Peter Jackson officially directing King Kong remake
03-31-03, 09:38 AM
#1
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Peter Jackson officially directing King Kong remake
From Cinescape:
Director Peter Jackson has finally gotten his precious.
After earning critical and commercial acclaim for two LORD OF THE RINGS films, Universal Pictures has agreed to allow Jackson to remake the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures KING KONG. Jackson wrote the script for his version of KONG about five years ago (together with RINGS writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) but at the time Universal passed on the notion of greenlighting the film. See how things change when your previous two films make a billion dollars at the box office?
"No film has captivated my imagination more than KING KONG," Jackson said in a press release yesterday. "I'm making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story for a new age.
"The story of Kong offers everything that any storyteller could hope for: an archetypal narrative, thrilling action, resonating emotion and memorable characters. It has endured for precisely these reasons and I am honored to be a part of its continuing legacy."
Universal wants to release the film sometime around the holiday 2005 period. As with his RINGS films, Jackson's company, Wingnut Films, will produce the new KONG movie and the WETA special effects company will create the movie's FX. Jackson wrote his version of KONG just as the original film was set in the 1930s, and the movie will be set in that same period.
"Anyone who has seen the first two installments of THE LORD OF THE RINGS knows that Peter will bring Kong to life as a real character," said Stacey Snider, Chairman, Universal Pictures. "His vision for the tragic tale of the misunderstood creature, with its poignant character development and technological wonder, will make KING KONG compulsory viewing for any real movie lover."
After earning critical and commercial acclaim for two LORD OF THE RINGS films, Universal Pictures has agreed to allow Jackson to remake the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures KING KONG. Jackson wrote the script for his version of KONG about five years ago (together with RINGS writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens) but at the time Universal passed on the notion of greenlighting the film. See how things change when your previous two films make a billion dollars at the box office?
"No film has captivated my imagination more than KING KONG," Jackson said in a press release yesterday. "I'm making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story for a new age.
"The story of Kong offers everything that any storyteller could hope for: an archetypal narrative, thrilling action, resonating emotion and memorable characters. It has endured for precisely these reasons and I am honored to be a part of its continuing legacy."
Universal wants to release the film sometime around the holiday 2005 period. As with his RINGS films, Jackson's company, Wingnut Films, will produce the new KONG movie and the WETA special effects company will create the movie's FX. Jackson wrote his version of KONG just as the original film was set in the 1930s, and the movie will be set in that same period.
"Anyone who has seen the first two installments of THE LORD OF THE RINGS knows that Peter will bring Kong to life as a real character," said Stacey Snider, Chairman, Universal Pictures. "His vision for the tragic tale of the misunderstood creature, with its poignant character development and technological wonder, will make KING KONG compulsory viewing for any real movie lover."
03-31-03, 10:18 AM
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Originally posted by auntiewinnie
What building will this Kong climb at the climax, I wonder? He's gotta climb something or it just ain't King Kong in my book.
What building will this Kong climb at the climax, I wonder? He's gotta climb something or it just ain't King Kong in my book.
03-31-03, 10:51 AM
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Empire State Building!
Jackson is going to be another hit movie with King Kong! Man I loved that movie when I was little. it's a classic. I'm sure Jackson will bring the classic emotional feel to the movie!
Jackson is going to be another hit movie with King Kong! Man I loved that movie when I was little. it's a classic. I'm sure Jackson will bring the classic emotional feel to the movie!
03-31-03, 11:49 AM
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I hope Jackson makes it short and lean. King Kong is brilliant because its 88 minutes of wall to wall, every second counts, quality. I have a feeling that Jackson will make this a 2 hour 45 minute epic jungle movie. Well, this should be interesting.
03-31-03, 12:19 PM
#11
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Originally posted by Pants
I'm sure it's a good 10 stories high!
I'm sure it's a good 10 stories high!
The Auckland Skytower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. It's actually just a few hundred feet shorter than the Empire State Building. It would actually be more photogenic than Empire for Kong to climb on, imho. Take that, you smug American!
http://www.skycity.co.nz/cache_sky_tower_homepage.htm
03-31-03, 12:37 PM
#13
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I hope PJ does some smaller film before KK to get a needed rest from epics as he has said he needs many, many, times.
PJ's script is good, and rather heavy on character development, which is something we need more of in epics instead of FX. However, it isn't until we are more than 50 pages into it that Kong shows up, so it's a long build.
Also, for those who have read the script
Slight SPOILERS
I doubt the concept of trying to get airplanes to crash into NYC skyscrapers will go over well. Regardless of the time period.
