The Legend of King Kong (Miniseries)

The Legend of King Kong is a 2013 three part miniseries by HBO, it was created to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the original King Kong film and featuring an ensemble cast. It received two Emmy Awards, one Creative for Outstanding Special Visual Effects and one Primetime for Outstanding Drama series.

Plot
In 1956 famous B movie film makers Carl Denham and Bruce Wilson chart a ship to an unknown island located in the Indian Ocean. Coming along is Carl's beautiful daughter Ann, who inspires to be an actress. After arriving at the island they soon get more then they bargained for when Ann is captured by the islands native tribe, they then sacrifice her to their god, a giant anthropoid ape named Kong.

Cast

 * Doug Jones as King Kong - A giant anthropoid ape resembling a Gorilla who lives on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. He is worshiped as a god by the local natives of Skull Island who sacrifice one of their women to him every once in a while along with a couple of pigs, Kong is also the last of his species. He once had a family consisting of his parents and a mate and child, however tragically at some point they all died leaving him the last of his king. Years later
 * Lily James as Ann Denham - The beautiful daughter of Carl Denham who inspires to be an actress. She is happy to be the leading lady in her fathers film, mostly due to him being reluctant to cast her in his pictures. Whilst on the voyage she falls in love with the Wanderer's first mate Jack, when she is captured by Kong she is at first terrified of him. However she soon warms up to him and forms a bond and later is devastated when Kong is killed.
 * Jai Courtney as Jack Drischoll - The first mate on the Wanderer and Ann's love interest and eventual fiancee. He is at first against Ann being on the Wanderer, believing that ships are now place for women. However he soon finds himself falling in love with her, later when she is taken by Kong he sets out to save her without any hesitation. Later on the voyage back to New York he proposes to Ann who much to his joy accepts.
 * Mark Hamill as Carl Denham - Ann's father and a world famous B movie director who is known for his stunning locations. Despite having a reputation for recklessness he is a kind and well meaning man who cares for his daughter and his team and never intentionally puts anyone in danger, when Ann is later taken by Kong he abandons his film to try and bring his daughter back.
 * Forest Whitaker as Captain Englehorn - The captain of the ship, the S.S. Wanderer who has accompanied Denham and Wilson several times before. He is a wise sea captain who cares deeply for his crew and their safety, which was why he was reluctant to travel to Skull Island after hearing the stories by Philippe. He is fluent in several native languages as he was able to translate the Skull Islander's chief's words.
 * Ben Mendelsohn as Bruce Wilson - Another famous B movie director who is an old colleague of Carl's. Unlike Carl Bruce is a very greedy man who is determined to get his pictures made regardless of the dangers, later he convinces Denham to help him capture Kong and bring him back to New York.
 * David Boreanaz as Harry Loyd - An actor who was hired by Carl and Bruce to star in their next co-production. He is a vain and selfish man whose only though is to further his career, his behavior quickly earns him the dislike of many people on the Wanderer. When Ann is kidnapped he is forced to accompany them on the rescue mission, he is among the sailors who survive being shook off the log by Kong. However he is devoured by a group of Giant Spiders.
 * Justin Berfield as Wally - Denham's assistant who has helped him on several of his pictures. Whilst on Skull Island he volunteers to help rescue Ann, however after escaping the swamp he is impaled by a stampeding Triceratops.
 * Guillaume Canet as Philippe - The French cook of the Wanderer. He is against traveling to the island as he has heard many stories about people who have gone to the island and never returned, when Ann is kidnapped he offers to help rescue her
 * TBA as Weston - A theatrical agent
 * Temuera Morrison as Native Chief - The chief of the natives of Skull Island and a devoted worshiper of Kong. When the Wanderer crew show up he demands they leave immediately, however when he sees Ann he becomes determinate to sacrifice her to Kong.
 * TBA as Tribal Witch Doctor -
 * TBA as Sacrificial Victim 1 - A native woman who was sacrificed to Kong at the beginning of the first episode.
 * TBA as Sacrificial Victim 2 -
 * TBA as Gorilla Masked Dancer -
 * Vicky Haughton as Tribal Hag 1 -
 * TBA as Tribal Hag 2 -
 * TBA as Tribal Hag 3 -
 * TBA as Police Lieutenant -
 * TBA as Unlucky Woman - A woman who was mistaken by Kong for Ann. He plucked her from her apartment and when he saw that she wasn't Ann he let her go and resulted in her plunging to her death.
 * TBA as Steam Shovel Operator - The driver of a steam shovel used in a construction site in New York.
 * Michael Rooker as Harbor Watchman -
 * TBA as Poker Player 1 -
 * TBA as Poker Player 2 -
 * TBA as Poker Player 3 -

