LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The hirsute star of Peter Jackson's "King Kong" will receive a special honor at the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards on January 9. The Broadcast Film Critics Assn., the group behind the event, created the Distinguished Achievement in Performing Arts Award to recognize what it called "the singular achievement in creating this character, representing a revolutionary leap forward in synthesizing visual effects with an actor's performance." "Many BFCA members wanted to vote for Kong for best actor because they were so impressed by the astonishing way in which he expresses love, lust, humor and rage in the tradition of the finest human actors," BFCA president Joey Berlin said. [More]

Gunnafan writes: You may remember back in December last year I sent in photos from the NY set of the tram. Well a few days after that I posted on the Kong is King boards saying about a Wellington Tramway museum announcement that they would have it on show after King Kong finished filming. Now after looking on the Wellington Tramway Museum I found it is now located there. The attached photos were not taken by me but were taken from the Wellington Tramway Museum Website. They do not have any other information on their website about the tram. [More]

SideshowColletibles.com has a video interview with Bob Burns, owner of the original 1933 King Kong Armature, posted on their website. Bob talks about how he came into possession of this 'holy grail' of film props. Check it out! (You can find the video on their frontpage, or on the armature pre-order pages) [Video] [Pre-Order the Armature]

Congrats to our next winner: J. Dziadecki of Louisville, CO! They have won a KING KONG 1933 Collector's DVD Set from Warner Bros! Have you entered our giveaway? There are no strings attached and its the easiest way to win the coolest Kong stuff out there! [Giveaway Entry] [Buy]

From DarkHorizons: The San Diego Film Critics however gave no awards to Lee's western, voting "King Kong" the best film of the year. Other award results with other films here. [More]

If Peter Jackson’s King Kong is a visual spectacle, then Full Cast Audio’s King Kong is an auditory extravaganza. Experience Kong without special effects or computer animation: With a dozen actors using nothing but their voices to re-create this classic in Full Cast Audio’s production of “Merian C. Cooper’s King Kong,” by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland. "Merian C. Cooper's King Kong," authorized by the estate of King Kong’s creator, is an updated and expanded version of the 1932 novel that was based on the original movie script but released before the 1933 landmark film. [More]

HOBART, Ind., Dec. 20 (UPI) -- A snow sculptor in Hobart, Ind., is fighting warmer, then colder temperatures to keep a 10-foot yard sculpture of King Kong upright and menacing. Jim Mackey, a former animator for an advertising firm before retiring, began the project Thursday, and each day since has battled thawing with fresh snow to perk up the giant ape, the Gary Post-Tribune reported. [More]

HOLLYWOOD - Late actress Fay Wray was unsure about Naomi Watts taking on her character in the new movie remake of King Kong—because she found her "a little too skinny." Wray, who passed away last year, starred in the original 1933 giant ape movie as heroine Ann Darrow, and met briefly with Watts before filming began on the new Peter Jackson version. But Wray's daughter Victoria Riskin admits her mother was concerned about the star's weight. She says, "They had dinner together with Peter and his wife. My mother told me she thought Naomi was a lovely person... though maybe too skinny. She thought that would be all right." [More]

LOS ANGELES: King Kong tallied a sound $US80.1 million from 55 territories, but the three-hour running time appears to have tempered the zealous box office expectations for the five-day international opening. Pulling in an estimated $63.4 million in the Friday-Sunday period, the $200 million blockbuster emerged as the industry's ninth-biggest international weekend of all time, distributor Universal Pictures said. King Kong topped the charts in 53 of its 55 markets. The UK provided an estimated $11.9 million; France, $7.3 million; Germany, $6.1 million; Russia, $5.1 million; Australia, $4.6 million; South Korea, $4.3 million; Spain, $3.9 million; Mexico, $3.8 million; and Brazil, $1.4 million. [More]

