islandclaws

From Shock Till You Drop:

Just announced at their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Legendary Pictures have revealed plans for a new “King Kong” film to be titled Skull Island. A short teaser for the film was played and our own Ed Douglas described it as follows:

“It’s a teaser that shows a jungle surrounded by water with a lot of narration. We see images of monkeys swinging through trees, some sort of dinosaur like creature in the water…The narration talks about “It’s very existence being improbable. Being alone in the wilderness had driven it mad. We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.” And yes indeed, they showed an image of what is CLEARLY King Kong roaring and beating his chest.”

No director or talent have been attached to the film just yet, but check here for future updates on the project. Legendary has given the film a November 4, 2016 release date.

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This is exactly the sort of KK film I've wanted to see my whole life. I'm so glad to hear Legendary is behind it. And that Jackson is not.

Solid Snake

Well I hope Andy Serkis is involved at least. Not really giddy for this but if it happens and it looks good? Sure. I'll watch it.

TomOpus

Yeah we don't need origins on everything.

Sonic

So there's hope for a King Kong vs Godzilla?

Solid Snake

Technically speaking... that could happen, no? Cuz Lengendary is the one who has Godzilla and not WB, right?

Literally though it would never happen.

islandclaws

Nope. WB has Godzilla rights, not Legendary. It would take a joint effort from WB and Uni to make it happen. Not outside the realm of possibility, but very unlikely.

Supermallet

No Jackson = I'm interested.

Paul_SD

King Kong Begins.

I never saw Benji The Hunted, though I know Gene Siskel had issues with it. But that seemed to be a movie told from an non-human POV. They might be able to get away with it here.

Giles

Mike86

I liked Jackson's King Kong I don't really know that a origin film for King Kong is necessary but I might see it.

islandclaws

I think maybe "origin" is the wrong word here. It sounds to me like a film exploring Kong's life before Driscoll & co. showed up. I don't think we're going to be baby Kong develop or anything.

Giles

"huh? ... who are we talking about? I'll kick his butt"

Ash Ketchum

If he's in it, I am sooooo there!


I would rather see a Kong origin film in b&w with stop motion animation or, better yet, a real gorilla who grows into Kong, kind of like the way Mighty Joe Young (1949) started.

Or, given the current trends, a found-footage film made from the discovery of reels of 35mm film shot in the 1920s or '30s by Merian Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack that they never showed anybody because 1) people would never believe it or 2) people would panic (think the radio version of War of the Worlds). So they made the fictional Kong film to cover up their discovery of the real thing.

hanshotfirst1138

I actually kind of like that 16mm found footage idea. Obviously, they never so it. I assume Jackson is out after the remake? I would like to see him do some non-franchise stuff after Middle Earth goes.

I like Jackson's version too. There isn't any way around it being flawed, way too long and bloated, and problematic, but I still enjoy a lot of things about it.

Sonic

What he's going to do next, make King Kong show up at the Olympics 2018 and win the Ice Skating gold medal?

Preterite

Come on, you're not interested in the dark secret of Kong's past that led him to devour human flesh and chase blondes? Hint: it's a daddy issue.

The arc, man! Every character needs an arc!

Ash Ketchum

I never watch the Olympics, but I would for that.

(That was actually my favorite scene in the remake.)

islandclaws

From Dark Horizons:

"Attack the Block" director Joe Cornish has reportedly been offered the upcoming King Kong reboot "Skull Island" for Legendary Pictures.

The origin story will deal with the giant gorilla and his life on an island of prehistoric monsters before he was taken into captivity.

"Godzilla" scribe Max Borenstein will be writing the script for the film which was announced this past weekend at Comic Con. The film is targeting a November 2016 release.

Cornish's next project is Universal's "Section 6" starring Jack O'Connell as a young British WWI veteran tasked with a secret mission to recover coded assassination orders in Russia in 1919.

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I was not a fan of Attack the Block, but the direction seemed competent enough. I also felt Borenstein did a mediocre job on the Godzilla script, but that also had many more writers than just him.

Neil M.

I think I'd prefer Jackson to be involved and for this to be a prequel to his film. My gut feeling is that they'll try to shoehorn a human narrative into this and it's going to come off as a cheap and lazy remake of the original film, minus the New York stuff.

Why So Blu?

It's a reboot of Jacksons Kong?

islandclaws

No, it isn't. I'm not sure why people are confused - or why they'd want Jackson back to deliver another bloated, albeit spectacular, epic.

It's a story about Skull Island before the Venture made a visit. I'm certain there will be a human narrative because you can't have a film featuring Kong and some other creatures running around for two hours.

Solid Snake

Yeah. There'll be humans. No American studio would have the balls to do it without humans as a splited/led narrative. That and we're stupid Americans.

JumpCutz

That we are.

rexinnih

Not sure about King Kong origins. What are we going to get, Mr. and Mrs. Kong, an island setting, a few banana daiquiris.........

GoldenJCJ

Unless the human narrative is a racist viewpoint of stereotypical native tribesmen I'm not interested.