Creatures of Skull Island

 * Tyrannosaurus Rex - The most famous theropod from the Late Cretaceous North America more then 65 million years ago, it is also the top predator on Skull Island. One appeared in the second episode where it confronted Ann in a tree, her screams attracted Kong and after a lengthy fight killed it by breaking its jaws. Its lifeless corpse was later discovered by Jack whilst rescuing Ann.
 * Triceratops - A famous three horned herbivore from Late Cretaceous North America. A small herd appeared in the second episode, Kong and Ann encountered them on some volcanic flats. Kong fought and killed the lead bull by breaking off its horn and stabbing it to death with it, Kong then threw boulders at them causing them to stampede and impale Wally.
 * Parasaurolophus - A well known hadrosaur from Late Cretaceous North America. One appeared near the end of the first episode where it encountered the Wanderer crew, thinking that it might attack them they shot it unaware that it was a gentle herbivore. It was badly injured by the crews gunfire and was mercifully put out of its misery by Jack.
 * Apatosaurus - A giant sauropod from the Late Jurassic North America 150 million years ago. A herd appeared in the second episode, Ann and Kong encountered them. A juvenile of the herd had got stuck in a hole, Kong rescued the stranded juvenile and returned it to its herd, a move that greatly moved Ann.
 * Compsoganthus - A small predatory dinosaur from Germany in the Late Jurassic 150 million years ago. They appear several times during the miniseries, once near the end of the first episode where they are shown feasting on the remains of Kong's sacrificial victims. Later in the second episode where they feast on the dead Tyrannosaurus before being scared off by Jack when he approaches them. They make a final appearance at the beginning of the third episode, where they are scared off by Jack and Ann as they are racing back to the village.
 * Pteranodon - A large flying fish-eating pterosaur from North America during the Late Cretaceous. A large one appeared in the second episode where it attacked Ann at the top of Kong's lair, it attempted to pick her up in its jaws however Kong quickly came to her rescue and slayed the Pteranodon.
 * Kronosaurus - A large marine reptile from Australia during the Early Cretaceous. A small pod appeared in the second episode where they encountered the crew of the Wanderer in the swamp, they overturned their raft and attacked and devoured several of sailors in the water.
 * Archaeopteryx - An early bird from South Germany during the Late Jurassic 150 million years ago. A group of vulture sized individuals appear in the second episode where where they are shown feasting on the dead Tyrannosaurus following its fight with Kong, they screeched at Jack as he approached them.
 * Arsinoitherium - A large rhino like mammal from Eocene and Oligocene Egypt. One appeared in the second episode where it encountered the crew of the Wanderer, one panicked crewman shot at it thus enraging. It then chased they through the jungle, even trampling one of the sailors to death before trapping them on a log bridge between itself and an enraged Kong. Besides Kong, the Arsinoitherium is the only other prehistoric mammal shown living on Skull Island.
 * Dimetrodon - A sailed back synapsid from Early Permian Germany and North America, 280 million years ago. A pack of seven appeared at the beginning of the second episode they attacked Kong and Ann, Kong managed to kill four of them by tearing one in two, stomping on another, throwing another against a tree and biting ones head off.
 * Titanoboa - A giant snake from Colombia during the Eocene Epoch 59 million years ago. One appeared in the second episode where it attacked Ann and Kong in his lair, it attempted to kill Kong by constriction. However Kong managed to pry it off him and killed by smashing its head against the rocks and ripping its bottom jaw off.
 * Giant Spider - A species of giant arachnid that lives the crevices of Skull Island. A large group appeared in the second episode where they attack and devour the sailors after they were shook into the crevice by Kong, with Harry Lloyd being one of their victims.