Ed Blank writes: Hang onto those condolences notes. At six days of age, "King Kong" isn't ready for burial yet. In the strange new math of modern times, a $9.8 million Wednesday opening in mid-December looks disappointing. So does a five-day gross in the vicinity of $65 million, about $50 million of which came in from Friday to Sunday. It's true that "King Kong" opened disappointingly. Forecasts for the first five days were in the $85 million-to-$90 million range. So we're looking at a five-day debut that came up at least $20 million short, right? But when you figure that "King Kong" took in an additional $80 million in 55 foreign territories over the weekend and came in No. 1 everywhere but Japan (birthplace of Godzilla, no less) and Italy, the gorilla movie looks a bit healthier. And it's about to enter the extremely lucrative period from Friday through Jan. 1. Exit polls indicate unusually favorable word, which will help. And business jumped 40 percent from Friday to Saturday. Some new films begin their descent the first Saturday of the run. [More]

It's the eyes. Sometimes blue and fierce, blazing with pain, at others brown and gentle, looking for love. But always they are expressive. They have gazed down from the heights of a movie screen for years now, though rarely from the same face. While actors always try to shift their appearance from role to role, few are as unrecognizable as Andy Serkis has been. Then again, he's not really known for playing humans. Serkis' movements and facial expressions were captured for the computer-generated creation of the pale and wasted Gollum in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and again for the title character of Jackson's just released "King Kong." [More]

He's big, he's powerful, and although he's no geek, King Kong in his latest form is an open source software user. The bleeding-edge special effects in director Peter Jackson's latest offering are delivered by artists such as Weta Digital CTO Milton Ngan. Ngan, who also counts Jackson's Lord of the Rings films among his credits, points up the contributions of open source software developers in producing the fantasy works. While open source software and development is not directly used in creating the effects for such films, Ngan said it is an integral part of delivering the movies by improving workflow. [More]

Oscar winner Adrien Brody discovered knowing Peter Jackson gets you out of all sorts of trouble in the director's native New Zealand after he was stopped at customs for 'smuggling' breath mints into the country. The Pianist star was bringing the movie-maker his favourite menthol treats from America when customs officers decided to search his luggage. Brody recalls, "As a marketing gimmick for the thriller I did, The Jacket, they made up caffeinated breath mints in prescription pill bottles. I gave Peter some and he loved them. [More]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Atronic, a leading provider of casino games and services, announced today a new agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group to develop slot machines based on the Universal Pictures' December 14th film, King Kong, from three-time Academy Award®-winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy). [More]

Video Game Creator and Three-Time Academy Award(R) Winner Create Exclusive Alternate Ending for Video Game. SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2005--Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, revealed that its critically acclaimed game of the year contender, Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie features an un-lockable, exclusive alternate ending in which players can save the giant ape from his cinematic death, pilot an airplane and discover Kong back home on his native Skull Island. The game, rated "T" for Teen, based on Universal Pictures' release, King Kong, from three-time Academy Award® winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), is positioned to be the top-selling title for the holiday season and is currently available nationwide. [More]

Joachim sends along this amazing 'super-trailer' with tons of gameplay footage from Ubisoft's King Kong Game. Take a look! (21MB WMV) [More]

Order 'Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie' on all formats today!

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - When Merian C. Cooper unleashed his "King Kong" in 1933, he went to great lengths to safeguard the secrets behind its mind-bending special effects. Peter Jackson, ringmaster of the new century's "Kong," had other ideas. "Why don't we invite people in" as the movie is being made, the director mused last year. And so an ambitious series of behind-the-scenes shorts went up on the movie's Web site, more or less in real time. "It was an experiment," Jackson says. "It's not a calculated piece of publicity. It's actually just the filmmakers connecting with the fans." [More]

Order 'King Kong: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries' from Amazon sites worldwide here!

LONDON - Three-hour blockbuster King Kong clambered to the top of the British film charts in its first weekend of release, Screen International said on Tuesday. The remake of the 1933 classic, directed by Peter Jackson the man behind "The Lord of the Rings," roared ahead of last week's number one "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." [More]

Eric Resnick writes: When I was a child, I loved the original King Kong film from 1933. The stop-motion photography and the unforgettable scream of Fay Wray are still with me to this day. Peter Jackson felt the same way about Kong. While he used the film as the inspiration for what could be considered one of the most amazing film repertoire of the new millennium, I went to work for the government selling tomatoes. While my days of being known as the Tomato Man are far behind me, Jackson has worked his way up from creating cult classics like Meet the Feebles to fulfilling his cinematic destiny by re-imagining King Kong. [More]

