missing from the panel and interviews was actor Sam Richardson (VEEP, Detroiters), who played the Quasi, the shapeshifting Chameloid who operates as the team’s science officer and physicist. Sven Ruygrok, who played Fuzz, an organism living in the mechanical body of a Vulcan seated as the team’s hacker and cover intelligence expert. Also absent from the day was Humberly González (Ginny & Georgia), who played Melle, the Deltan who used her powers of seduction to leverage information and access for the team’s missions. All of this was unknown to NYCC goers this past fall since very little was given to reveal the plot or characters.
The Next Frontier
After watching the full film, I was left wanting, and that new direction for the federation was not on a great course.
Be aware spoilers for the Star Trek Paramount+ Original film and Star Trek Discovery are to follow!!
Section 31… it’s giving Ocean’s Eleven meets Suicide Squad. Which, at first glance, sounds like a blend of two flavors you wouldn’t think work, but you taste it, and it surprises you. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t surprise you with how well those two genres meld, but how unfit they are for this world. The film had so much potential, but the writing fell short, the characterizations were confusing and disjointed, and the shots were too stylized and melodramatic. Now that last part – melodramatic camera angles and shots- feels like it fits in the Star Trek world and absolutely does. The way Star Trek uses camera angles to emphasize action scenes and drama has always been a part of the aesthetic. Sadly, with all the other components missing the mark, the cinematography just added a cornyness you could not see past.
Taking a step back and looking at the positive side of the show. The character Philippa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh, gets even more of a back story than seen in the character’s debut series, Star Trek Discovery. The film opens with a flashback where we see a young Philippa returning to her home village after what can only be described as that dimension’s hunger games – only to carry out the final devastating task of the games to claim the throne. We see her making many enemies and followers that day, which obviously come back to bite her.
Cut to – and if you’ve seen Star Trek Discovery (spoilers for seasons two and three!), you know this Phillipa is not our Phillipa but one that crossed over from an alternate dimension and was released after helping Michael on a very important mission. Where is she now? Running a bar on the outskirts of space that resembles a station stop in the open-world game Mass Effect. It seems there’s entertainment, criminals, gambling, and a hotel. We’re here because our suicide squad needs one more member, and of course, it is Phillipa Georgiou.
The story unfolds as a buyer is said to be arriving at the hotel/bar to buy a weapon of mass destruction. When Phillipa agrees to join Section 31 (on the spot), it is revealed that this weapon is one of her design, which then drudges up characters and demons from her past.
The disjointed storytelling is the part of the movie that falls short for me. The characters are given heist film intros but not much else to go on. Once the mission begins, you are not quite sure who, where, or why anything is happening. The fight scenes are all right, but each scene is more confusing than the next. There is a parasite who lives inside a mechanical Vulcan body yet has wildly uncontrollable emotions. On paper, that sounds pretty funny. In action, it’s rather annoying and frivolous. I may be really harsh, but as someone whose mother is an avid Trekkie, it was hard to give grace to this film.
To include a Black / Latiné problem. *BIG SPOILER* They kill off the character Melle very quickly, unceremoniously, and well before we even get to see her skills or backstory. This continues throughout the film as the story becomes finding a mole within the group and stopping a menace hell-bent on destroying the link between dimensions and committing mass murder.
I genuinely wish this film had been written, shot, and edited better. There is so much potential for a Section 31 team and the missions they might take on. The idea that the federation has entered into not just reactionary missions, not simply being the peacemakers in policy, but seeking out threats to prevent wrongdoing, is a whole new world of exploration. This film was rightfully straight to streaming and could have been an ancillary episode of a Star Trek series. If they want to pursue this sort of narrative for the future, it really needs to be as clever and well thought out as Strange New Worlds or Lower Decks, in my opinion.
If you want to see it all for yourself, check it out now, streaming on Paramount+.
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