Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody in King Kong Posted: Feb 17, 2005

Peter Jackson, previously known for his work on The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will bring his cinematic vision of the classic story of the gigantic ape King Kong to the big screen this winter.  Jackson has undertaken directing, producing, and co-screenwriting duties for the film and the cast includes Naomi Watts (21 Grams), Jack Black (School of Rock), and Adrien Brody (The Pianist).  The film is set for a December 14, 2005 release date by Universal Pictures.

Jackson collaborates once again with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.  Jackson co-wrote the screen play with Walsh, a three-time Oscar®-winner, and The Lord of the Rings co-writer Boyens, also an Academy Award® winner.  The screenplay is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. Producers Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham, Fran Walsh and Jackson produce the film under their WingNut Films collaboration and Jackson is shooting on location in his native New Zealand, the filming location for his Lord of the Rings movies. 

Naomi Watts portrays vaudeville actress Ann Darrow, who finds herself out of a job in Depression-era New York.  When she meets up with entrepreneur Carl Denham, played by Jack Black, her luck seems to change for the better.  Denham is a struggling filmmaker trying to make his mark on the entertainment industry.  His craving for greatness ultimately leads to catastrophe.   Adrien Brody play New York playwright Jack Driscoll, an unlikely hero in this romantic adventure story.

Peter Jackson commented, “I’m thrilled to be working with Naomi—not many actresses could step into Fay Wray’s shoes and I have no doubt she will be equally as stunning in the role of Ann Darrow.” Watts will be starring opposite Brody in a lively love story which has been updated from that of the original film. “Adrien is one of the most gifted actors working today—he is smart and charming and incredibly versatile and I think he’s going to be fantastic in this role, which is unlike any he has played before.”

According to Universal Studios, Jackson has been wanting to work with Jack Black ever since he saw him in High Fidelity. “Jack adds a wonderful dimension to the role of Carl Denham. He’s playing a maverick visionary who is undone by the monstrousness of his own ambition.”

Additional cast members include Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Thomas Kretschmann (U-571), Colin Hanks (Orange County) and Kyle Chandler (Angel’s Dance, television’s Early Edition).

Andy Serkis (the actor behind the CGI Lord of the Rings creation Gollum) will provide on-set reference for the title character of King Kong along with playing character of Lumpy the cook.  

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what Andy Serkis does with the character of Lumpy, the cook. This will be the first time we will actually get to shoot extended drama sequences together, in the full knowledge that Andy will not be ‘painted out’ after the fact—as he was with Gollum. But Andy hasn’t escaped that fate entirely. He will also provide valuable on-set reference for the character of Kong and he has spent weeks in the London Zoo and in the highlands of Rwanda researching various aspects of gorilla behavior. It is not our intention to soften Kong in an attempt to humanize him. The power of the story lies in the fact that this is a savage beast from a hostile environment and we will not compromise that.”

Actors Evan Parke (Planet of the Apes), Lobo Chan and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) have also come onboard as characters in King Kong.  Jackson’s production team on King Kong includes director of photography Andrew Lesnie (cinematographer for the Rings trilogy and Oscar® winner for The Fellowship of the Ring); editor Jamie Selkirk (Oscar® winner, The Return of the King); production designer Grant Major (Oscar® nominee for all three Rings movies and winner for The Return of the King); costumer Terry Ryan (The Hard Word, Paradise Road); and unit production manager Anne Bruning, who last worked in New Zealand on The Last Samurai.

Jackson noted, “I very much want to respect the iconography of the original film, because I don’t believe we should try to change what worked. Our version of King Kong will reflect the same sort of dramatic sensibility we employed on The Lord of the Rings— placing real characters, with real dilemmas, in the context of a truly fantastical world. I’m determined to give the film a gritty reality and to play the dramatic elements of the story for all they’re worth. Our movie is set in 1933, and this is important because it means we can invest the story with the mystery and romance of a bygone era. The Thirties was a time of discovery, when we did not know the full parameters of the world and literally, anything was possible.”