It's official -- Peter Jackson's next film: King Kong - Page 2  

Remember that is NZ Dollars which is around the $100m US mark.

I've read the script (an early draft at least) and it was quite good. I really think this could be a wonderful tribute to the original as well as a cool adventure film.

I think Peter Jackson's passion will be a positive thing, and I think he's the best man for the job. This coming from someone who would rather have oral surgery than sit through the tedious LOTR again. I look forward to his take on the legend of Kong!

I, for one, am thrilled that Universal has finally greenlighted this project! For those of you who may not know, this project was on the fast track in the mid-90s...until Universal pulled the plug for fear that there were too many monster movies (Sony's Godzilla and Disney's Mighty Joe Young) already on schedule for a summer 1998 release.

For those of you who are criticizing Peter Jackson for choosing this as his next film instead of making The Hobbit or something else, keep in mind that King Kong is his (and mine) favorite film. This is the film that inspired him to become the great filmmaker that he has become. So, let him have his dream project...you can scream for The Hobbit afterwards.

As far as casting, I know it was rumored that Kate Winslet had the inside track for the part of Ann Darrow back when it was previously in development. Keep in mind that that was before Titanic came out...and although she's kept a lower profile since then, she might not be interested in being in another huge film like this. It will be interesting to see who's names become attached to this project in the coming months. I also hope that Fay Wray reconsiders her intentions not to make a cameo appearance...it's only fitting.

Mark your calendars, because 2005 is going to be a huge year for movies...Star Wars: Episode III, Indiana Jones 4 and now King Kong...start getting in line now! lol

Well as long as it doesn't have a scene where the girl asks Kong what his star sign is, I'm all for it.


"Who do you think went thru there, a guy in a monkey suit?"
King Kong.1976

I wonder if movie freaks were all excited back when De Laurentiis announced his remake.

I'm thrilled that Jackson's getting to do his "dream project" (wait, wasn't LOTR his Dream Project??) and I'm confident that he'll do a superb job...yet still I can't get the word DWAN out of my head.

Off-topic kfetching: I loathe the King Kong remake like you wouldn't believe. I adore campy bad films, but this one makes my blood boil for some bizarre reason. I'd rather watch the hysterically retarded King Kong Lives than its predecessor!

I was there at the time - the answer is a resounding NO! Everyone wanted to see Universal's planned period-piece remake, with stop-motion by Jim Danforth and Sensurround, instead of Dino's ill-conceived project.

Allan Dwan, the director of the epic 1922 version of Robin Hood and John Wayne's Sands of Iwo Jima?

Scott, I'll agree with you in one sense...it's a great film if you want a quick shot of Linda Hamilton's breasts! lol

The biggest mistake that DeLaurentiis made was making a big deal about the fact that they were going to use a robotic Kong. The problem was that they were never able to get the thing to work right. The only footage they ever used of it was during the scenes in the stadium in New York and at the end at the foot of the World Trade Center...instead, we got not-yet-famous Hollywood makeup artist Rick Baker in an ape suit! And yeah, some of the dialogue was campy and the whole oil crisis plotline dates the film...but it's not that bad.

I haven't brought myself to watch it since 9/11, but I don't loathe it like some people do. But I am definitely looking forward to Jackson's more respectful remake.

King Kong 76 is a guilty pleasure of mine, I loved Charles Grodin's character, and Jessica Lange was absolutely gorgeous in that, my tongue was rolling out my mouth whenever she appeared! Make-up maestro Rick Baker played Kong, does his c.v. mention that I wonder? And I also liked John Barry's score quite a bit and have it on LP and CD.

King Kong Lives I hated because they brought Kong back to life only so they can kill him off again, poor bastard!

ps. King Kong 1933 is still the greatest monster movie of all time and will never ever be beaten, sorry Peter.

Steve Christou


Second place wouldn't hurt.

Well, I certainly enjoyed Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, and that was a "period remake".

And this also gets brought up quite often when defending remakes, what was the point of redoing Ben-Hur in 59 in the "same period"?

There is a laundry list of great BOOKS turned into various good film versions, with Shakespeare being a big one. I didn't hear anyone screaming for Branaugh's head after his version of Henry V came out, despite the fact that it was not only in the same period, but also featured him acting/directing just as Olivier had.


King Kong is an iconic figure at this point which makes it wide open to me, much like stories/characters from classic literature. No one is calling this a shot for shot remake like Psycho, so I don't see the problem with it.

There are just so many good films out there that aren't the first one's to take a shot with a great story, and many times they even follow an already great version.

I would even be interested to see a B&W version since B&W tends to emphasize different aspects of the cinematography as well as setting a different tone.


I sort of like the 70's Kong, but then I grew up with it. I didn't mind Baker's efforts in the least, nor did I mind the cast. The script and direction was the weak link there. But it also shows you that modernizing isn't some automatic good idea either.

Peter thanks for the insight about what Kong fans wanted in the 70s. I liked the remake as a kid, but on any other level its a load of monkey sh!t. With that being said it does have a place in my collection.

