Legendary Pictures surprised audiences at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend by announcing that not only do they have a new King Kong film in the works, but they’ve already slated it for a November 4, 2016 release. Titled Skull Island, the film lacks any concrete details, but it’s probably safe to assume that it will explore Kong’s eponymous home, which houses several mysterious and dangerous creatures, many of whom were thought to be extinct.
According to Deadline, Attack the Block director Joe Cornish is at the top of the studio’s wishlist to helm the project. In his report, Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. writes:
“I’m told they’ve offered the directing job to Joe Cornish, who has been offered big movies since his low-budget alien-invasion breakthrough pic Attack the Block. I’m not sure if Cornish will take the job because he’s offered so much – like Universal’s Section Six… but this is going to be catnip for the hotshot director. When Peter Jackson remade King Kong, the part where they landed on Skull Island and ran for their lives from over-sized exotic creatures was the highlight of the movie.”
Cornish’s kinetic, fun directing style would certainly lend itself well to the monster-centric film Skull Island will likely become, and it’s easy to see why a large tentpole property like this would pique the up-and-coming director’s interest.
We’ll keep you posted on new Skull Island details, and whether or not Cornish takes the job, as they develop.
Originally published July 29, 2014. Updated January 18, 2020.
