April 1, 2003

Peter Jackson To RemakeKing Kong

By Ryan J. Downey (MTV.com)

Getting the green light to remakeKing Kongwas easy for Peter Jackson. All he had to do was make a little trilogy calledThe Lord Of The Ringsfirst.The five-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, who first emerged with cult horror hits likeBad TasteandDead Alive(akaBraindeadoutside of the U.S.), has wanted to remake the classic 1933 giant ape flick for years. He nearly got theKing Kongproject off the ground once before, but it stalled, reportedly because Universal was nervous about entrusting such a big project to a director whose mainstream credits were limited to the Michael J. Fox flopThe Frightenersand the acclaimed but commercially underwhelmingHeavenly Creatures.But now the success ofThe Lord Of The Ringshas afforded him the clout to get his dream project made. Universal Pictures has announced that Jackson will begin work onKing Kongimmediately after he completes this year'sThe Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, with a 2005 release date in mind."No film has captivated my imagination more thanKing Kong,"Jackson said in a statement."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."The originalKing Kong, about a giant ape who is discovered on the remote Skull Island and brought to New York City, was an innovative special effects marvel at the time. Unlike later remakes and sequels, such as 1976'sKing Kongand 1986'sKing Kong Lives, Jackson's version will be set in the '30s and will expand on the Skull Island scenes.LikeThe Lord Of The Rings,King Kongwill be filmed entirely in New Zealand with Jackson's Oscar-winning Weta company providing the special effects. Jackson co-wrote the script withRingspartners Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, who is also his wife and will serve as co-producer alongside him.