According to The Hollywood Reporter, a television series called King Kong: Skull Island, based on the recent blockbuster Kong: Skull Island, is in the works. MarVista Entertainment and IM Global are working together to finally bring Merian C. Cooper’s ‘king of the jungle’ to the small screen. If the series is picked up, this will be the first television series based on the iconic character.
Although the King Kong: Skull Island series will have a different cast from the recent feature film, it will most likely take place in a similar setting, but instead of the 1970s, take place in modern day. From early reports, the series is expected to have a female protagonist supported by a multicultural cast. Husband & wife writing team Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title, writer and director of last year’s The Bye Bye Man, will write the series. Both were nominated for an Oscar in 1993 for Best Live-Action Short Film for their film Down on the Waterfront.
The first King Kong film was released in 1933, was conceived by and directed by Merian C. Cooper. It starred Fay Wray, Bruce Cabot, and Robert Armstrong, and is remembered not only for its creative story, but for its combination of live-action and stop-motion animation. Although now considered a classic film, it was not nominated for any Oscars at the time of its release. According to rumors, the film’s executive producer David O. Selznick urged the Academy to nominate special effect supervisor Willis H. O’Brien and his crew for a special award in visual effects, but the Academy declined (the special effects category would not exist until 1938).
In 1976, John Guillermin directed a remake starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange. Guillermin also directed a sequel King Kong Lives. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson also made a remake in 2005, which was not received well by critics. The 2005 film starred Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody starred, with Andy Serkis as King Kong.
The latest feature film in the King Kong franchise, Kong: Skull Island, was released last month and has proved to be a success with audiences. With a production budget around 200 million US dollars, Kong: Skull Island has currently made over 552 million US dollars total at the box office. It made 142.6 million in it’s first weekend.
The feature film starred, Bri Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and John C Reilly.
Mark Stern, president of IM Global Television, said in a statement:
There’s clearly a deep and abiding interest in this timeless story. We love Stacy and Jonathan’s approach to this adaptation and look forward to partnering with MarVista as we bring this gripping tale of survival and adventure to life for a new generation of Kong fans.
As King Kong: Skull Island is currently in development, the producers have not yet secured a network to air the show. Stay tuned for more details on the project.