LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Colin Hanks and "Early Edition" star Kyle Chandler have been tapped to join the gorilla gang in Peter Jackson's "King Kong" remake. They join Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody in the Universal Pictures reimagination of the classic story. Hanks is on board to play a production assistant to filmmaker Carl Denham (Black) with Chandler in negotiations to play a 1930s B-movie actor opposite Watts' character, Ann Darrow. [More]

Deni sends along more info on the interesting 'Wellington 48 hour film project', the finals of which were this saturday. He/She/It/They also give us the latest news regarding the goings on in Miramar, Stone Street and Park Road Post. [More]

From MTV.com: When it was announced that Jack Black would be starring in the new remake of "King Kong," a lot of people wondered: He's not going all serious-actor guy, is he? "There are some funny things about my character but, yeah, it is a different thing for me," Black revealed backstage at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards. [More]

ComingSoon.net is reporting today that 'The Pianist'-actor Thomas Kretschmann is the latest addition to PJ's cast for King Kong. Apparently Kretschmann signed up to play the captain of the boat used to transport Kong to civilisation. [More]

Filmmaker Peter Jackson — assiduously disheveled, frequently barefoot and barely 5-and-a-half feet tall — is a giant in Hollywood. But in his native New Zealand he is something even bigger: its newest national hero. That much is clear from the moment you land at the airport in Wellington, where a red carpet is lined with giant golden replicas of the 11 Oscars awarded to Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and a massive model of the film's eerie Golum character peers over the roof of the main terminal. [More]

Deni writes: I just read this report by Xoanon about the new happenings on King Kong. I thought I should add a bit of information to help clear up some confusion. [More]

Almost, but not entirely... writes: I sent a quick report a few weeks ago about the work going on around Wellington NZ for King Kong.. At the carpark behind the Stone Stree Studios in Miramar - The Mumak harness that I reported was being stored at the back of the carpark has now in fact, been taken away. The Three Foot Six truck marked "Genetics Departement" (???) that was parked there has also gone. [More]

Ataahua (and other Ringers!) sent us a link to this article: Andy Serkis, the man behind the popular Gollum character from Lord of the Rings, is reuniting with Peter Jackson to become the man behind the monster in Universal Pictures' King Kong, the director's retelling of the 1933 classic. [More]