The beast is getting the small screen treatment
The eighth wonder of the world is getting the live-action remake treatment over at Disney.
A King Kong series is in early development at Disney+ with acclaimed horror director James Wan's production company on board to produce. A number of other recognisable names have also boarded the live-action remake.
With a working title of 'King Kong', the series will bring the original story of the famous ape to life once again, with a modern twist. The action-adventure drama will be based on Merian C. Cooper’s original books plus the new take on the franchise inspired by the novelizations by Joe DeVito. James Wan’s Atomic Monster production company ('The Conjuring' franchise) is on board to produce with Stephany Folsom (Prime Video's 'Rings of Power', 'Paper Girls') writing and executive producing the show.
The first-ever live-action Kong series will see the classic monster story be brought into the modern age, set to explore the vast mythology of his home on Skull Island and also delve deeper into the monster's origin story.
While this will be the first TV series based on the fantasy creature, we've already seen multiple blockbuster films of the character in cinemas. The original film debuted in 1933 two months after the novels were released and instantly became a monster hit, which was closely followed by 'Son of Kong', a less well-received sequel following Kong's offspring.
It wasn't until Peter Jackson's take in 2005 starring Naomi Watts and Jack Black that we got to see a fresh take on the mythical beast. This film sparked a new interest in the iconic character and spawned 2017's 'Kong: Skull Island', which was a part of Legendary Entertainment's MonsterVerse and included another epic monster Godzilla, culminating in the pair going toe-to-toe in 'Godzilla vs. Kong' from 2021.
Speaking of the Japanese monster, Godzilla is to be the subject of a new Apple TV+ series starring Kurt and Wyatt Russell. While this series will be connected to the MonsterVerse, Disney+'s 'King Kong' will not have any ties to this universe.