We’ve known for a little while now that Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment were working on another King Kong movie. Somehow, though, it hasn’t quite made the big news one might expect of such a major project from these big-name studios.
Along those lines, I’ve always been surprised that Peter Jackson’s 2005 film King Kong didn’t make a bigger, or at least more lasting splash. Indeed, 81 percent of critics rated the film positively, and it raked in over $500 million at box offices worldwide. It was a massive, gorgeous project crafted in the same larger-than-life manner that led to Jackson’s enormous success adapting the Lord Of The Rings series. Not long after its run in theaters, however, King Kong seemed to be abruptly forgotten.
In part this may just be because it’s difficult to think up a sequel to a film like that, and thus there wasn’t really any franchise potential to begin with. Whatever legacy the film did have was in a few games based on its content. An Ubisoft game released in 2005 for PS2 and Xbox 360 was well received at the time—and you can see some footage online—though it’s essentially obsolete today. And there’s actually still a King Kong-based game featured here alongside some other slot-themed movie games. Created with a licensing agreement from Universal Studios and presented with art and sounds from the film, this active game is a slot title for anyone who loved the movie and wished it could have turned into more.
To clarify, it never did turn into more. Not only were there no sequels made, but the coming Kong: Skull Island movie is not directly connected. The films belong to different studios, with this upcoming one serving as a reboot of the Kong story and an addition to the world presented in 2014’s Godzilla. Still, however, it certainly appears to be bringing a similar take on Skull Island to life, and that ought to thrill everyone who enjoyed the 2005 film.
We know this because a first look at the upcoming film surfaced during the MTV Movie Awards, showing stars Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston going behind the scenes on set. Both actors describe the film as a classic Kong story of explorers traveling to a remote island and encountering unexpected beasts and mythical creatures. By the look of things, the film may have more of a human element than the 2005 take. However, the general atmosphere—a massive misty, mysterious and wildly beautiful island—has a familiarity to it. And that’s a good indication for Kong: Skull Island, given that the visuals were undoubtedly the best part of Jackson’s film.
This was an extremely promising first look. The cast for the movie is very exciting, as it features the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly, in addition to Larson and Hiddleston. And the early image we can begin to put together from this sneak peek looks worthy of the story being told. Kong: Skull Island won’t be released until 2017, but it’s starting to look like one of the most exciting projects on the horizon.
This content was contributed by Jeffrey King, a freelance writer and frequent blog contributor. He writes on lifestyle, gaming, entertainment, and sports, and hopes to start his own online magazine.