Locations

 * New York City - A city located along the Eastern coast of the United States of America. It is the site on many of Americas most famous landmarks which include, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, St. Patrick's Cathedral
 * Empire State Building - The Tallest building in New York City. Kong climbs it near the end of the third episode
 * Yankee Stadium -
 * Skull Island - A mysterious uncharted island located southwest of Sumatra in the Indian ocean and surrounded by a perpetual fog bank. It is known for its iconic skull shaped mountain, which gives the island its name, it is also the home of Kong, several prehistoric creatures and a hostile tribe of natives. Several centuries ago it was the home of an advanced civilization, however at some point it died off leaving behind only ruins and the wall itself.
 * Kong's Lair - Located at the top of Skull Mountain and as its name implies is the lair of Kong. It also has a secret cavern where Kong keeps the remains of his parents, his mate and child.
 * Native Village - A small settlement located on the beach in front of the wall and is the home of the Skull Island natives. It consists mostly
 * The Wall - A 100 foot tall wall made of stone and wood that protects the Skull Island natives from the dangers of Skull Island. It was built centuries ago by the natives highly advanced civilized ancestors, although they longer possess the construction skills of their ancestors the natives keep it in good repair.

Visitors to Skull Island
According to Philippe throughout centuries many people have visited Skull Island, although they either have returned with no clear evidence of its existence or never returned at all:
 * 1605 - Piero Fernandez DeQuerez was blown south from Timetang. He wrote in his log about "piercing the white veil and landing on the beach of the island of the skull shaped mountain", where he heard the "roar of the greatest beast". However when he returned he was so traumatized that he gave the rest of that log entry to the Holy Office in Rome and begged them to destroy it.
 * 1749 - An empty waterlogged lifeboat was found in the same area. However drawn in blood on its thwart was the likeness of some huge slouchy humanoid creature and a strange warning "From thy wedding with the creature who touches Heaven, Lady God preserve thee"
 * 1830 - A British merchant ship The Queen Mary was sailing towards Sumatra when it passed through the area. Neither the ship or its crew reached Sumatra and were ever seen or heard from again.
 * 1933 - A canoe full of natives from the island was blown to sea. When they were later picked up by a Norwegian Barque only one of them was still alive, unfortunately he died before they could reach port. However before the native died, the barque captain managed to piece together a map from the natives description and of where it lay. The canoe was also full of figurines of the same humanoid creature, the figurines and the canoe were given to the British Museum while the map was later bought by Carl Denham.

Episode 1: The Journey Begins

 * Several native women are seen topless, some have their breasts covered. This is for tribal purposes only.
 * The planned sacrificial victim for Kong wears a revealing outfit, a loincloth and a tribal bra that shows cleavage.
 * Whilst being prepared for her sacrifice for Kong, Ann is brought into a tribal hut where she is stripped naked and bathed by three tribal hags. Her breasts and the top of her buttocks are seen, she is then dressed in the same sacrificial outfit.
 * Natives dance orgiastically before Ann is presented to Kong. The lead dancer, dressed as Kong, makes many pelvic thrusts in a loincloth, leaving little doubt as to what they assume Kong does with his sacrificial victims.

Episode 2: The Search for Kong

 * Jack is forced to take off his shirt and trousers in order to leave markers. He is left in only in underwear.
 * Whilst in Kong's lair he removes Ann's native outfit leaving her completely nude, she briefly covers herself before standing before Kong unashamed. Her breasts and buttocks are seen, her public region is also seen briefly.



Episode 1: The Journey Begins

 * The sailors shoot a Parasaurolophus and badly wound it. Blood is seen pouring from its wounds.
 * Ann stumbles into an amphitheater where she see's the remains of Kong's previous sacrificial victims.