Congrats to our next winner: M. Larsen of Good Thunder, MN! They have won a King Kong vs. Venatosaurus Action Figure set from Playmates and Universal Studios! Have you entered our giveaway? There are no strings attached and its the easiest way to win the coolest Kong stuff out there! [Giveaway Entry] [Buy]

Naomi Watts has a trademark scream. It's a high-pitched screech capable of sustaining an eardrum-shattering intensity until it is sharply silenced by the sight, or roar, of something more terrifying. If that analysis sounds a bit detailed, it's because audiences get to hear plenty of the horror movie veteran's wail in the upcoming "King Kong" remake. What they don't hear, however, is the actress cry for help. Watts' portrayal of Ann Darrow - the object of the eighth wonder of the world's affection - is from the new stock of superhero girlfriend. [More]

From AP: As film critics, we had a problem this year. There were too many great movies to choose from and only 10 spots on our best-of lists. After much soul-searching and paring, here's what we came up with — the absolute best of the best. The top 10 films of 2005, according to AP Movie Writer David Germain. [More]

Keeping costs down was a high priority for New Zealand-based digital effects specialist WETA Digital in bringing Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson's US$207 million King Kong remake to life. "They [WETA] don't have unlimited funds," Gary Collins, the managing director of storage vendor Network Appliance's New Zealand division, told ZDNet Australia last week as King Kong was released to cinemas. Both Collins and WETA chief technology officer Milton Ngan said the effects house sought to keep a tight rein on costs, with Ngan describing it as "critical to our process". The CTO was unavailable to comment further. [More]

NEW YORK -- In computer-generated bodies not his own, Andy Serkis has starred in two of the most humongously budgeted films of the decade. Serkis, who stands 5 feet, 8 inches, plays the role of Kong in Peter Jackson's $200 million-plus King Kong. As he did for the "precious"-hungry Gollum in Jackson's $300 million-plus Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis' human performance has again been transformed by computer graphics into a fantastical creature. [More]

Peter Jackson, director of Universal's new King Kong (now in theaters), met with the big ape's original damsel in distress, Fay Wray, star of the 1933 RKO original, before he began directing Naomi Watts as his new Ann Darrow. Though Wray died last year at 96, one of her three children, Victoria Riskin, 59, an L.A.-based producer, writer and human rights activist, attended the new film's recent New York premiere. She spoke to USA TODAY about the memories the new film evoked. [More]

"King Kong" was not the 900-pound box-office gorilla Hollywood expected over opening weekend, debuting with a merely respectable $50.1 million and leaving the studio pinning its hopes on the film's potential for long-term staying power. In its first five days since premiering Wednesday, Peter Jackson's remake of the great-ape adventure took in $66.2 million. Some box-office analysts had predicted "King Kong" would gross at least $60 million over opening weekend and as much as $100 million in its first five days. [More]

Congrats to our next winner: E. Gray of Annapolis, MD! They have won a Ferrucutus Skull from WETA Collectibles and Universal Studios! Have you entered our giveaway? There are no strings attached and its the easiest way to win the coolest Kong stuff out there! [Giveaway Entry]

Jack Black was on 'Saturday Night Live' last night (December 17th, 2005) on NBC. He was there to promote King Kong. Take a look at each of his sketches. Highlights include the Kong Song and the Skull Island Tourism Bureau sketch. [More]

Two new TV upates for you, Colin Hanks will be on the 'Late Late Show' on CBS at 12:35AM on December 23rd. Naomi Watts will be on 'Inside the Actors Studio' on Bravo, January 1st, 2006. For a complete listing of Kong TV segments with a ton of clips to watch, follow this link! [TV Listings Page]

December 18, 2005 -- The gargantuan $207 million "King Kong" has climbed its way to the top of the box office. Director Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 classic took in an estimated $14.2 million in 3,568 theaters in the United States and Canada Friday. That's well ahead of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," which pulled in $8.9 million in 3,680 theaters. "Kong" opened Wednesday at $9.7 million — ranking it 21st on the all-time Wednesday opening list, despite heavy promotion and positive reviews. [More]

