|
Just before August is gearing up to wrap up for September’s arrival, we learned that Disney+ (via Disney Branded Television) and James Wan (along with production company Atomic Monster) have teamed up to develop a streaming series intended to focus on the original story of the mighty ape, King Kong (working title). With Stephanie Folsom (paper girls) ready to write and produce, the serialized action/adventure drama brings the classic monster story into the modern age, with a return to Skull Island and the dawn of a new Kong. Less than a month later, it looks like work is just getting started, with Folsom letting people know on Twitter that she “won’t be here much” as she begins work on the project.
The series will explore the mythology of King Kong’s origin story and the supernatural mysteries of his home based on the intellectual property of Merian C. Cooperthe original novels as well as new novelizations of King Kong by Joe DeVito. Wan can potentially direct at least part of the series but will be an executive producer alongside Folsom, Michael Clair & Rob Hackett for Atomic Monster, and Dannie Festa for World Builder Entertainment. “I won’t be here much. I need to hang out with this guy for a while. Be careful. Be nice. See you on the other side,” Folsom wrote in a tweet earlier today (accompanied by an illustration of Kong):
90-year-old King Kong IP has had its fair share of rights issues over the decades, which has seen the character appear on the big and small screens in various guises. From a series perspective, the live-action series King Kong Skull Island was originally announced five years ago at MarVista Entertainment & IM Global Television with a different creative team, but the project never made it past the early stages of development. Recently, you’ve probably seen and heard the name Kong used in conjunction with Legendary & Warner Bros.’ “Monsterverse” movie franchise. Discovery (while dropping the “King” title) for 2017. Kong: Skull Island2019 Godzilla: King of the Monstersand 2021 Godzilla versus Kong. Although Apple TV+ has announced a streaming series set in the movie universe, the project will focus on Godzilla and other “Titans”. Additionally, Netflix was also home to the animated series Skull Island.
Did you like it? Please share on social media!
