Author Joe DeVito writes: I wanted to send over some exclusive shots of this Kong statue that I sculpted for the Cooper Estate. It was inspired by the pre-production art for the 1933 film, though the piece varies in some details. One of my favorite parts is the dome of the Empire State Building. The pre-production art was created before construction was finished. No one knew exactly what the top would look like; which is the reason for the design on the sculpt. Iąve always been a fan of the nostalgia surrounding Kong and thereąs something about the Art Deco alternate universe aspect of this piece that I really liked sculpting. I attached the ad since it shows all the basic info for those interested. The statue is being solicited by Diamond right now (# MAY053697) and can be ordered through any comic book retailer, or through Bud Plant. The estate will be launching its own website shortly as well. Delivery will be late September/early October.

Hamish writes: I got this in Scouting Wellington's Area newsletter from the Wellington Area Secretary. He works from our Brookfield Outdoor Education Centre at the end of Moores Valley Road in Wainuiomata, and had this to say in his weekly news: "Over the last couple of weeks the sound crew for King Kong have been recording various tree noises with the tree fellers and on Wednesday recorded the sound of a big pine that was dropped up by the Chapel. As luck would have it, it fell just as the Brookfield Committee were doing an inspection tour. I got to listen to the recording on the earphones and, in modern vernacular, it was awesome."

Darby writes: Jack Black makes an appearance in episode 8 of LASERFART, a Channel 101 entry. Channel 101 is all amateur films voted on by the viewing audience. Here's the link to the episode. Enjoy this tasteless but funny treat. [More]

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
1:30AM (Friday) in GMT (UK)
2:30AM (Friday) (Central European Time)
10:30PM (Friday) in Sydney, Australia
12:30PM (Friday) in Auckland, Wellington, New Zealand

Two new DVD's for you to enjoy, Naomi Watts' latest film 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon' and Jamie Bell's 'Undertow'. Take a look! [More]

Naomi Watts may fear becoming a big movie star, but she won't be able to avoid being anything but huge following the release of her latest Hollywood blockbuster King Kong. Playing Ann Darrow in the remake of the classic 1933 film, Watts has spent several months living in Wellington, New Zealand, where the film was directed by triple Academy Award winner Peter Jackson. [More]

Peter Jackson's cutting-edge, hi-tech film-making – used to great effect on The Lord of the Rings and King Kong – has been employed to restore the only film taken of the Anzacs at Gallipoli in 1915. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Anzac Day that the restored film – held by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra – was as good as when it first screened in London in 1916. The 20 minutes of footage included soldiers from the Wellington Battalion in a trench. The original nitrate film was destroyed in 1967, and the best print that remained was scratched, fuzzy and low in contrast. [More]

Coming off acclaimed work on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Hollywood composer Howard Shore has agreed to develop music for Webzen's upcoming fantasy MMO called SUN. "It is a privilege for Webzen, Inc. to work with such a talented composer like Howard Shore," said Nam Ju Kim, CEO of Webzen, Inc. "His composing legacy has spanned decades and we're excited to be a part of his video game debut." [More]

Those stars may loll about in the limelight, but it is the men and women behind the camera that really matter. Barking orders into an oversized megaphone, attired in the latest in checked shirts, baseball caps and natty beards (and that's just the ladies) they're hardly the most glamorous workers in the business, but theirs is the god-given talent to create magic. [More]

Adele sends this in: On Bank Holiday Monday 30 May, Simon Bates will be counting down the Top 40 Movie Soundtracks, as voted for by you! And if you vote today, you'll go into the draw for a massive box of 41 CDs of the greatest movie music collections, courtesy of Silva Screen Records. The box will include boxed-sets of CDs featuring the essential music of John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, John Barry, Howard Shore, Max Steiner, Maurice Jarre, Star Wars and Stanley Kubrick films and much more. All you have to do is vote for your favourite movie music of all time. [More]

We've had a TON of very talented artists send along some great work over the past week. Take a look at some of the new wallpapers added! [More]

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

Joe DeVito, author of KONG: King of Skull Island will be displaying some original Kong paintings and giving out collectible postcards at signings in the next few weeks. Today he will be at 'Township Library of Lower Southampton' (1983 Bridgetown Pike, Feasterville, PA). Follow this link for more dates and locations! [More]

Rachael writes: Thought Auckland/New Zealand fans would like to know, if they haven't seen it already: as part of the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival, Philippa Boyens will be speaking on the 21 May at the Hilton about adapting LotR for the screen. [More]

The Last Day of Shooting! This is both a happy and sad day as the King Kong crew prepare for the final setup, the final scene, the final 'cut!'. Andy Serkis and Naomi Watts are there to the bitter end and PJ gives his crew a great farewell treat! In return PJ gets an amazing gift, what a sweet bunch of folks! The best news is near the end...what will become of the Production Diaries??!?!?!!! Download and find out! [QT6 240x132px 5Mb] [QT4 320x176px 9Mb] [QT6 480x264px 12Mb] [Bit Torrents!]

Email us your questions and PJ may answer them in a future Production Diary!

Like what you see? Discuss it in our Chat Room! [Click Here] Or the Message Boards? [Click Here]

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Jack Black has signed on to star in a new film co-written with longtime collaborator Mike White and Jared Hess, the latter of whom wrote and directed the 2004 hit comedy "Napoleon Dynamite." The as-yet-untitled movie will be co-produced by Black and White's Black & White Productions in tandem with Nickelodeon Movies, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. [More]

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
1:30AM (Friday) in GMT (UK)
2:30AM (Friday) (Central European Time)
10:30PM (Friday) in Sydney, Australia
12:30PM (Friday) in Auckland, Wellington, New Zealand