Congrats to our next winner: B. Wheat of Indianapolis, IN! They have won a set of three KING KONG 100pc. puzzles! The puzzles include: Kong Battles T-Rex, Kong Meets Girl, and Kong in the Jungle. A special thanks to Pressman Toy Corp and Universal Studios for providing these prizes. Have you entered our giveaway? There are no strings attached and its the easiest way to win the coolest Kong stuff out there! [Giveaway Entry]

This is a bit sad isn't it? The very last Production Diary for King Kong we will ever see. Peter takes us back full circle to the very spot where we started the Diaries on Day 1. The props, crew and cameras are all gone now, but the film is yours to enjoy. Take a look at the Wellington red carpet coverage, and the many cast and crewmembers who make their final goodbyes. My thanks go out to Michael Pellerin, David Rodriguez, Kevin Shukur, Melissa Booth, Eddie Egan, Leigh, Jan, Chris, and of course Peter for making this groundbreaking choice of providing exclusive content to the fans. And so, for the last time...Take a look! [QT6 240x132px 9Mb] [QT4 320x176px 17Mb] [QT6 480x264px 22Mb] [Bit Torrents!]

Pascal writes: I just came back from London, where the Odeon has constructed the replica of the original 1933 Theatre entrance. It's HUGE! [More]

Last Chance for Limited Edition Cooper Kong!

Our good friend Joe DeVito writes: If ordered by Monday and shipped within the USA, there should still be just enough time to receive a Limited Edition Cooper Kong statue before Christmas. There are very few left to be had before next March. Please go to kongskullisland.com or jdevito.com for full details.

Anonymous writes: Just thought I'd let you guys know a new crew hat is now available to people that worked on the film, I thought you'd like to check it out, so here are a couple of pictures. You'll notice it has the same Kong logo (stiched into the cap) that was used for the jackets I sent you pictures of earlier in the year. [More]

Executive Editor of Playboy.com in Chicago, Rob Walton, has written and published a very positive review of the new King Kong at the Playboy.com web site, under the A&E Section. He gave it 4 bunnies and is calling it one of the best films of the year. [More]

KongisKing is not responsible for the content on the above site

The folks from FilmFocus.Co.UK write: Thought you’d like to know we’re running an interview with Peter Jackson and a collection of twelve high-resolution wallpapers alongside our review to celebrate the release of that film about the big monkey. What’s it called again? Links to all three can be found on our homepage. [More]

Bill Desowitz, Editor of VFXWorld sends along these links: King Kong: Part 2 — Building a New Skull Island and Old New York: Bill Desowitz continues his reporting on King Kong with Weta Digital’s “divide and conquer” strategy for creating environments. QuickTime clips included! [More]

King Kong: Part 1 — The Creatures of Skull Island: Bill Desowitz explores Weta’s innovative work in building a CG Kong along with the dinos and other scary creatures on Skull Island. Includes QuickTime clips! [More]

Miron writes: Thank you very much for posting the notice of Warren Lubich playing music from Max Steiner's famous score to King Kong. I have just left the Grand Lake Theater's nearly full house. The audience went ape. The applause is still ringing in my ears like a Skull Island gong. [More]

LOS ANGLES — If Peter Jackson has any one human to thank for the inspiration behind his remake of King Kong, it would have to be the same man who gave the world Gone with the Wind. Despite monstrous pressure from his parent company to kill the project, Selznick green-lit and oversaw the original King Kong in 1933. He even dreamed up the name, thinking its bold brevity and alluring alliteration would look good on theater marquees. [More]

LOS ANGELES --- When director Peter Jackson was 9 years old, he fashioned a model of King Kong from his mum's fur stole. Three decades later, he's once again recreating the cinematic gorilla, but this time using digital technology for his remake of "King Kong." The Kiwi filmmaker gave Kong a more realistic makeover, in deference to today's savvy audiences that have benefited from Dian Fossey's work and Animal Planet programming. He's now a silverback gorilla, an adult male of the species, with a distinct patch of hair on his back, large canines, lean muscles, a "beer belly" and a sagittal crest --- the elevated ridge along his skull that gives him a Don King-type air. [More]

The latest newsletter is ready to go! Do you want to receive our free weekly newsletter? Packed with tons of info to keep you up to date on the latest? Plus filled with exclusives from time to time! Join the crowd of over 2600 mailing list members! Sign up now! [More]

