Lindsay writes: mugglenet.com is currently running a poll asking who you would most like to see direct Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. One of the choices is Peter Jackson, and he's currently winning by just 48 votes. [More]

Kong Spy Gandalf writes: A day of wet weather yesterday but construction must go on, especially if the set is to be finished in two weeks or so as noted in day 20's production diary. The large blue screen looks mostly up and an appendage is taking shape out the front. The rock wall is progressing as you'll see, and I've also included a shot from the southern end of the set looking along the hillside where a very long blue screen is taking shape. In this last photo, you can also see part of the large marquee tucked against the hill behind all the construction and near the entrance to the site. These photos were snapped this morning, Friday 8 October (NZ Time). [More]

Gandalf writes: The site I've photgraphed is new in the last 3 weeks and is located on Queens Drive in Lyall Bay across from Wellington airport on the south coast. I literally live on the street next door, and less than 300m from the construction site. (I also look across the bay to the airport where I can still see the massive Gollum on the roof of the airport terminal reaching for a ring, but that's another story!). [More]

He's as well known for kissing beautiful women as he is for his acting. Star of The Pianist Adrien Brody enjoys nothing better than taking women by surprise. So, when the Academy Award winner was spotted in Sydney yesterday, The Daily Telegraph decided to see if he enjoyed having the tables turned. [More]

PJ's Production Diary continues with a fantastic interview with Lumpy The Cook (Andy Serkis), as he gives an exclusive tour of the Venture's, uh, facilities... [QT6 240x132px 6.3Mb] [QT4 320x176px 12Mb] [QT6 480x264px 15Mb] [Bit Torrents!]

Like what you see? Discuss it in our new Chat Room! [CHAT]

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2004--Earning $73,044 per theatre in its first weekend, I HEART HUCKABEES shattered records to become the biggest feature film opening of the last two years and the fifth biggest opening of all time on a per-theatre basis (excluding animated and Imax releases). The film, which opened in four theatres in Los Angeles and New York on October 1, will open in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Philadelphia, Seattle, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Austin and Portland on October 8. [More]

dvdansers.com have added DVD specs and a release date for the Adrien Brody thriller 'The Village'. Look for that to hit storeshelves on January 11th, 2004. [More] [Pre-Order on Amazon.com]

From DarkHorizons: Filming will continue in Wellington until the end of the year, before moving to Thailand for the Samutran jungle scenes. Some post-production work will be undertaken in Los Angeles. PJ is pretending the 1976 (with Jessica Lange) film never existed.

Last week we ran a report that character actor Cliff Curtis was spotted in Wellington, we suspected he may be working on Kong. BG sets us straight: I've just seen a report on NZ TV from the set of River Queen, which has resumed filming after a break due to one of the actors (Samantha Morton) becoming ill. The report showed Cliff Curtis, in costume being filmed. So he is working on a movie in NZ, but it isn't Kong.

As work on the fake SS Venture set wraps up, PJ & Dan Hennah give us a tantalizing glimpse at the Skull Island set and the new KONG Studio! Pressure mounts as the set builders run out of time to finish work on the gigantic wall and gate (yes, there will be a gate!) needed for some 'intense action scenes'. PJ also shows us the 'real' SS Venture, an old ship they purchased and re-designed to match the studio boat. Be sure to check out the foam trees being made for the Skull Island set, we reach the island in just over two weeks! [QT 240x135] [QT 320x176] [QT 480x270]

Not one, but two new Frankensteins are on the loose. And they come in two distinctive styles: Contemporary and Traditional. At 9 p.m. EDT next Sunday (Oct. 10), USA network's "Frankenstein" stars Parker Posey as a plucky New Orleans detective investigating a series of gruesome murders that eventually lead to one Dr. Victor Helios (Thomas Kretschmann), who, now two centuries old, has a newfangled plan for manufacturing a master race to take over the world. Her unlikely ally in thwarting this plot: the doctor's original monstrous creation (Vincent Perez). [More]

The animated fish story "Shark Tale" swamped the competition, opening as the top weekend movie with $49.1 million and potentially breaking the record for best October debut. John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix's firefighting adventure "Ladder 49" premiered in second place with $22.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. [More]

We have to apologize up front. We made a HUGE mistake in our history section of this website. Follow the link for details. Thanks to board novice BG for bringing it up. [Click Here]

George writes: I just wanted to bring something to your attention however. King Kong was not taken from the mysterious Skull Island. He was stolen from our home of New Jersey in the US. He used to live here with us and spend the summers with us on the Jersey Shore. With the news of a remake of King Kong I felt it my duty to uncover this. The picture at the bottom is a ride that used to operate on the Boardwalk in Wildwood NJ. It has long since been torn down. [More]

The latest Jack Black film 'Shark Tale' is out in North America today. Jack voices the soft-hearted shark named Lenny. [USA Showtimes] [CAN Showtimes]

Day 18 brings us more soaking conditions on the SS Venture. Special Effects gurus Geoff Curtis, Ross Anderson & Mike McDonald give us a guided tour around the portable 'dump tanks' that create the huge waves that splash up against the boat. Working with that much cold water in the middle of the night in late winter....who said filmmaking was glorious?! [QT 240x135] [QT 320x176] [QT 480x270]

Six Flags Great America in Chicagoland is decorating for it's October Fright Fest, and the latest addition to go up is the inflatable King Kong on top of the Sky Trek Tower. If anyone has pictures of this or knows any specifics (How big is that thing?) please send them in.

Entertainment Weekly has an interview with Jack Black online in which Black states that Fay Wray was to have a small cameo in Jackson's King Kong, saying the legendary line: "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast." Unfortunately Wray passed away last month. Read the full article here