Scott W. Davis
04-01-2003, 03:04 AM
[I 210w king_kong I]It's really happening! Universal Studios' Chairperson, Stacey Snyder, announced on Monday that Peter Jackson would be directing a remake of KING KONG.
KING KONG has been a pet project of Jackson's for years. He was originally to film the classic tale in the middle nineties. That project was derailed when Universal feared too competition from Roland Emmerich's megabomb GODZILLA and Disney's equally dissapointing MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. Dissapointing box office for Jackson's THE FRIGHTENERS probably didn't help either. But that was before LORD OF THE RINGS and now Universal is ready to give Jackson creative freedom to complete his vision.
Jackson's original script surfaced on the Internet a couple years ago. I have read it, and like just about everyone else who has, I can tell you this is a beautiful script. Jackson will re-write the script with the help of Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens.
Jackson will start pre-production once RETURN OF THE KING wraps. The film is currently budgeted at $110 million and is expected to be released worldwide in 2005. But enough of me burying the lead. Here's the official story with all it's press-release exposition:
"Five-time Academy Award nominee Peter Jackson will direct King Kong for Universal Pictures, it was announced today (Monday, March 31st) by Stacey Snider, Chairman, Universal Pictures.
Jackson will begin work on the film immediately following the release of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final installment of his blockbuster trilogy based upon the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson will write the screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh and LOTR co-writer Philippa Boyens. Jackson and Walsh will produce the film under their WingNut Films banner. Universal Pictures will release KING KONG worldwide in 2005.
Jackson will bring his sweeping cinematic vision to the iconic story of the gigantic ape-monster captured in the wilds and brought to civilization where he meets his tragic fate.
The screenplay by Jackson, Walsh and Boyens is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by adventurers Cooper and Ernest B. Schoesdack. The RKO KING KONG has been designated by the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress as one
of the 100 Greatest Films and chosen by that organization for permanent preservation as a national treasure.
Jackson will employ the latest motion picture technology to
cinematically portray the timeless tale of the beast and his beauty. He will expand on the chapters of the tale that take place in the mysterious and dangerous jungles of Skull Island, and his Kong promises to be a unique and breathtaking creation. As with his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, Jackson will shoot KING KONG on location in his
native New Zealand. The visual effects will be again accomplished by his New Zealand-based company Weta, Ltd., who have twice been honored with the Visual Effects Oscar for their work on THE LORD OF THE RINGS. They will supplement practical locations in creating primordial jungles and '30s-period America.
'No film has captivated my imagination more than KING KONG. 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,' Jackson stated. '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.'
Snider noted, 'Peter Jackson is a filmmaker uniquely capable of capturing the core appeal of enduring classics and in expanding the visual language of motion pictures, as inarguably evidenced in his landmark achievement with the LORD OF THE RINGS films. We are thrilled to be working with Peter and Fran, and we are confident that their execution of KING KONG will amaze moviegoers. 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. 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.'
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with THE LORD OF THE RINGS, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. Released in 2001, the first film in the trilogy, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, including Best Director, and won four. The film also received the American Film Institute's prestigious Film Award and was
nominated for 12 awards from the British Academy of Film and
Television Arts (BAFTA), winning awards for Best Film and garnering Jackson the David Lean Award for direction. In addition to four Golden Globe nominations, the film also received numerous distinctions and awards around the world. The second installment, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, earned six Academy Award nominations, including
Best Picture. It won two Oscars and two BAFTA Awards. The final installment, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, will be released this December.
Jackson and Walsh previously received widespread acclaim for their 1994 feature HEAVENLY CREATURES, which was awarded a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay. Other film credits include THE FRIGHTENERS starring Michael J. Fox, the adult puppet feature MEET THE FEEBLES, the mockumentary FORGOTTEN SILVER and BRAINDEAD. (HE Note: Don't forget the one that started it all - BAD TASTE!)
Go ape and tickle Fay Wray in our !
KING KONG has been a pet project of Jackson's for years. He was originally to film the classic tale in the middle nineties. That project was derailed when Universal feared too competition from Roland Emmerich's megabomb GODZILLA and Disney's equally dissapointing MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. Dissapointing box office for Jackson's THE FRIGHTENERS probably didn't help either. But that was before LORD OF THE RINGS and now Universal is ready to give Jackson creative freedom to complete his vision.
Jackson's original script surfaced on the Internet a couple years ago. I have read it, and like just about everyone else who has, I can tell you this is a beautiful script. Jackson will re-write the script with the help of Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens.
Jackson will start pre-production once RETURN OF THE KING wraps. The film is currently budgeted at $110 million and is expected to be released worldwide in 2005. But enough of me burying the lead. Here's the official story with all it's press-release exposition:
"Five-time Academy Award nominee Peter Jackson will direct King Kong for Universal Pictures, it was announced today (Monday, March 31st) by Stacey Snider, Chairman, Universal Pictures.
Jackson will begin work on the film immediately following the release of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final installment of his blockbuster trilogy based upon the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson will write the screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh and LOTR co-writer Philippa Boyens. Jackson and Walsh will produce the film under their WingNut Films banner. Universal Pictures will release KING KONG worldwide in 2005.
Jackson will bring his sweeping cinematic vision to the iconic story of the gigantic ape-monster captured in the wilds and brought to civilization where he meets his tragic fate.
The screenplay by Jackson, Walsh and Boyens is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by adventurers Cooper and Ernest B. Schoesdack. The RKO KING KONG has been designated by the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress as one
of the 100 Greatest Films and chosen by that organization for permanent preservation as a national treasure.
Jackson will employ the latest motion picture technology to
cinematically portray the timeless tale of the beast and his beauty. He will expand on the chapters of the tale that take place in the mysterious and dangerous jungles of Skull Island, and his Kong promises to be a unique and breathtaking creation. As with his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, Jackson will shoot KING KONG on location in his
native New Zealand. The visual effects will be again accomplished by his New Zealand-based company Weta, Ltd., who have twice been honored with the Visual Effects Oscar for their work on THE LORD OF THE RINGS. They will supplement practical locations in creating primordial jungles and '30s-period America.
'No film has captivated my imagination more than KING KONG. 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,' Jackson stated. '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.'
Snider noted, 'Peter Jackson is a filmmaker uniquely capable of capturing the core appeal of enduring classics and in expanding the visual language of motion pictures, as inarguably evidenced in his landmark achievement with the LORD OF THE RINGS films. We are thrilled to be working with Peter and Fran, and we are confident that their execution of KING KONG will amaze moviegoers. 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. 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.'
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with THE LORD OF THE RINGS, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. Released in 2001, the first film in the trilogy, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, including Best Director, and won four. The film also received the American Film Institute's prestigious Film Award and was
nominated for 12 awards from the British Academy of Film and
Television Arts (BAFTA), winning awards for Best Film and garnering Jackson the David Lean Award for direction. In addition to four Golden Globe nominations, the film also received numerous distinctions and awards around the world. The second installment, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, earned six Academy Award nominations, including
Best Picture. It won two Oscars and two BAFTA Awards. The final installment, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, will be released this December.
Jackson and Walsh previously received widespread acclaim for their 1994 feature HEAVENLY CREATURES, which was awarded a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay. Other film credits include THE FRIGHTENERS starring Michael J. Fox, the adult puppet feature MEET THE FEEBLES, the mockumentary FORGOTTEN SILVER and BRAINDEAD. (HE Note: Don't forget the one that started it all - BAD TASTE!)
Go ape and tickle Fay Wray in our !