I haven’t really decided what to make of the upcoming new King Kong film, Kong: Skull Island that is coming our way next year if post-production all goes to plan. And its not that I don’t love the character – it’s just that most of the previous Kong films have been quite good and Kong films have always been about setting the technical boundaries in film making, which has been achieved in most of its previous iterations, most recently in Peter Jackson’s 2004 version.
One of the things which has me a little nervous is that the director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer) really only has experience with small scale indie movies and yet has now been handed the reigns of this massive budget blockbuster epic. And that’s not to say it can’t be done – indie director Colin Trevorrow did a solid job with Jurassic World, as did Gareth Edwards in Godzilla, so Vogt-Roberts can certainly surprise us all. The other thing which makes me a little nervous about the film is its plan to be part of a bigger Monster Universe alongside Godzilla and how they build a story around that, when Kong has traditionally been the solo giant in his own movies.
However, I’m always keen to be surprised and if there is one thing that they are looking to do to ensure Kong can compete with the likes of Godzilla in this new universe is by upping his size. In speaking at a CineEurope presentation (via The Hollywood Reporter) Vogt-Roberts had the following to say about Kong:
This is going to be the biggest Kong there’s ever been. Not 10 foot or 30 foot, but a 100-foot ape.
That is certainly a big ape and should change the dynamic confrontations between Kong and humans quite drastically with that size and so I’m really interested to see how it all plays out. I just hope they remember that Kong films have also been about good story-telling and not just big monster battles so hopefully in this case, size isn’t everything and they still leave room for a solid story.
One thing I have no concerns about with the film is the stellar cast, with the film starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Corey Hawkins, Toby Kebbell, Jason Mitchell, and John Goodman. You certainly can’t argue with the talent at the director’s disposal.
What do you make of the news of a bigger Kong – does this make you more excited for the film or is the size of Kong irrelevant to you?
Last Updated: June 23, 2016