Episode 2: The Search for Kong

 * Kong kills four Dimetrodon, he kills one by tearing it in two, stomping on another, throwing one against a tree and biting another ones head off.
 * Some men are bitten in half by the Kronosaurus in the swamp. Blood can be seen.
 * Kong kills a Triceratops by breaking off its horn and stabbing it to death with it. Blood is seen gushing from its wounds.
 * Wally is impaled by a Triceratops.
 * An Arsinoitherium tramples a sailor to death.
 * Kong fights and kills a Tyrannosaurus Rex by breaking its jaws. When Jack later passes its lifeless corpse, blood is seen oozing from its mouth.
 * Kong fights a Titanoboa, he kills by smashing its head against the rocks and then ripping its bottom jaw off. Its face is then shown to be unrecognizable and missing its bottom jaw.

Episode 3: The Fall of the King

 * Kong kills several natives by either biting or stepping on them.
 * Wilson slaps Ann.
 * Kong kills Bruce Wilson by stepping on him.
 * During Kong's breakout a few New Yorkers are killed by Kong either stepping on them and even biting a couple.
 * Kong fights a steam shovel, he rips off its arm and then bashes in the cab and killing the operator.
 * Kong is shot several times by fighter jets and is left bleeding profusely.





Episode 1: The Journey Begins

 * Carl says damn it when he hears that Ann was taken.
 * Bruce calls the natives fucking savages.



Episode 2: The Search for Kong








Episode 3: The Fall of the King

 * Ann calls Wilson a damned bastard when she learns he plans to capture Kong.







Episode 1: The Journey Begins






Episode 2: The Search for Kong






Episode 3: The Fall of the King






Episode 1: The Journey Begins






Episode 2: The Search for Kong






Episode 3: The Fall of the King






Differences from the Original King Kong
Whilst being similar to the original King Kong in many ways, it also differs in several ways as well.
 * The miniseries is set in 1956, rather than the traditional 1933 setting.
 * Ann is the daughter of Carl Denham.
 * Ann is brunette.
 * Like the 1976 and 2005 remakes Ann grows to care for Kong and is devastated when he is killed by the army.
 * Like the 1932 novelization, the Venture is renamed the Wanderer.
 * Kong is in display in the Yankee Stadium rather than the theater, however the Yankee Stadium was originally planned for the 1933 film.
 * Englehorn is African-American in the miniseries, whilst in most other versions he is Caucasian.
 * The natives of Skull Island are portrayed as being of Maori descent.
 * Instead of being killed by biplanes, Kong is killed by three fighter jets.

Trivia

 * Jai Courtney and Lily James would later star together in the 2016 World War 2 romance film, The Exception.
 * Mark Hamill, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker and Temuera Morrison have all stared together in the Star Wars franchise.
 * Vicky Haughton previously appeared in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of King Kong as the native Shamnwoman. In the miniseries she appears as one of the native hags who prepare Ann for her sacrifice to Kong.
 * Bruce Wilson is based upon Fred Wilson from the 1976 remake of King Kong.
 * The waterfall from the 1976 remake is featured in the miniseries.
 * The miniseries featured several unused scenes from the original 1933 film such as, Kong battling a group of Triceratops, the infamous spider pit scene, Kong climbing down skull mountain, being on display in the Yankee Stadium and him breaking up a poker party.
 * The scene where Kong fights and destroys a steam shovel was taken from the Bo Goldman script of the cancelled 1976 Universal remake, The Legend of King Kong.

Episode 1: The Journey Begins

 * Old Arabian Proverb: And the prophet said: "And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead."

(Weston is looking for Carl Denham's ship, he comes upon a watchman making his rounds)


 * Weston: Excuse me is this the moving picture ship?
 * Watchman: The S.S. Wanderer it sure is, why are you going on this crazy voyage?
 * Weston: Why, whats so crazy about it?
 * Watchman: It's the two guys who've hired it, Denham and Wilson I think their names are.
 * Weston: And whats so crazy about them?
 * Watchman: Well everyone around the harbor say that they're not afraid of anything.
 * Weston: Well that's true and what else?
 * Watchman: There's the cargo for one and I've seen a ship this size with such a crew.
 * Weston: Why is there not enough to man her?
 * Watchman: Not enough are you kidding me? Its three times the ship needs, I don't see where they're going to have enough room to sleep.