Richard writes: 1933's King Kong is coming to the legendary Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Friday, Dec. 16th to Sunday Dec. 18th will be dedicated to Hollywood's first special effects/monster movie smash hit "King Kong" beginning with "The Son of Kong" and "I'm King Kong-The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper" on Dec 16th, followed by "Mighty Joe Young" and of course the grand-daddy that started it all, "King Kong" on Dec 17th, with two screenings at 8:00pm and 10:15pm. [More]

Jack Black is hosting 'Saturday Night Live' on NBC tonight. Expect some Jables sillyness to come forth while he's in charge. 'Saturday Night Live' airs on NBC at 11:30PM EST. Good luck Jack!

It is time to come together and talk Kong! The chatroom has been a great success, however some people have been popping in at odd hours when there is no one to chat with. To that end we've devised 2 KONG Chat times, a set time and day of the week for all Kong chatters to meet and have fun! Tonight's chat will be at 5:30PM Eastern Standard Time (click here for more info). World times are below, if you need more help click here.

5:30PM (Saturday) EST in New York, Montreal
2:30PM (Saturday) PST in Los Angeles, Seattle
11:30PM (Saturday) (Central European Time)
7:30AM (Sunday) in Sydney
9:30AM (Sunday) in Auckland, Wellington

Congrats to our next winner: D. Mason of Eastlake, OH USA! They have won a copy of the Peter Jackson Production Diaries DVD Set from MCA Home Video and Universal Studios! (Yes, featuring DVD quality version of the Production Diaries first shown here on KongisKing.net!) Have you entered our giveaway? There are no strings attached and its the easiest way to win the coolest Kong stuff out there! [Giveaway Entry] [Buy at Amazon.com]

Here is another great snippet from the 'RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World' documentary, included on the second disc of the 1933 King Kong Collector DVD Set. This particular video on the acting and though involved in bringing Kong to life! [View the Clip] [Order at Amazon.com]

Right after 'In The Year 2000...' sketch they came back from a commercial with Jack Black. Jack recounted his tale of his eye injury, and how he cried like a baby when it happened. He was also asked to give 'the face' and was happy to oblidge. We also learned of his method of acting to nothing, he pictures a tiger with the head of a shark...then runs away. Take a look! (19MB MOV)[More]

Jack Black was a guest last night on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' on NBC. Before he came out to talk 'serious' about King Kong he helped Conan out on one of his most beloved sketches 'In The Year 2000', where they dress up in quasi-futuristic clothing and make claims about the 'future'. Take a look! (19MB MOV)[More]

Gandalf writes: The Dominion Post today (Fri 16 Dec) carried these two articles on Kong: King Kong Launch a record for midweek - King Kong was always going to be a giant, but Wednesday was the biggest midweek movie opening in New Zealand ever, grossing $415,960 in 72 cinemas. [More]

Monkey Business - Before Peter Jackson's King Kong, big-budget Hollywood movies occasionally aired a "making of" documentary on television as part of the standard marketing blitz. But for detailed behind-the-scenes material, audiences usually had to wait till the release of the DVD. Not any more. [More]

Jayme writes: I'm fiction editor over at RevolutionSF.com, and we've been going a little ape-crazy of late. In particular, I've just published "For the King," a somewhat skewed view of what happens *after* the big guy's date with destiny at the Empire State Building. [More]

And in case you've missed it, Rick Klaw's review of the film is up. [More]

As is his review of King Kong: The Radio Play as performed in Austin last week by the Violet Crown Radio Players. [More]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The critics aren't the only ones raving about Peter Jackson's "King Kong." For the film's promotional partners, the movie represents a rare opportunity to have a director of Jackson's caliber creatively involved in their programs, for which they've awarded him their own thumbs up. Universal Pictures co-president of marketing Eddie Egan said Jackson had "input and involvement on every aspect of the many global partnership campaigns in support of 'King Kong,' going far beyond the level of collaboration the studio has had with any other filmmaker on movie tie-ins." [More]

Kristina writes: Canada's Tribute Magazine has a mini web site for King Kong. I thought you should see it because it has a behind the scenes look on the page. [More]

