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Additional Crew Named For Peter Jackson's KING KONG remake!

Hey folks, Harry here... Hollywood Reporter sat down in New Zealand to have a chat with Peter Jackson regarding KING KONG, where... besides essentially telling them it would be shot 100% in New Zealand and that they're building a huge Sound Stage for Kong to act on... he really didn't give any details about the script (which isn't written yet) away, but he did say that they are treating it as a drama instead of a fantasy... a technique that served him well on LORD OF THE RINGS. This was the most information let out...

"As far as crew go, "LOTR" veterans include Jan Blenkin and Caro Cunningham, both of whom are producing "Kong" with me; Andrew Lesnie is on board as (director of photography); Grant Major is production designer; Dan Hennah is supervising art director. Both Weta Workshop, led by Richard Taylor, and Weta Digital have been at work on "Kong" for some months now. Howard Shore is doing the music. We are talking to all other crew at the moment and imagine the majority will be "LOTR" veterans."

I'm hoping to get to do a big 20 Questions - where I get to receive queries from you good folks regarding KING KONG for Jackson... AFTER they've completed the first draft of the script and have a better idea of what exactly they've done to our precious Kong. Also - a few tidbits regarding some of the other LOTR folks...

Had a chance to speak briefly with Sean Astin today who wanted me to tell all you fans that were so supportive and vocal about trying to get him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, that what you said and wrote truly touched him and he will always be honored by your support. That's what he was going to say on the SAG awards except that John Rhys Davies knocked him out of the way to introduce Bob Shaye. Astin also told me that he met with Stan Lee recently and had an extensive conversation regarding FANTASTIC FOUR with him... As you all know, Sean announced that he was "in the field" and working his heart out to land the gig to direct FANTASTIC FOUR at Fox. Sean told me that he specifically wants all of us to know that any support that we have for him landing the gig would mean the world to him!

In additional news, Howard Shore has mentioned that there are apparently plans to issue the full 12 hours of LORD OF THE RINGS music that he created for the film in an enormous 8 to 9 disc set... Personally - I'd recommend 9 discs, with each disc capturing a member of the Fellowship. Perhaps that's just my desires. I'd also recommend a large cd sized round box, that from the outside looked like an enormous one true ring. Ok... maybe that one really is just me... All I know is I don't want to see it come out in Japan with far better packaging than I can get here... like the ALIEN box set in the Alien head... or the Terminator set in a Terminator Endo-Skull. That always makes me weepy and frustrated.

One tidbit that I got from Peter recently is this. For Carl Denham's crew that are on Skull Island to shoot his "latest movie" within the film, he is of course seeking out vintage film equipment... of the era. WELL - one such item is extra special. If you see Denham hold up a light meter in the film before capturing the spectacle of the natives "Kong" dance... That Light Meter is the same Light Meter that Willis O'Brien used in checking the light levels on all the stop-motion animation shots in the making of the original KING KONG! That's one of those minor little tidbits of trivia, but for anyone that is a geek of film history - it's cool to know!

