'King Kong' Live-Action TV Series Based on 'Skull Island' in the Works
"King Kong" is heading to the small screen following the recent box office results for the Tom Hiddleston–Brie Larson starrer "Kong: Skull Island." The show from IM Global Television and MarVista Entertainment, however, will not have any connection to the Warner Bros. film release, but it will take on the same source material that was first created by Merian C. Cooper and Joe DeVito.
If production pushes forward, it will be the first "King Kong" live-action series on television. Kong's TV presence in the past has reportedly been in animated shows.
The production studio has tapped Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title to adapt the story for television. As in the recent "Kong" movie, the characters will discover a mysterious island filled with enormous and mysterious-looking animals and plants.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Jonathan and Stacy have taken a world that has enraptured audiences in all its many forms over the years and given it a contemporary, female-focused spin," MarVista Entertainment CEO Fernando Szew said when the development was announced. The "King Kong" live action will headline a female character as well as a diverse cast.
No announcement has been made on who will star on the show as of press time. IM Global Television and MarVista Entertainment have also not indicated the show's premiere date nor which network or platform the "King Kong" live-action will air on American TV.
Since the showing of the original movie in 1933, the gigantic character has been featured in eight movies since as well as countless of animated shows. The most recent of which has been the cartoons "Kong: King of the Apes," which has been streaming on Netflix.
The "King Kong" live-action television series, however, will take on a modern timeline. "There's clearly a deep and abiding interest in this timeless story," IM Global Television head Mark Stern said.