Steve Daly brings us: The ultimate A-to-Z guide to ''King Kong'': Everything you need to know about Peter Jackson's ape-meets-girl. A ALPHA MALE
Back in June, Universal unveiled the CG visage of the giant gorilla in Peter Jackson's megabudget King Kong. (In the 1933 original, the outsize simian was played mainly by herky-jerky stop-motion puppets, and a 1976 version relied mostly on makeup artist Rick Baker running around in an ape suit.) But early footage didn't fully reveal what a cheeky, realistically savage beast Jackson's 24-foot-tall Kong is. !!!SPOILERS!!! [More]

Peter Jackson's version of King Kong took $18m (£10.1m) worldwide in its first day on release but looks unlikely to set a US record haul. The remake, one of the biggest launches in US film history, took $9.8m (£5.5m) in one day in the US and Canada. Spider-Man took $114.8m in its opening weekend in 2002 while Revenge of the Sith, the final Star Wars film, took $158.5m in four days this year. [More]

Maybe he's mad about overexposure. The 'King Kong' promos include an animated series DVD. Taking on T-Rexes and battling biplanes is mere monkeyshines for "King Kong." When it comes to movie marketing tie-ins, the big guy is this year's 50-foot gorilla. Unless you've been shipwrecked on Skull Island for the past few weeks, it would be hard not to notice the slew of products and promotions tied into Peter Jackson's $200 million remake of the 1933 adventure classic. [More]

United International Pictures has been deploying the 21st century equivalent of sandwich boards to promote Peter Jackson's latest blockbuster, King Kong. Trained marketers have been visiting venues in Dublin wearing Adwalker's digital media platform, which comprises of an ergonomic body pack incorporating an LCD screen, wearable computer, handheld touch screen and printer. The company's representatives, known as Adwalkers, screened a trailer for the movie on their bodypacks in advance of its 15 December launch and invited consumers to sign up for UIP updates. They were also able to enter a competition to win a copy of Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie. [More]

LOS ANGELES -- "King Kong," the self-proclaimed eighth wonder of the world, burst into theaters this week, but the somewhat muted numbers did not reflect the scope of director Peter Jackson's latest masterpiece. Still, they should catapult the film to a solid five-day opening. The PG-13 action-adventure movie from Universal Pictures opened Wednesday in 3,568 theaters across the United States and Canada and grossed $9.8 million. The film is unlikely to set records this weekend but should have strong legs through the holiday season. Universal is looking for opening numbers that rival Jackson's first "Lord of the Rings" project, 2001's "The Fellowship of the Ring," which opened to $75 million over five days. That easily should be surpassable considering the massive amount of hype surrounding "Kong." However, the new movie is going to have to score big Friday through Sunday because its Wednesday take was a little more than half of "Fellowship's" opening-day gross of $18.2 million. [More]

Miron sends this along Internationally renown organist to perform music from Max Steiner's King Kong score. The historic Grand Lake Theater, Oakland, California, is now selling advance tickets to King Kong. This independently operated vaudeville era movie palace, in Willis O'Brien's hometown, offers a compelling theatrical setting which compliments King Kong. [More]

Congrats to our next winner: L. Bath of West Midlands UK! They have won a copy of the 'Skull Island Game' from Pressman Toy Corp and Universal Studios! (The game has yet to be released!!!) Have you entered our giveaway? There are no strings attached and its the easiest way to win the coolest Kong stuff out there! [Giveaway Entry] [Game Details at Amazon.com]

Gandalf writes: 'Shine', 'Sir' and myself headed along to the midnight screening of Kong, then to the red carpet event later on the 14th. Thousands turned out on a hot, sunny day to welcome the cast and crew back to Wellywood. By day, old cars, one of the planes from the movie, and the New York theatre facade set the backdrop for events. When the stars exited their screening they walked out to a post-Kong rapmage scene - smoke, a wrecked cab, and army trucks and soldiers! Take a look! [More]

Also thanks to Daz for more images, and you can also check our old friend Robert's website for even more pics. [More]

Gandalf writes: Here is the Dominion Post's four page coverage of the red carpet event here in Wellington. [More]

