‘Kong: Skull Island’ Teases A Brooding God Reigning Supreme Over Man And Beast [Video]

In 2005, Universal Pictures brought us a reboot of the classic King Kong tale in which the gigantic ape (Andy Serkis) met his demise at the hands of man, after having been beguiled by beauty (Naomi Watts). Now, Warner Bros. takes fans back to Skull Island to give a new look at what King Kong’s life might have been like, if he hadn’t been captured and delivered to the New World for the amusement of man. A new look from the makers of Kong: Skull Island reveals a lonely and sullen creature, yet even that type of exile would surely be preferably to the fate that awaits King Kong beyond the shores of Skull Island.

A New Kong: Skull Island Poster Gives A Very Close Look At The King Of The Beasts

News about the plot of Kong: Skull Island has been sparse, but the recent trailer screened at Comic-Con earlier this year tells an updated story and may actually have little to do with the classic lore. Instead, as Screen Crush shares the newly offered Kong: Skull Island poster, we learn that the upcoming film will take place years later, circa 1970, and that a government official (John Goodman) will lead a team to Skull Island in search of a mythical cure-all medicine. Joining Goodman will be Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson.

As might be expected, things go from bad to worse, when the human intruders come face to face with Skull Island’s most feared resident, King Kong. Bullets, trees, and helicopters fly, as man and beast clash in a prehistoric setting.

Fans of the 2005 King Kong film might remember that the humongous ape was brilliantly brought to life by Andy Serkis and a team of talented CGI experts, creating a life-like and angry king of Skull Island. Now, the new poster for the latest Kong film suggests that that former ape may pale in comparison to the beast found in Kong: Skull Island.

Kong: Skull Island Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts Talks About Making Kong More Vicious

Along with the release of the new poster, the Kong: Skull Island director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about creating a new version of King Kong and wanting to deliver a more emotional and more personified version of the iconic ape. To do that, Jordan says he started the process by focusing on the eyes, because with any living being, whether one talks of humans or creatures, the eyes really are the windows to the soul. In describing the attributes he wants portrayed in Kong’s eyes, Vogt-Roberts reveals King Kong’s nature as a tragic hero.

“He’s got a job on this island and at first he might be perceived as a negative or villainous force, and then you need those eyes to guide the audience and take them on a journey where you slowly pull the rug out and develop empathy for this being, for the plight and the day-to-day struggle of what it is to be this [thing],” explains the Kong: Skull Island director. “We actually have a lot of extreme close ups in this movie of Kong and his eyes to sort of plant the audience in his headspace.”

In creating King Kong as a conflicted character, Jordan says he didn’t want to follow what Gareth Edwards has done with Godzilla, or what many have been done previously in creating giant monsters for the big screen. For one thing, Mr. Vogt-Roberts promises not to make moviegoers wait too long for the big reveal. Kong: Skull Island won’t hide its star, says Jordan.

Jordan adds that his biggest challenge in establishing King Kong was presenting his size in accordance with his surroundings. He says everything in each shot had to be scaled to fit the look he wanted.

“That fine line between looking up and saying, ‘This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I might be looking at a God’ and also ‘I’m absolutely terrified right now, I may have p—ed my pants, and I think that thing’s going to kill me.’ What is that threshold and that fine line,” says the Kong: Skull Island boss. “So finding ways to shoot him and the island and all the creatures in a way where it’s slightly more reflective and the scale makes you hopefully think everything in between those two ideas.”

Kong: Skull Island swings into theaters on March 10, 2017.

[Featured Image by Warner Bros.]