"I'm really looking forward to seeing what Andy Serkis does with the character of Lumpy, the cook. This will be the first time we will actually get to shoot extended drama sequences together, in the full knowledge that Andy will not be 'painted out' after the fact -- as he was with Gollum. But Andy hasn't escaped that fate entirely. He will also provide valuable on-set reference for the character of Kong and he has spent weeks in the London Zoo and in the highlands of Rwanda researching various aspects of gorilla behavior. It is not our intention to soften Kong in an attempt to humanize him. The power of the story lies in the fact that this is a savage beast from a hostile environment and we will not compromise that."
Actors Evan Parke ("Planet of the Apes"), Lobo Chan and Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot") have also come onboard "King Kong" as crew of the Venture, with Parke as Hayes, the first mate, a hardened ex-infantryman from WWI; Bell as the ship's lookout, Jimmy, a delinquent with a habit for getting into trouble; and Chan rounding out the crew as Choy, the ever-optimistic deckhand.
Jackson's creative team on "King Kong" includes director of photography Andrew Lesnie (cinematographer for the "Rings" trilogy and Oscar(R) winner for "The Fellowship of the Ring"), editor Jamie Selkirk (Oscar(R) winner, "The Return of the King"), production designer Grant Major (Oscar(R) nominee for all three Rings and winner for "The Return of the King"), costumer Terry Ryan ("The Hard Word," "Paradise Road"), and unit production manager Anne Bruning, who last worked in New Zealand on "The Last Samurai."
Visual effects will be again accomplished by New Zealand-based companies Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, recipients of multiple Academy Awards(R) for their collective work on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Visual effects and miniatures will supplement practical locations in creating primordial jungles and '30s-period America.
Stacey Snider, chairman, Universal Pictures, said, "We are thrilled to be joining Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh on the heels of the landmark achievement of 'The Lord of the Rings.' Peter and his team will bring their superior filmmaking, unequalled vision and the latest in film effects to this treasured classic. With the high-voltage casting of Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody, Peter's brought on some of the most talented young actors in Hollywood. There is something unbelievably exciting about working with a filmmaker on his dream project, as 'King Kong' is for Peter. I really look forward to our collaboration."
Jackson noted, "I very much want to respect the iconography of the original film, because I don't believe we should try to change what worked. Our version of 'King Kong' will reflect the same sort of dramatic sensibility we employed on 'The Lord of the Rings' -- placing real characters, with real dilemmas, in the context of a truly fantastical world. I'm determined to give the film a gritty reality and to play the dramatic elements of the story for all they're worth. Our movie is set in 1933, and this is important because it means we can invest the story with the mystery and romance of a bygone era. The Thirties was a time of discovery, when we did not know the full parameters of the world and literally, anything was possible."
Peter Jackson made cinematic history with "The Lord of the Rings," becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously. The final installment, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," received 11 Academy Award(R) nominations and swept every award for which it was nominated (tying the record held by "Titanic" and "Ben-Hur"), including Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was awarded BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, with Jackson also garnering Best Director prizes from the Directors Guild, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Chicago Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics and other nominating groups worldwide. The second installment, "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," earned six Academy Award(R) nominations, including Best Picture. It won two Oscars(R) and two BAFTA Awards. Released in 2001, the first film in the trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," was nominated for 13 Academy Awards(R), including Best Director, and won four. The film also received the American Film Institute's prestigious Film Award and was nominated for 12 awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), winning awards for Best Film and garnering Jackson the David Lean Award for direction. In addition to four Golden Globe nominations, the film also received numerous distinctions and awards around the world.
