'King Kong' TV Show In The Works
Following the global box-office success of Kong: Skull Island, there's some proof the big ape's name still carries some weight with audiences. He'll wrastle Godzilla in 2020, but before that showdown happens, we might see Kong back on the small screen. IM Global Television and MarVista Entertainment are now working on a series called King Kong Skull Island.
Below, learn more about the King Kong TV show.
The series has nothing to do with Jordan Vogt-Roberts' well-liked but thin blockbuster. The project, which Oscar winners Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title (The Bye Bye Man) are writing, is based on two books written by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland, King Kong and Kong: King of Skull Island. Deadline describes the modern take on Kong as having a female lead and that it will explore the origins of the island. THR labels the series as "a drama."
There have been a few animated TV versions of Kong, such as The King Kong Show and Kong: The Animated Series, but King Kong Skull Island could make for the first live-action version of the character on television. The estate of Kong's creator approved of the show.
In a statement, Mark Stern, the CEO of IM Global Television (FX's adaptation of Cat's Cradle), said:
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.
MarVista's CEO Fernando Szew added:
Jonathan and Stacy have taken a world that has enraptured audiences in all its many forms over the years and given it a contemporary, female-focused spin.
MarVista has produced some thrillers with some great titles: A Deadly Connection, Deadly Detention, Cradle Swapping, and The Other Mother. It looks like King Kong Skull Island is their biggest project to date, which doesn't have a network yet. MarVista and IM Global TV will develop and co-produce King Kong Skull Island.
They're clearly striking while the iron is hot following the success of Kong: Skull Island, which showed there's still some fun to be in watching the big ape fight monsters. The TV show probably won't come close to matching the scale of those fights, if it ever gets made, but Skull Island could make for a fun setting for a television series, even if a Kong series does sound a little redundant.