2023-05-31 09:30:00
Love the Lord of the Rings trilogy and admire Peter Jackson for what he created with it? Then you should definitely watch the director’s follow-up work tonight, which in some aspects turned out to be even more elaborate.
Sure, three hours is quite a time investment that Peter Jackson demands of his audience with “King Kong”. But it pays off. Because, as we find out in our four-star FILMSTARTS review, Jackson impressively underpinned his reputation as a sensational event cinema director. The cast was also top notch. In addition to Naomi Watts (“Mulholland Drive”) and Oscar winner Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”), there were comedian Jack Black (“Jumanji”) in a rare serious role, Jamie Bell (“Rocketman”) and Dessau Thomas Kretschmann (“Ballon “) in front of the camera.
King Kong airs today, May 31, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. on Nitro. If the date doesn’t suit you or you want to do without commercial breaks, you’ll unfortunately have to dig into your pockets. Because none of the popular streaming services currently has the film in the flat rate program.
“King Kong” at Amazon*
However, it is worth checking online retailers such as Amazon. Because in addition to the regular DVD/Blu-ray editions, there is a 4K/UltraHD double disc. This contains the “Extended Cut” which is a good quarter of an hour longer and also many hours of bonus material in the form of “making-ofs”, unreleased scenes, etc. Alternatively, a paid stream is available at the same location.
“King Kong” on Nitro: That’s the story
New York, 1933: Filmmaker Carl Denham (Jack Black) is not only in a creative, but above all a financial crisis. That’s why his next work has to be a sensation. For this he hires ship captain Englehorn (Thomas Kretschmann) to take him and his crew to the fabled Skull Island, said to be home to the most incredible creatures. Also in attendance are actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and screenwriter Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody).
After weeks of odyssey, they finally arrive at their destination. But problems soon arise. Extremely hostile, the archaic-looking natives kill some of Denham’s associates and kidnap Ann. It turns out to be an offering for the ruler of Skull Island: the gigantic gorilla King Kong, who fears even the dinosaurs and other prehistoric predators that still exist there…
Universal Pictures Germany GmbH The titular character and Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) in one of the few quieter moments of their acquaintance.
Peter Jackson’s most personal film
By the age of nine, Jackson decided he wanted to be a filmmaker. The trigger was the 1933 black and white spectacle “King Kong and the White Woman”, which the budding cinema genius had seen on TV. Decades later, right following landing a hit with the horror comedy The Frighteners, the New Zealander wanted to bring his own version of the story to the screens. But that’s when the production of his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy got in the way.
After the resounding success of the Tolkien adaptations, the time had finally come. Jackson was given an all-time record budget of $207 million for “King Kong”. – a sum that he once more exceeded by a whopping 32 million. When King Kong hit theaters worldwide in 2005, it grossed nearly $600 million. The film won three Oscars and a host of other awards – mostly for technical aspects such as special effects or sound.
In 2013 it became known that a sequel with the planned title “Skull Island” was being worked on. Jackson was on board as producer, while this time Adam Wingard (“You’re Next”) was set to direct. The project was later shelved when Universal Studios lost the rights to the character King Kong to Warner Bros. With “Kong: Skull Island” they realized their own blockbuster, without Jackson’s participation. However, Wingard was able to take a seat in the director’s chair at least a few years later for Godzilla Vs. Kong. In 2024 he will follow “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire”.
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*The link to the Amazon offer is a so-called affiliate link. If you make a purchase through this link, we will receive a commission.
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