(Carl and Bruce explain the location of their island) (Carl takes out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, he unfolds it and lays it on the table for the others to see)
 * Carl: The island we are looking for is located Southwest of Sumatra.
 * Englehorn: Southwest but there's noting in that area.
 * Jack: Captain Englehorn's right Mr. Denham there's no land Southwest for thousands of miles and not to mention its way outside the shipping lanes.
 * Bruce: Relax you two we won't be traveling thousands of miles, besides the island we're looking for is somewhere in that area.
 * Englehorn: You two sure about that?
 * Carl: Listen, back in 1933 a canoe full of natives from this island was blown to sea. When they were later picked up by a Norwegian Barque only one of them was still, unfortunately he died before they could reach port. However the captain managed to get a clear description of the island and where it lies from him.
 * Carl: The only possible landing place is along this long sandy peninsula, the rest of the coastline is sheer precipice hundreds of feet high and across the base of the peninsula cutting it off from the rest of the island is a wall.
 * Englehorn: A wall?
 * Carl: Built thousands of years ago by a mighty civilization, so long ago in fact that the people who live there now have slipped back into barbarism and superstition forgotten their powerful ancestors who built. The wall however is strong today as it was ages ago, the natives of the island keep it in repair they need it and badly.
 * Jack: Why would they need it so badly?
 * Carl: The Norwegian captain said that there was something on the other side that the natives feared with their lives.
 * Englehorn: A hostile tribe maybe?

(Philipee tells Carl, Bruce, John and Englehorn the stories he's heard about Skull Island)
 * Philipee: The first story came in when 1605 Fernando De Queres was blown South from Tenotang, he wrote in his log about piercing the white cloud, the fog bank that covers the island and landing on the beach of the skull shaped mountain where he heard the roar of the greatest beast.
 * Jack: What was it Philippe?
 * Philipee: I'm afraid when he returned he was so fearful that he gave the rest of that particular log entry to the Holy Office in Rome and begged them to destroy it.
 * Carl: What else is there?
 * Philipee: Over a century later in 1749 a waterlogged lifeboat was found in the same area, now the lifeboat was empty but drawn in blood on the thwart was the likeness of some slouchy humanoid creature and this strange warning "From thy wedding with the creature who touches Heaven, lady God preserve thee".
 * Bruce: Sounds like a lot of rubbish to me.
 * Philipee: In 1830 a British merchant ship, the Queen Mary sailed into the region whilst on its way to Sumatra, neither the ship or its crew were ever seen again.

(Carl and Bruce are filming Ann)


 * Carl: You ready Ann?
 * Ann: Sure thing dad.
 * Bruce: Now look up Ann, you're calm, peaceful, relaxed knowing everything is okay. You now start to look higher and then you see it, you're amazed, you cannot believe, your eyes open wider its so horrible but you can't look away. You are helpless Ann, you have not chance, you want to scream but your throat's paralyzed. You try to scream Ann, if you could look away maybe you could scream. Throw your arms across your face Ann and scream, scream for your life.

(Ann lets out a bloodcurdling scream that echoes around, Jack is watching with Englehorn and is suddenly tense)


 * Jack: What do you thing she's going to see.

