A belated sequel to Peter Jackson’s fantasy remake King Kong has seen the sudden departure of two of its key players, with Michael Keaton and JK Simmons both leaving due to scheduling conflicts.
A property that might otherwise have gone relatively unnoticed, Kong: Skull Island was given a major boost by the arrival of Keaton in January, just as Oscar buzz was mounting for his critically acclaimed turn in Birdman, as a former superhero-movie actor trying to reignite his career via Broadway. The star of Beetlejuice and Tim Burton’s Batman films was later beaten to the best-actor prize by The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne, but he is nevertheless experiencing a Hollywood renaissance, having also been cast in the forthcoming McDonalds biopic The Founder.
Simmons signed on in December as early word of his incendiary turn as a vindictive jazz teacher in Whiplash was beginning to resonate in critical circles. The 60-year-old won the award for best supporting actor at February’s Oscars, beating Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Robert Duvall and Ethan Hawke.
Skull Island aims to reignite interest in the home of Kong, depicted memorably in 1933’s King Kong and its two remakes, the 1976 version starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange, and Jackson’s 2005 take with Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody. It will follow a team of adventurers exploring the treacherous, primordial island, which has at various points in cinematic history played home to dinosaurs, giant snakes and dangerous, Kong-worshipping natives.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts, best known for 2013 Sundance hit The Kings of Summer, will direct the sequel from a screenplay by John Gatins and Max Borenstein. Kong retains Thor star Tom Hiddleston in the lead, but will need to beef up its cast significantly if it hopes to take advantage of the success of Jurassic World, which looks likely to usher in a new era of big-budget monster movies.
Legendary Pictures’ film has suffered from an extended gestation period, with a new Kong film having first been mooted in 2009, albeit at a different studio. On the other hand, Jurassic World is heading towards a predicted take of nearly $2bn (£1.28bn) at the global box office, despite having spent more than a decade in development.
