A Jurᴀssic Park veteran is trading cloned dinosaur-infested theme parks for larger-than-life Kaiju showdowns, as one core cast member of the Steven Spielberg classic has been cast in the upcoming Godzilla x Kong sequel. The upcoming Monsterverse installment will carry on from the events of 2024’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, picking up after the two тιтans joined forces to vanquish subterranean threats. Godzilla X Kong‘s sequel marks a major creative shift for the franchise, as Grant Sputore takes on the directing duties from Adam Wingard.

As shared by The Hollywood Reporter, Sam Neill is the latest actor to join the in-development Godzilla x Kong sequel. The Jurᴀssic Park veteran will join Monsterverse returning star Dan Stevens alongside fellow newcomers Kaitlyn Dever, Jack O’Connell, Matthew Modine, Delroy Lindo, and Alycia Debnam-Carey. Much like the majority of the movie’s new cast members, no further details have been revealed about Neill’s role.

What Neill’s Casting Means For Godzilla X Kong’s Sequel

Neill May Subvert His Beloved Paleontologist’s Life

While details may be few about the upcoming Godzilla x Kong sequel, there are several details about Neil’s fellow cast members that could hint at where his potential character may fit into the role. Currently, it is believed that Dever and O’Connell may be playing siblings who are brought into the chaos of the Kaiju conflicts. As such, should familial bonds play a key part in Godzilla x Kong‘s sequel, it is possible that Neill could be playing the pair’s father, or perhaps another older relative.

Should Neill be playing the role of a father figure, be it biological or adoptive, it would be a fun play on his Jurᴀssic Park role. In the first movie, Alan Grant is apprehensive around children, and even after the experience on Isla Nublar shifts his perspective, he never forms a relationship with Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). He lives alone after Jurᴀssic Park III until he reunites with her in Jurᴀssic World Dominion. As such, not only would his Monsterverse role be fun thanks to his previous battles with big lizards, but it could also subvert Grant’s character arc.

Our Take On Sam Neill’s Monsterverse Casting

The Franchise Has Featured Many Beloved Faces

Though Godzilla x Kong‘s sequel will pick up on some threads from past movies in the series, it will also mark a new era, as Sputore takes the helm of the movie franchise going forward. With this in mind, Neill is a good choice to help usher in a new direction for the franchise, as many will be eager to see how the beloved actor will embrace his part of the world. The Monsterverse franchise has consistently brought talented up-and-coming stars and established actors together, and it is clear that this legacy will continue with its next big-screen entry.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter