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May 24, 2005 - May 31, 2005

News for May 31, 2005

Kong Poster Sells for $58,650

5/31/05, 10:26 pm EST - Xoanon

Christina writes: Not sure if you are interested, but I was at a movie poster auction this weekend where two 1933 "Son of Kong" 3-sheets were sold. One went for $58,650, the other (without the ape) went for $19,550. They were lot #'s 057 & 058. [More]

Jack Black Moves to 90210

5/31/05, 10:20 pm EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - "School of Rock" star Jack Black shouldn't be throwing stones now that he owns a glass house. The 35-year-old comic actor recently purchased a Beverly Hills home that features floor-to-ceiling walls of glass, reports the Los Angeles Times. He paid more than the $2.9 million asking price. Like many other things in the 90210 area code, the home had a facelift -- by Darryl Wilson Design. The private, gated house boasts 10-foot ceilings, canyon views and more than an acre of land covered. [More]

$300,000 grant animates Weta

5/31/05, 10:17 pm EST - Xoanon

Special effects company Weta Workshop has been granted $300,000 of government money to turn the technology that brought The Lord of the Rings character Gollum to life into a home-grown animation industry. The "motion capture" technology used in the films can deliver high-quality animation for TV at a cheaper price than previously possible. The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology gave Weta the grant through its technology for business scheme. [More]

VFXWorld Talks Kong

5/31/05, 12:43 pm EST - Xoanon

Movielad writes: Here's an article at VFXWorld (free registration required, unfortunately) which goes into quite good detail about some of the VFX of King Kong among some other upcoming films. It has answered a few of my questions that's for sure! [More]

Game On!

5/31/05, 12:36 pm EST - Xoanon

Game On! Roheryn writes: The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly lists the video game of Peter Jackson's King Kong as one of most highly anticipated releases! [More]

News for May 29, 2005

The kings and queens of Kiwi pop culture

5/29/05, 8:44 pm EST - Xoanon

World famous - in New Zealand and sometimes out. Grant Smithies casts a critical eye over NZ pop culture's most significant figures. People say the best way to understand any country is to become familiar with its great painters, poets, novelists and composers. Not true. To find out how any nation really ticks, go directly to its popular culture...Whenever the conversation turns to local movies, one film-maker bestrides the local landscape like King Kong, namely Peter Jackson. [More]

Kong Toy Images!

5/29/05, 10:18 am EST - Xoanon

King Kong Toy Images Ainitcoolnews.com posted images of some King Kong toys! [More] [Images]

News for May 28, 2005

WETA Seeks Digital Artists

5/28/05, 10:41 am EST - Xoanon

Weta Workshop/Digital (the production company that created the visual effects for the Lord of the Rings trilogy) is seeking Digital Artists to work on upcoming feature films, including King Kong which is current in post production. Weta Digital seeks Keyframe Animators, Motion Editors, Modelers, Shader Writers, Matte Painters, Character TDs, 3D Texture Painters, Compositors, 2D Paint Artists and VFX Production Coordinators. [More]

Weekend Kong Chat

5/28/05, 10:36 am EST - Xoanon

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

News for May 27, 2005

Post Production Diary - 29 Weeks To Go

5/27/05, 11:36 am EST - Xoanon

Post Production Diary - 29 Weeks To Go

With 29 weeks to go Peter Jackson and Jamie Selkirk give us a breakdown of the editing process. With millions of feet of film, hours of footage (you will never believe how many) how do they coordinate it all? Who is in control of all that data? Some GREAT shots from the film, and some Kong previs and model shots too! Take a look! [QT6 240x132px 6Mb] [QT4 320x176px 12Mb] [QT6 480x264px 15Mb] [Bit Torrents!]

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

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

Howard Shore Concert: Fairfax, Virginia

5/27/05, 8:54 am EST - Xoanon

Starting today and continuing until the 29th, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra will be performing Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings score at the George Mason University. Take a look at this link for more dates and locations! [More]

Happy Birthday Jason Whyte!

5/27/05, 8:51 am EST - Xoanon


Today is Jason Whyte's Birthday! Whyte, who plays a member of the SS Venture crew, was born on May 27th, 1970. That makes him 35 today! Happy Birthday Jason!

News for May 26, 2005

Kong Videogame Review

5/26/05, 6:57 pm EST - Xoanon

From kijas.com: This Christmas one of Hollywood's greatest creations will come back to life; not only on the silver screen but in our living rooms as well. The creative force behind King Kong is three-time Academy Award® Winner Peter Jackson, who is realizing his life-long dream of re-making the 1933 classic film. In order to develop the game, Jackson is relying on award-winning Videogame creator Michel Ancel to bring Kong to the film-based videogame. [More]

GQ Talks King Kong

5/26/05, 6:53 pm EST - Xoanon

GQ Talks King Kong The May edition of GQ Magazine featured this article and photo shoot with Peter Jackson, Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. [More]

Kong Chat Tonight

5/26/05, 9:17 am EST - Xoanon

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

News for May 25, 2005

From the King Kong set to your feet

5/25/05, 10:04 pm EST - Xoanon

When Peter Jackson's latest movie, King Kong, hits our screens, check out the shoes, you may be wearing them, too. The family-owned Kiwi company, Kumfs, made 330 pairs of shoes for the movie, particularly for the extras in the New York City scenes. And, says general manager retail Robin Boyce, because the shoes fit the retro fashion of the moment, they were also produced as part of the winter collection and have sold well. [More]

Kong Files VII: Going Native

5/25/05, 4:21 pm EST - Xoanon

John Michlig writes: Kong FilesThere are many elements of the original King Kong film that are very much “of their time”: the bombastic acting style; ‘30s-era slang (“sinkers,” anyone?); simple solutions to complex problems (ape on building? Shoot him off!); men wearing snap brim fedoras in the jungle; simple damsel in distress theme; guys arbitrarily driving into the sides of buildings (this evidently happened quite a bit in the ‘30s). [Kong Files]

News for May 24, 2005

Tom Hanks Teaming Up With Son Colin To Make Movie Magic

5/24/05, 6:08 pm EST - Xoanon

Writer/director Sean McGinly has reached into his magic hat and pulled out not one Hanks, but two, to star in his next film. Oscar-winner Tom Hanks and his son Colin Hanks will play father and son (they are actors, after all) in The Great Buck Howard, scheduled to shoot later this year. McGinly, writer of such straight-to-video fare as Venemous and Scorned 2, will take a significant leap as he hopes to make box-office magic with the Hanks men. He'll be writing and directing Buck Howard, which tells the story of a hapless magician and his assistant, both struggling to ascend through the ranks of professional magic-makers. [More]

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