After being announced at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, ‘Kong: Skull Island’ has gone through a series of ups and downs. While the upcoming film from ‘The Kings of Summer’ director Jordan Vogt-Roberts scored big by landing Tom Hiddleston as the lead, the prequel to Peter Jackson’s ‘King Kong’ from 2005 lost two other big names in J.K. Simmons and Michael Keaton earlier this month due to scheduling conflicts. But now two more stars have been announced for the Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures project, including an Academy Award winner.
First, Deadline is reporting that Brie Larson has signed on as the female lead of the next Kong movie. Known for her roles on TV shows such as ‘Raising Dad’, ‘Community’, and ‘United States of Tara’, Larson has also started to build her theatrical resume quite a bit with memorable parts in ’21 Jump Street’, ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’, ‘Don Jon’, ‘Short Term 12’, and Amy Schumer’s recent comedic hit ‘Trainwreck’. But ‘Skull Island’ will mark her first time starring in a special effects-heavy franchise blockbuster.
Then, The Wrap has learned that Russell Crowe is being eyed for a key role alongside one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time. With the loss of two high profile stars in Simmons and Keaton, the production is likely looking to fill one of those roles with the award-winning Crowe. However, it’s being said that the actor has yet to read the script because John Gatins and Max Borenstein are taking another pass at it. The duo has previously worked on Gareth Edwards’ ‘Godzilla’, so they have some experience with the giant monster genre. Hopefully they’ll be done soon though so that Crowe can make up his mind. Since the film is scheduled to start production early next year, a decision should probably be made soon.
What do you think of the latest additions to ‘Kong: Skull Island’? Are you excited to see Brie Larson and Russell Crowe take on King Kong? Let us know in the comments below.