I was so disappointed when Universal pulled the plug in 97 fearing that Godzilla would be too much for the King to handle. But I love what PJ has done with LOTR and due to that he probably has more clout now to make the Kong he wants, instead of dealing with studio executives micro managing the project. There was rumor of a meeting in 96 or 97 with studio execs debating on what Kong's fur should be like. PJ hopefully does not need to deal with that BS now.

By the way where are Emmerich and Devlin now. Godzilla nuked their careers thankfully.

I hope that Universal gets this going right after ROTK and it better come out before JP4, which after 3 is there even an audience anymore. I want to see Kong fighting prehistoric Dinos on the big screen not another frog DNA'd T-Rex.

Actually Devlin and Emmerich have been working steadily since Godzilla: The Patriot and Eight Legged Freaks, and their 2004 tentpole The Day After Tomorrow sounds very intriguing.

Dbl post

You're right Scott. The hacks are still around, but they don't carry the same weight they did after ID4. Godzilla was a flop including their most recent Eight Legged Freaks. I don't remember the Patriot lighting the box office on fire, either. I just don't believe those two will ever make a movie that's above a thirteen year old mentality.

Have not heard much about their new project, but who knows maybe I'll be proven wrong.

There will be no attacking of Eight Legged Freaks while I'm still around

The only D/E project that I've liked is Stargate.

I read the first draft too, and except for the cool T-Rex vs Kong and the bat things vs. Kong fights, there wasn't much meat to the story and the dialog read like Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich had written it.

They need major re-writing! Also, WETA seems to be a hit and miss effects company. Some effects like the Balrog and Gollum were uber well done and far beyond what ILM has accomplished thus far (however, PIXAR helped out with these effects), and others like the Cave Trolls, the Wolf Riders, and live action/CGI compositing were just OK work.

Kong will have to be Gollum-like work for 100% of the film.

Dan

Well...I liked John Barry's score for Kong 76'....yep...I liked that part of it.

Just Kidding, as a kid I loved the 76 remake and it has been a not-all-that-guilty pleasure ever since. A little cheese is nice every now & then.

So Scott, what you're saying is that it's only a matter of time before we see a BFI Modern Classics book for one of their films.

It's disturbing that their highest moment of film art is ID4.

I agree! And isn't it funny that they're working on a sequel to ID4...have they run out of fresh ideas already?

ID4 was a great blockbuster...leagues above just about all else that come out

This much I have to agree with. In fact, I would say that ID4 is the blockbuster in it's most undiluted form, that pleasant mix of action scenes and comedy unburdened by plot consistency or logic. One of the first DVDs in my collection.

Also, Emmerich produced Thirteenth Floor... the smart "What is reality?" flick of 1999.

You may be confusing that with eXistenZ (), but I agree with your comments about ID4. Strangely, I haven't considered adding it to my collection.

What building is Kong gonna climb this time?

the original Kong hit me hard at the age of 7 ( when i got to stay up and see it on the friday night late movie- my mother was sure i wouldn't stay awake anyway so she said it was ok...ha!), and this film completely dominated my childhood years.
at the advanced age of 9 i was already a classic film snob, and after i saw KK'76 on opening day with a school chum, i pronounced it a travesty "just wait till you see the original..." yeah, right.
Jack as a hippie?
Carl Denham as a venal oil man?
a paper maiche snake?

ugh. there was no way this...thing could ever supplant the memory of the original.

but i did buy the soundtrack lp (loved that back cover shot of Lange) and i was thrilled when i found the cd re-issue a few years ago.
Barrys score is wonderful! and i much prefer it over Steiners overly aggresive cues for the original.
in fact, about 10 years back, major nostalgia started to set in, and this film, warts and all, is now a great favorite of mine.
i was always hoping to see it come out on a widescreen laserdisc, and seeing the OAR dvd on the shelf was one reason i finally jumped into that format.


at one time, when i was a kid, i would have thought a period remake of KK would have been great, now ...i'm sorry.
i just don't think its needed.

at least the Dino remake differentiates itself in tone, period, style etc- not just the fact that it is in color and the opticals are , arguably, better.

a straight, reverent remake sounds about as interesting to me as a meal of pre-digested food.

i admire what jackson did with LOTR, but i really wish i could just get my hands on a nice dvd set of the original (and the remake), and let this stay a 'dream'.

Well, given that this film will be set in 1933, you can bet that Kong will be climbing the Empire State Building once again.

Hmmm here's an interesting suggestion, Peter Jackson can always team up with... Roland Emmerich and make... wait for it.. KING KONG vs GODZILLA!!
Yup a blockbuster remake of the 1963 Japanese classic.
John Travolta plays the lead, Forest Whitaker his ill-fated pal, Halle Berry as the girl in Kong's paw. Madonna sings the title song and also has a cameo as an animal rights activist who gets eaten by Kong. There is a titanic battle on the slopes of Mount Fuji, with both monsters beating the crap out of each other, but are than unexpectedly forced to team up when the evil space monster Ghidorah flies down and starts zapping them for no good reason whatsoever, exciting eh? The film ends with Kong and Godzilla relaxing and eating barbecued Ghidorah, while Travolta and Berry embrace. Peter are you listening?

Sounds pretty good to me, but can we have Travolta and Berry get squashed instead? That was my biggest problem with the Godzilla remake: all these annoying humans populating the cast and not a single one of them getting stepped on