PJ's script is good, and rather heavy on character development, which is something we need more of in epics instead of FX. However, it isn't until we are more than 50 pages into it that Kong shows up, so it's a long build.
Also, for those who have read the script
Slight SPOILERS
I doubt the concept of trying to get airplanes to crash into NYC skyscrapers will go over well. Regardless of the time period.
03-31-03, 12:53 PM
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i smell another piece O' JUNK! seriously. GOdzilla wasn't good at all. So why would anyone think this is gonna be ok. People aren't really down with this stuff anymore. THey watch it because its godzilla or king kong. No one ever expects it to be good. You know what i mean? THey watch it just because of the name. I'm sure I'll watch. But I already know its gonna be lame and disappointing.
03-31-03, 01:06 PM
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I don't understand all the enthusiasm for this. Whenever somebody proposes a remake these days it gets bashed as being unoriginal. But somebody remakes King Kong, which in my view never needed to be remade in the first place, they get praised? I know a lot of people around here worship Peter Jackson, but why doesn't he move on to some original idea instead of remaking a classic that doesn't need to be remade?
03-31-03, 01:10 PM
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Why was Kong attracted to a human woman? Were there no she-monkeys on the island? Even if he kept he, what was he planning to do with her? Somebody should tell kong that it is not right to be hot for something outside of his species. If a human had the hots for a lemur, I think he/she'd be arrested. Also, Kong must have been racist. The island people put their women in with Kong before but he just ate them. Where they not attractive to a monkey? I guess he is only attracted to white women.
King Kong: A classic movie of beastiality!
BTW: this was a joke post.
King Kong: A classic movie of beastiality!
BTW: this was a joke post.
03-31-03, 01:51 PM
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Originally posted by Sierra Disc
Smartass.
The Auckland Skytower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. It's actually just a few hundred feet shorter than the Empire State Building. It would actually be more photogenic than Empire for Kong to climb on, imho. Take that, you smug American!
http://www.skycity.co.nz/cache_sky_tower_homepage.htm
Smartass.
The Auckland Skytower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. It's actually just a few hundred feet shorter than the Empire State Building. It would actually be more photogenic than Empire for Kong to climb on, imho. Take that, you smug American!
http://www.skycity.co.nz/cache_sky_tower_homepage.htm
03-31-03, 02:28 PM
#19
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by Pants
I thought those towers in Malaysia were the tallest thing down under.
I thought those towers in Malaysia were the tallest thing down under.
Last edited by movielib; 03-31-03 at 02:58 PM.
03-31-03, 04:07 PM
#21
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why even bother? So we are going to get a CGI Kong and have it "modernized" yet it'll be back in the 1930s. Great, I allready saw MIGHTY JOE YOUNG.
KING KONG worked because of the time it was done, the effects that they used, and the film making techniques at the time.
This is a total waste of time, and will be forgotten just like the 76 remake was. A horrible choice....what does PJ think he can add to the film? That's the question we should be asking...the answer is nothing.
KING KONG worked because of the time it was done, the effects that they used, and the film making techniques at the time.
This is a total waste of time, and will be forgotten just like the 76 remake was. A horrible choice....what does PJ think he can add to the film? That's the question we should be asking...the answer is nothing.
03-31-03, 04:50 PM
#23
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Originally posted by auntiewinnie
What building will this Kong climb at the climax, I wonder? He's gotta climb something or it just ain't King Kong in my book.
What building will this Kong climb at the climax, I wonder? He's gotta climb something or it just ain't King Kong in my book.
03-31-03, 08:51 PM
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Originally posted by Scot1458
why even bother? So we are going to get a CGI Kong and have it "modernized" yet it'll be back in the 1930s. Great, I allready saw MIGHTY JOE YOUNG.
KING KONG worked because of the time it was done, the effects that they used, and the film making techniques at the time.
This is a total waste of time, and will be forgotten just like the 76 remake was. A horrible choice....what does PJ think he can add to the film? That's the question we should be asking...the answer is nothing.
why even bother? So we are going to get a CGI Kong and have it "modernized" yet it'll be back in the 1930s. Great, I allready saw MIGHTY JOE YOUNG.
KING KONG worked because of the time it was done, the effects that they used, and the film making techniques at the time.
This is a total waste of time, and will be forgotten just like the 76 remake was. A horrible choice....what does PJ think he can add to the film? That's the question we should be asking...the answer is nothing.
Hollywood needs to quit butchering the classics with mindless remakes, and try a little thing called originality.
PJ, follow in James Cameron's footsteps and take some time off to reflect on your success, buy yourself a treadmill, and work on a script for Dead Alive 2.