Gandalf writes: Shine grabbed an Air NZ complimentary magazine on the way to the Wellington red carpet event containing this article on Peter Jackson. Some great little snippets in there and well worth a read! [More]

Joshuah Bearman writes: I thought you might be interested in an essay I wrote about Kong that just came out today. It's probably the only coverage of the movie that considers the great tradition of man's romance with the Great Apes, from Enkidu, the hairy man-beast in the Gilgamesh epic, to Gigantopithecus blacki, the 12-foot prehistoric ape that died out 100,000 years ago, and the recent re-classification of chimpanzees into the hominidae family. I even discuss the biological potential for a consummated love between man and ape. [More]

PSION writes: Hi Xoanon, I just want to send you the PIA magazine article, the same Magazine that I won the NY trip from! It just came out. Surprisingly. YOU ARE ON IT!! (lower left corner!) So I want to send that to ya! And me and yumi (a very sweet Japanese reporter I met out in NYC -Xo) are there too. Yumi with Bob Burns and Me with PJ himself! There are some nice photos of the Time Square event and other world premires. [More]

mandy sends along these images from a German online article from Spiegel Online, sorta useless unless you speak German. However the nice high res behind the scenes images they have with the article are great! [More] [Article]

Bawpcwpn sends along these scans of the January edition of the Australia/New Zealand version of Empire Magazine. Take a look! [More]

Paul sends along this little flash animation from the folks at 'Twisted Movie Trailers', you may not like the fate of PJ in the middle of this one..but the last shot is a classic. [More]

Gonzalo writes: I'm sending you a curious fact I found out about John Guillermin, the director of "King Kong" (1976) and "King Kong Lives" (1986). He not only directed a film ("The Blue Max", 1966) about a precious subject to Peter Jackson (aerial warfare in First World War) but He also directed a film called "P.J." in 1968 about a detective in New York. P.J. as Peter Jackson? Of course not, but the coincidence is hilarious.

prophecygirl writes: Titan Magazines have published a 100-page King Kong movie magazine, that is out now in the UK. It features two covers, one on one side, then flip over for another. [titanmagazines.co.uk]

Author William Trowbridge sent us word on his book. He writes: "My collection of poems narrated from the point-of-view of Kong Kong, entitled THE COMPLETE BOOK OF KONG, is available in hardback and paper from Southeast Missouri State University Press." Amazon's description, 'The Complete Book of Kong' gathers the poetic wit, woe,and wisdom of both new and favorite Kong poems into a collection that will rattle your cage. This Kong is undiluted and indomitable, ready for anything from power lunches to paparazzi, from Manhattan to Mambo, from Godzilla to God. He is hip and horrendous, always terribly in love with a screaming blonde, and still bearing the biggest, brightest heart Hollywood has ever broken. Kong treads fortissimo where mortals fear to go and holds forth in these poems with the fresh no-nonsense voice that makes Trowbridge one of poetry's most cutting edge bards. Come forth ye canon weary. Behold your inner Kong! [Order]

Isilien Taureva writes: I think you'd be interested to know that on Page 59 of today's "Los Angeles Times Calendar Weekend", under "My Favorite Weekend", there's a very brief interview with Andy Serkis, in which he tells what his favorite weekend is.

Ataahua writes; Weta Digital’s Joe Letteri and Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor talk about why New Yorkers didn’t complain about King Kong being filmed in New Zealand, how ‘emotion capture’ brought soul to the giant ape, and why Weta is succeeding in the art of innovation. [More]

Camillu writes: Just to point out that Peter Jackson placed the Wilhelm Scream very prominently in King Kong, just as he did in the LOTR films. (Highlight to read!) !!!SPOILERS!!! You can hear it at the end of the Brachiosaurus run as one of them knocks a crew member off the cliff. Keep up the good work!

