Kong: Skull Island

Tom Hiddleston goes ape…

Director Jordan Vogt- Roberts Starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Toby Kebbell

Not much is yet known about this enticing King Kong reboot beyond what the title promises – a trip to Skull Island to meet Kong. But hey, isn’t that enough? Filming in Hawaii, Australia and Vietnam, a hugely impressive cast is headed up by actress du jour Brie Larson and Blighty’s very own Tom Hiddleston, who plays, in his own words, “an adventurer… An explorer”. Hiddleston has also gone on record saying “There’s something very heroic about my character”, and whispers have it that he’s a military man who sets off to Skull Island to quest for his brother, who’s gone missing while searching for a mythical serum that will cure all disease. Other rumours place events in the 1970s, with a Detroit backdrop to some of action adding urban grit to the exotic flora seen elsewhere.

But here’s the big question: will Kong: Skull Island tie into Gareth Edwards’ 2014 monster mash Godzilla and its planned 2018 sequel, ready for a (rumoured) 2020 smackdown between the King of Apes and the King of Monsters? Well, monster-hunting organisation Monarch, which played a part in Godzilla, is said to feature in Kong: Skull Island, while Hiddleston’s promise that Kong is an “emblem of the power of nature” recalls how Godzilla wreaked nature’s revenge in Edwards’ film. What’s more, Legendary has teamed up with Warner Bros to distribute Kong: Skull Island, meaning any rights issues that might prevent a franchise crossover are resolved.

It’s an exciting prospect, but for now Kong: Skull Island, with its $190m budget and courageous choice to hire The Kings Of Summer director Jordan VogtRoberts to steer ship, is excitement enough. JG