In case the king-sized box office performance of Kong: Skull Island wasn’t enough to convince you that King Kong was indeed back in a big way, then this news surely will.
A new King Kong TV series taking place on Skull Island is in the works, and it’s going to be the first-ever live-action show about the giant ape. According to Deadline, King Kong Skull Island is being produced by MarVista Entertainment and IM Global Television, and executive produced by Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title, who last teamed on the 2016 horror flick The Bye Bye Man. The series will feature a female lead and a diverse ensemble cast that explores the mysteries of Skull Island.
“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,” said IM Global TV president Mark Stern. The show will be adapted from the novelization of the original 1932 film King Kong, as well as DeVito Artworks’ Skull Island comics. It will not, however, have any connection to Warner Bros. current Kong movies, despite the confusingly similar titles.
The series definitely sounds like a lot of fun, but there is no mention in the announcement of Kong’s actual involvement. While I have no doubt that he’ll be in the show, I’m curious to see how they pull him off. A giant CGI Kong that doesn’t look like crap is a very expensive feat to pull off, especially for a television show, and a guy in a monkey suit — while undeniably fun — also would likely fall flat with today’s audiences. We’ll have to keep our eyes out for more updates about Kong’s TV takeover, but for now, we’re cautiously optimistic.