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Reader Talkback

sorry
by the_talkbacker
Feb 24th, 2004
07:28:27 AM
does anyone know of a good site for movie news...?
by web labrador
Feb 24th, 2004
07:34:32 AM
Sean Astin directing FF??
by Louis Cyphre
Feb 24th, 2004
07:37:49 AM
It'll be interesting to see something original from PJ to follow
by Atticus Finch
Feb 24th, 2004
07:49:56 AM
King Kong is this generations.......King Kong?
by Bcphil
Feb 24th, 2004
07:50:27 AM
I'm Sorry Sean
by JohnnyOats
Feb 24th, 2004
08:06:40 AM
KING KONG WILL RULE THEM ALL
by Shad0wfax
Feb 24th, 2004
08:13:28 AM
Maybe the stink from the Delaurentis clunker will finally fade.
by manwiththedogs
Feb 24th, 2004
08:34:08 AM
Maybe the stink from the Delaurentis clunker will finally fade.
by manwiththedogs
Feb 24th, 2004
08:35:48 AM
A wonderful bit about the meter, similar to...
by Mooseboy
Feb 24th, 2004
08:37:26 AM
production designer named?
by Hud
Feb 24th, 2004
08:47:12 AM
The world is moving so fast and we are all rushing to just to ke
by darth_billy
Feb 24th, 2004
08:50:04 AM
More crew members announced!!
by PacinoHatersGoHo
Feb 24th, 2004
08:57:12 AM
I'm generally not a big fan of remakes, but this sounds like it
by minderbinder
Feb 24th, 2004
09:03:15 AM
Hey! Don't you be dissin' no '76 KONG, beeyatch!
by Nosferatu Jones
Feb 24th, 2004
09:15:17 AM
Louis Cyphre: Don't you realize that Steven Spielberg was put
by Nosferatu Jones
Feb 24th, 2004
09:20:39 AM
Lesnie - DP
by Rupee88
Feb 24th, 2004
09:21:24 AM
I was watching THE GOONIES with the girlfriend this weekend
by RenoNevada2000
Feb 24th, 2004
09:22:03 AM
Sorry Astin, one short does not make you a director
by DannyOcean01
Feb 24th, 2004
09:31:10 AM
re:Jackson
by donkeyboi
Feb 24th, 2004
09:39:19 AM
Sean Astin has to prove himself capable of directing a full leng
by mortsleam
Feb 24th, 2004
09:46:19 AM
You people who wont support Astin on FF are idiots
by Blok Narpin
Feb 24th, 2004
09:51:51 AM
Just show me the Kong in full motion
by Umorizmo
Feb 24th, 2004
09:59:20 AM
Sean as FF Director?
by BIG-BOY-BOB
Feb 24th, 2004
10:16:18 AM
Astin`s SAG speech pissed off fandom...
by dinosauron
Feb 24th, 2004
10:28:09 AM
Sean as FF Director?
by BIG-BOY-BOB
Feb 24th, 2004
10:29:30 AM
I've read the script. The opening is Fantastic. The rest is a mi
by TheGinger Twit
Feb 24th, 2004
10:31:23 AM
***COOL NEWS*** Immortel trailer
by BIG-BOY-BOB
Feb 24th, 2004
10:35:06 AM
YES, the script is written. but it's so shit it's being re-worke
by TheGinger Twit
Feb 24th, 2004
10:42:39 AM
Ya know, when ORson Welles was 26, he had already directed what
by mortsleam
Feb 24th, 2004
11:12:25 AM
Peter Jackson is the sexiest tomboy beanpole on the planet....pe
by Shigeru
Feb 24th, 2004
11:25:05 AM
Sean Slaps Jackson
by Literate
Feb 24th, 2004
11:29:30 AM
Kong gets shot and falls off a big building
by I Dunno
Feb 24th, 2004
11:55:48 AM
I think Peter Jackson should make "King Kong" with Hulk Hogan as
by mbaker
Feb 24th, 2004
12:01:30 PM
Sean Astin for World Leader!
by wash
Feb 24th, 2004
12:08:02 PM
Donkey Kong is this generation's King Kong
by mbaker
Feb 24th, 2004
12:09:09 PM
hey
by ZO
Feb 24th, 2004
12:12:09 PM
King Kong is stupid
by Indiana Clones
Feb 24th, 2004
12:12:44 PM
Isn't the first draft online?
by Kielbasa
Feb 24th, 2004
12:44:01 PM
King Kong will be a very big hit indeed
by mortsleam
Feb 24th, 2004
12:59:16 PM
WTF? No Gay Robots?
by Darth Phallus
Feb 24th, 2004
02:04:21 PM
Just get this thing over with so Jackson can move on to direct "
by P.H. Warrior
Feb 24th, 2004
02:05:32 PM
Fay Wray
by SLEAZY DINOSAUR
Feb 24th, 2004
02:16:02 PM
Super-cd-set of LOTR soundtrack
by dragonfrog
Feb 24th, 2004
03:39:42 PM
"..but he'd be way out of his depth Directing FF.."
by NiceMarmot
Feb 24th, 2004
03:43:29 PM
All right! King Kong for a new generation!
by Tinfang
Feb 24th, 2004
04:23:46 PM
Sean wasn't "dissing" the Kiwi's or Aussies - he was responding
by Quiddler
Feb 24th, 2004
04:35:12 PM
Kielbasa, they're throwing out that draft and starting over.
