The MTV Movie Awards filmed this past weekend brought with it a dearth of clips and trailers from upcoming films, including a small feature about the making of ‘Kong: Skull Island.’ The film itself is a kind of reboot of the franchise (yet again), straying from what Peter Jackson most recently delivered to audiences with 2005’s ‘King Kong.’ The differences in the new Kong is the fact that the story takes place in the 1970’s, which, according to the cast, brings new dimensions to the film. Many of the characters are veterans of Vietnam, and the post-traumatic stress of that war will potentially play heavily into the storyline on Skull Island. The film taking place in 1970 is also interesting as Legendary Pictures is clearly setting up their movies so they can do the big ‘Godzilla versus King Kong’ movie in 2020, but as Godzilla takes place in the present, it will be interesting to see how they bridge the time-gaps.
Also revealed in the clip are the cast talking about their characters, with Tom Hiddleston revealing that his character, Captain James Conrad, is a a former British SAS officer who “understands nature and the ways of the jungle.” Brie Larson’s character, unlike previous iterations where the lead female falls in love with Kong and ends up being a bit of a damsel not-quite-in-distress, is named “Weaver” and is a “photojournalist, an activist [who] wants to work with these [Skull Island] creatures rather than fight against them.” Jason Mitchell is playing a helicopter pilot who he claims “has to build courage” as his arc in the film, meaning he clearly is meant to save the day toward the climax of the movie, or sacrifice himself so the other characters can escape.
Check out the full clip below, and then share your own thoughts on ‘Kong: Skull Island,’ and whether or not you are excited to see King Kong returning to movie screens, or if you are tired of the character.