Don't know what 'The Wilhelm Scream' is? [Read This]

Ataahua writes: The editor of The Taranaki Daily News in New Zealand gives a Kiwi’s view of Peter Jackson’s accomplishments: “In short, it is impossible to over-estimate the impact of the life of a Wellington boy, who went to his beloved local cinema in 1970, aged nine, to sit mesmerised through a showing of the 1933 classic, King Kong, and came out blinking into the sunlight with the sure knowledge that he wanted to be part of the magic of making movies.” [More]

Adele sends this along: Wondering about those rhinestone-studded King Kong T-shirts that several stars were wearing at the Wellington premiere? We'd like to tell you they were local, as at 2003's The Lord of the Rings premiere when Orlando Bloom sported a Huffer "I love NZ" T-shirt. It was apparently not a designer handout - Bloom found it himself. [More]

LOS ANGELES Dec 15, 2005 — "King Kong," Peter Jackson's remake about the giant ape in love, took in $9.8 million domestically in its first day, solid for a Wednesday debut but far below the king-size premieres of other action epics. Distributor Universal called it a good beginning that will generate audience word-of-mouth on top of stellar reviews for "King Kong." "My little monkey's doing great," said Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution. "We're convinced with all the information we have that this is the big guy, and he's going to be around for a long time." [More]

The London Film Critic Award nominations were just released and King Kong, Peter Jackson and Naomi Watts are all nominated. Kong has been nominated for Film of the Year and Peter Jackson for Best Director meanwhile Naomi Watts has been nominated for Actress of the Year. Take a look at who they are up against here! [More]

The great folks at Warner Bros have sent along this little snippet from the the 'RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World' documentary, included on the second disc of the 1933 King Kong Collector DVD Set. This particular video focuses on good ole Obie (Willis O'Brien) - we'll be posting a few more in the coming days. If you don't already own this set, we highly recommend picking one up today! [View the Clip] [Order at Amazon.com]

One of the creative talents behind the King Kong Christmas blockbuster, and the Lord of the Rings movies will outline his work at a special presentation at the Porirua Festival of the Elements on Waitangi Day. Titahi Bay’s own Daniel Reeve has become internationally known for his calligraphy and cartography work in films including all three of the LOTR movies, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, King Kong and Van Helsing. [More]

King Kong is predicted to topple Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring as the biggest grossing film so far at the New Zealand box office. The Fellowship of the Ring, released in 2001, made $14.5 million. After a sneak preview of King Kong, Motion Picture Distributors Association executive director Bill Hood said he was so impressed he was confident Jackson would beat his own record. [More]

G. Bergmann of Denver, CO has won a V-Rex Skull from Weta Collectibles in our King Kong Giveaway! A special thanks to Weta Collectibles and Universal for providing such great prizes! If you have yet to enter, do so now! [Click Here]

It seems almost certain that “King Kong” will enjoy the same critical adulation and blockbuster popular success as the “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy, which means that Kong isn’t the only 10-ton gorilla around. With four massive successes in a row, director Peter Jackson is an enviable position as an artist, having gained enough clout that he could choose just about anything he dreamed of for his next film and he’d find a studio that would let him make it. (“A dramatic adaptation of the Sears catalog, Mr. Jackson? Brilliant!”) [More]

Xoanon here, I love this article, and Christopher Bahn is now my own personal hero/love puppet...his idea of getting Peter to do a big screen Doctor Who makes my heart jump 10 or 12 beats.

You know, I really don’t want to give away too much. You’re expecting an epic, right? You watched the trailer and you think you’re in for some Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lost World stuff, right? Ho, ho, ho, Christmas has come early this year, then. Oh, but I can’t tell you anymore. Well, okay, just a bit more. [More]

Jack Black is slated to be a guest on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' on NBC. He is there to talk Kong, but expect other goofiness to poke through as well. 'Late Night' airs on NBC at 12:35AM, set those TiVos!

It is time to come together and talk Kong! The chatroom has been a great success, however some people have been popping in at odd hours when there is no one to chat with. To that end I've devised a KONG Chat time, a set time and day of the week for all Kong chatters to meet and have fun! The bi-weekly Kong Chats will be Thursday nights at 8:30PM Eastern Standard Time (a new Saturday chat has been added click here for more info). World times are below, if you need more help click here. [Kong Java Chat Room] [irc chat settings: SERVER www.theonering.net ROOM: #kongisking.net]

8:30pm (Thursday) EST in New York, Montreal
5:30pm (Thursday) PST in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco
1:30am (Friday) in GMT (UK)
2:30am (Friday) CET in Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam
12:30pm (Friday) in Sydney
2:30pm (Friday) in Auckland and Wellington