by minderbinder
Feb 24th, 2004
05:04:36 PM
I'm here, I'M HERE...! Now Peter Jackson is truly the sexiest ga
by Robofag
Feb 24th, 2004
05:19:34 PM
"let's not forget how much PJ trashed the original works of J.R.
by minderbinder
Feb 24th, 2004
08:03:34 PM
Hey, that was pretty good Ancient Lights!
by morGoth
Feb 24th, 2004
08:29:52 PM
feebles 2
by ohiotrespassers
Feb 24th, 2004
08:31:28 PM
I still think Kate Winslet should play Ann Darrow...
by Red Raider
Feb 24th, 2004
08:41:41 PM
Who will be BEST BOY? What about KEY GRIP? Dammit, I need to k
by Randfilms
Feb 24th, 2004
08:59:09 PM
I heart Naomi Watts
by Christopher3
Feb 24th, 2004
09:03:27 PM
thank you , Literate
by trystero
Feb 24th, 2004
09:47:04 PM
Rudy has more heart than any of the "talented" directors therefo
by Agrajag
Feb 24th, 2004
10:14:45 PM
Immortel
by Nerdboy1423
Feb 24th, 2004
10:20:34 PM
Yeah! Bring on a movie based on the ORIGINAL Donkey Kong...not t
by Sith Witch
Feb 25th, 2004
12:15:02 AM
Chicks dig Lord of the Rings
by Agrajag
Feb 25th, 2004
02:27:51 AM
Fuck you Naysayers, Naomi Watts is the shit.
by AshesOfDonnie
Feb 25th, 2004
04:31:34 AM
Ah, thanks for clearing that up Ancient Lights...
by morGoth
Feb 25th, 2004
06:16:32 AM
AshesOfDonnie, that was some funny shit
by I Dunno
Feb 25th, 2004
08:13:21 AM
Actually, all joking aside, chicks LOVE the lotr movies.
by minderbinder
Feb 25th, 2004
08:27:13 AM
Some originality, please!!!
by Gabor
Feb 25th, 2004
08:59:52 AM
Astin on F.F.? Why not?
by TheWoodMan
Feb 25th, 2004
09:40:02 AM
Jackson's KONG will end with Kong falling off the building... he
by Commando Cody
Feb 25th, 2004
11:55:58 AM
"I'm Rick James, bitch! King Kong ain't got nothin' on me"
by Big Bad Clone
Feb 25th, 2004
02:34:34 PM
It's funny that people are whining that Kong is an odd choice to
by minderbinder
Feb 25th, 2004
06:02:20 PM
Yet another remake of King Kong.
by Darksider
Feb 26th, 2004
01:13:51 AM
Legolas scales King Kong...
by Skyway Moaters
Feb 26th, 2004
02:42:46 PM
Oh oh, I'm running out of room on my LotR shelf.
by Miami Mofo
Feb 26th, 2004
02:55:14 PM
Why, keep collecting Miami!
by morGoth
Feb 26th, 2004
05:16:04 PM
Kong Kong his name is Kong! KONG!
by neobido999
Feb 26th, 2004
08:20:21 PM
As a a genuine modern day Large Ape
by neobido999
Feb 26th, 2004
08:28:25 PM
I shall buy the Howard Shore nine-disc set too
by elanor
Feb 27th, 2004
02:07:59 AM
halloo!
by djinnj
Feb 27th, 2004
05:18:44 AM
Kong
by AliceInWonderlnd
Feb 27th, 2004
08:58:19 AM
What the hell are you people doing up here?
by mortsleam
Feb 27th, 2004
10:39:03 AM
Let's just examine "period piece" for a moment...
by Skyway Moaters
Feb 27th, 2004
11:21:10 AM
The Original
by daughter of time
Feb 27th, 2004
11:27:53 AM
We're saying the same thing DoT...
by Skyway Moaters
Feb 27th, 2004
12:52:39 PM
Skyway, from a cursory examination of the 1996 draft...
by mortsleam
Feb 27th, 2004
01:33:13 PM
That's cool too Mort,
by Skyway Moaters
Feb 27th, 2004
02:25:57 PM
Aside from the love story...
by daughter of time
Feb 27th, 2004
06:10:32 PM
DoT, apparently Harry thinks the same as you.
by Miami Mofo
Feb 27th, 2004
06:42:19 PM
Pittsburgh anyone?
by djinnj
Feb 27th, 2004
10:14:39 PM
djinnj, re: Pittsburg, I'm thinking about it
by elanor
Feb 28th, 2004
01:13:34 PM
"25, 35, 40 or more...
by morGoth
Feb 28th, 2004
02:05:01 PM
Sorry 'bout that, morGy!!!!!!!!!
by Miami Mofo
Feb 29th, 2004
10:13:40 AM
SWEEP! SWEEP!
by Runelord
Mar 1st, 2004
02:38:40 AM
Could I possibly be LAST on this talkback?
by Elaine
Mar 4th, 2004
05:55:40 AM
Elaine, maybe you should stick to the Rotterdam reports.
by mortsleam
Mar 4th, 2004
10:44:18 AM
I'll keep you to that, Mort
by Elaine
Mar 4th, 2004
01:01:14 PM
"The toe-curling preamble is over; the phoney laughter, banal qu
by Sabster
Mar 4th, 2004
01:12:27 PM
We're over on 17084, Sabster
by Elaine
Mar 4th, 2004
02:44:09 PM
Last
by mortsleam
Jun 12th, 2006
04:24:31 PM
Something's wacky in AICN land
by mortsleam
Oct 6th, 2006
09:50:00 PM

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