| Showrunner: | Chris Black |
| Music: | Leopold Ross |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 10 |
| Runtime: | 41–50 minutes |
| Network: | Apple TV+ |
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is an American monster television series created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction and produced by Legendary Television.[1] Based on Godzilla by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the sixth installment and second television series in the Monsterverse franchise. Following the events of Godzilla (2014), the series follows members of the Monarch organization as they encounter Godzilla and other monsters called Titans, across a half century.
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. In April 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.
In 2015, one year after the re-emergence of Godzilla, half-siblings Cate and Kentaro Randa investigate their missing father Hiroshi's connection to Monarch, the covert organization monitoring giant monsters known as Titans or MUTOs. ("MUTO" is an acronym for "Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism".) Two generations earlier, Bill Randa and Keiko Miura are scientists involved with the early development of Monarch. Former Army officer Lee Shaw becomes a close ally to the Randa family across both time periods.
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 among the potential investors, Apple TV+ expressed immediate interest and negotiated a deal and green-lit the series in January 2022. It is a joint venture between Legendary Television, Safehouse Pictures, and Toho, although Warner Bros. still owns the rights for the MonsterVerse franchise alongside Legendary. Chris Black is creator and showrunner.
In May, Matt Shakman was hired to direct the first two episodes in addition to executive producing. In addition to Black and Matt Fraction, writers include Andrew Colville, Milla Bell-Hart, Amanda Overton, Karl Taro Greenfeld, Mariko Tamaki, and Al Letson. On April 11, 2024, Apple TV+ renewed the series for a second season, with several spinoffs in development.
In June 2022, Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski were cast. In July, Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell were cast, and Mari Yamamoto joined in August. In September, Anders Holm was cast and revealed the title. In September 2023, the teaser trailer revealed John Goodman to reprise his role from (2017) as William "Bill" Randa.
In July 2022, it was revealed that principal photography had commenced in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Two weeks of filming occurred in Japan in August.
Filming for the second season was underway by July 31, 2024.[4]
In October 2023, Leopold Ross was confirmed as score composer. The soundtrack was released online by Milan Records on November 17, 2023, with the main titles track released on November 3 as a single.
In August 2023, Apple released first look images, now officially titled Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The teaser and more images were released on September 8, 2023. The first trailer debuted at the 2023 New York Comic Con, and the official poster was revealed. In October 2023, a viral marketing website called "Monarch Unlocked" was launched with some Monarch computer private files.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 89% based on 84 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. 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."[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Mike Hale of The New York Times commended the straightforward narrative and visual effects, and noted that Kurt Russell's presence gave it a "nostalgic charm".[7] In Variety, Aramide Tinubu wrote that the series "will likely satisfy the most novice MonsterVerse explorer".[8]
Writing for RogerEbert.com, Brian Tallerico praised the performance of Kurt and Wyatt Russell, but he expressed dissatisfaction with the writing, describing the characters as "underdeveloped", the plot as lacking depth, and the dialogue as too lengthy.[9]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 21, 2024 | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode | Sean Konrad, Jessica Smith, Jed Glassford, Khalid Almeerani, and Paul Benjamin | [10] | |
| Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | March 3, 2024 | Best Music Supervision in a Trailer (Series) | Deric Berberabe and Jordan Silverberg | [11] | |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | April 4, 2024 | Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | [12] [13] | |
| Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Kurt Russell |