(After landing on the island Carl, Bruce, Jack, Ann, Englehorn and a few sailors come over a hill to see a massive wall made of wood and stone standing in front of them)


 * Bruce: Holy mother, that thing looks as old as the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
 * Jack: That could be, except the only thing is the Pyramid of Giza wasn't recently repaired.
 * Englehorn: What do you mean Jack?
 * Jack: You see the earth logged into those stone and timber, they have to be replaced after each and every monsoon season.
 * Carl: So they are people living here?
 * Jack: Yes there are Denham and what's more they're scared people.
 * Ann: Scared of what Jack?
 * Jack: I'm not too sure Ann, but clearly whatever they're scared of apparently they felt they need a wall this size to it out.
 * Bruce: Jack, Carl please let me point out three things. One this wall is just an ancient ruin from

(The natives have seen the crew and are confronting them)


 * Carl: Do you understand them Englehorn.
 * Englehorn: Well its similar to what the Nias Islands speak.
 * Bruce: Well do us a favor and tell these savages that we are friends?
 * Englehorn (In native language): Greetings we have come to your island as friends.
 * Native Chief (Subtitles): We do not want friends, you leave at once.
 * Carl: What did he say captain?
 * Englehorn: He's telling us to get out and that he doesn't want any friends.

(As the crew of the Wanderer sail back to the ship. The native chief watches from the beach with the witch doctor and a few warriors, he then beckons the witch doctor to him)


 * Native Chief (subtitles): When the sun sleeps take a few warriors and head for that giant canoe and bring back the brown haired woman or else Kong's wrath will be upon us.



Episode 3: The Fall of the King

 * Bruce: Wait a minute what about Kong?.
 * Carl: Well what about him?.
 * Bruce: We came here to make a motion picture and now we've found something worth all the motion pictures in the world.
 * Jack: Just what are you suggesting Wilson?
 * Bruce: We've still got those gas bombs right?
 * Carl: Hold your horses Wilson, are you seriously suggesting that we capture Kong.
 * Bruce: Why not we've got those gas bombs which means that we could take him alive.
 * Englehorn: Forget it Wilson, I've lost too many men and I'm not about to lose anymore to your insane suggestion.
 * Bruce: But think of the money that we could make, you could pay compensation to those sailors families.
 * Ann: Forget it Wilson, just leave Kong alone.
 * Bruce: Why would you care Ann, he's just a dumb and mindless brute.
 * Ann: Kong's not a mindless or dumb brute you damned bastard, he actually risked his life for me and even has a burial tomb for his family.
 * Jack: And besides, he's on a mountain where even a whole army couldn't get him.
 * Bruce: True but we've got something or someone who he wants!

(Jack punches Bruce knocking him down before picking him up by the soldiers)


 * Jack: If you even suggest that we use Ann as bait, I'll fucking beat your head in Wilson do you understand me?

(After Kong is captured)


 * Bruce: We're millionaires boys I'll share it with all of you, why in a few months his name will be up in lights all over New York. Kong the Eight Wonder of the World.

(In New York people are flocking into the Yankee Stadium to see Denham and Wilson's giant monster)


 * Man: This had better be good considering I just spend twenty bucks on these tickets.
 * Wife: Wonder what it is honey?
 * Husband: I've heard its a sort of giant gorilla.

(Ann is comforting Kong whilst he's chained, Jack and Carl look on in pity as Wilson comes up to them)


 * Wilson: Well my friends, official as of now the theater is completely sold out.

(He notices Ann comforting Kong)


 * Wilson: Please don't tell me your daughter is still feeling sorry for that beast.
 * Carl: Well I'm afraid for you that she is.
 * Wilson: That's ridiculous why would anyone feel sorry for him, if you ask me the natives are ecstatic that he's gone.
 * Jack: I say they'd actually miss him very much.
 * Wilson: Like the plague.

(Jack turns to face Wilson with an angry look at the remark)


 * Jack: No you're Wilson dead wrong, he was the mystery of their lives, the terror and the magic. A year from now those natives will be nothing more then a bunch of burnt out drunks, when we kidnapped Kong, we took their god who gave them a purpose.

(After Kong is killed, Carl pushes his way through the crowd and sadly watches Ann weep over Kong's lifeless corpse as Jack comforts her. The police lieutenant comes up to him)


 * Police Lieutenant: Well Mr Denham, the airplanes got him.
 * Carl: Oh no it wasn't the airplanes that killed him.
 * Police Lieutenant: Well what was it then?
 * Carl: It was Beauty killed the Beast.