King Kong Articles & Interviews

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The Story of Production Diaries King Kong is about to die. Shoulders hunched, the great ape is perched atop the Empire State Building, 1,200 feet above Fifth Avenue. At that height, the skies are empty but for two Curtis Helldiver biplanes that swoop through the clouds. The planes arc toward Kong and strafe the beast with bullets, their silhouettes black against the Gotham sky. This footage, the public's first glimpse of the final scene of Peter Jackson's King Kong, was lifted from the server of a special effects shop in Wellington, New Zealand, converted into a short QuickTime movie, and posted online a few months ago. But the clip isn't the product of a studio leak or a hacker's wiles; it was created and released by Jackson himself. It's one in a series of so-called Production Diaries, which chronicle the making of Jackson's new motion picture. 4More
Peter Jackson Q & A Question: You must be the busiest man in the universe right now? Peter Jackson: Well, not too bad right now. I've just got the point, a day or two ago, where things line up for the finishing line. So, it is a little bit more straightforward right now. Question: Give me an idea of your “To Do” list for today? Peter Jackson: I start today at the editorial cutting room where we are going to look at some miniature plates that we shot, that we are just going to trim up. And then cut them into the movie so that Weta can get the last few shots done with the miniatures. The miniature crew wrapped last week, after a year and a half of shooting, so the last few plates that they did have to be cut. Then I'll go down to post-production at Park Grove which is only five minutes away - all these things are five minutes away from each other - to do the sound mix. 4More
Naomi Watts talks about King Kong Q: What took you all the way to China and meant you only got three and a half hours sleep last night? A: I'm filming there right now in Beijing. I am doing a movie called The Painted Veil which is a Somerset Maugham story. Q: What's it like out there? A: It's amazing, a great time to be there. It's very transitional and there is a lot of excitement and energy. Q: This time last year you were in New Zealand, filming King Kong. What a life you have? A: Starting this - almost a year to the day. 4More
Gorilla Filmmaking: A King Kong photo portfolio The art direction team, led by Oscar-winner Grant Major, began designing King Kong with sketch pads and laptops. But eventually, somebody had to wield a blowtorch. To craft the SS Venture, the tramp steamer that transports Kong from Skull Island to New York, the design crew converted a 1956 Dutch coaster, straightening her bow and altering her top decks. This ship, shown here in Wellington harbor, was actually one of four Ventures used in the movie: There were also two miniatures and, since Peter Jackson gets seasick, a full-size set built on the studio parking lot. 4More
Naomi Watts: This is like a relationship movie Q: Before this movie did you have anything special going on with monkeys? A: I did a little bit; I've always been a fan of primates. Actually a long time ago, I had a boyfriend who asked what I wanted to do for my birthday - and I said I wanted to go and see the monkeys at the zoo. I like monkeys, gorillas everything. I like watching them and it is uncanny how close they are to us. There is very little that separates us. I had a bit of interest in them, which was coincidental, it wasn't like I was seeking out King Kong. Q: You weren't bothered about a monkey being in love with you? A: This is like a relationship movie. There are parts of our relationship that are very similar to humans and we cross everything...there's anger, jealousy, domesticity. There are a lot of different beats, just like an ordinary relationship. 4More
Andy Serkis Interview Q: After doing all the work for Kong you must feel like a digital pathfinder? AS: I do feel like the digital realm is expanding in film, definitely. It's been fascinating, and I suppose the single most important change from Gollum to Kong, in terms of the technical stuff, was the use of facial motion capture. And, I suppose, more importantly, the character we were just about to create. Pete [Jackson] had a strong idea about the character of Kong, but in the same way that Gollum was developed, we didn't really start finding it until the motion capture phase, which is after principle photography. 4More
Naomi Watts: I'm not a princess all the way NAOMI Watts - dressed from tip to toe in Armani, wearing the designer's stylish dark blue dress and chic shoes - looks as though she's ready to step on to the catwalk. The reality though is that the star would rather curl back into the comfort of her bed. A victim of jet-lag, 36 year-old Naomi had arrived in New York on the previous night's flight from China and only managed three and a half hours sleep before getting up to spend the day discussing the biggest film role of her career. Her energy levels are impressive as she talks about becoming the latest actress to play iconic screen heroine Ann Darrow, the would-be film star in the latest, most expensive and scariest version of King Kong. 4More