Skull Island

An uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean.

Skull Island is an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean where a team of scientists and Vietnam War soldiers traveled in 1973. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the film serves as a reboot of the King Kong franchise and the second entry in Legendary's Monsterverse. The expedition, led by Monarch official Bill Randa, included tracker James Conrad, photographer Mason Weaver, and Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard's military escort. Their mission to map the island using seismic explosives went wrong when they encountered the giant ape Kong and subterranean reptilian creatures known as Skullcrawlers. This 2017 release grossed $569 million against a $185 million budget and received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 90th Academy Awards.

Quick Facts

Director

Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Screenplay

Dan Gilroy
Max Borenstein
Derek Connolly

Story

John Gatins

Based on

King Kong
Edgar Wallace
Merian C. Cooper

Producer

Thomas Tull
Mary Parent
Jon Jashni
Alex Garcia

Cinematography

Larry Fong

Editing

Richard Pearson

Music

Henry Jackman

Lore & Background

The island's ecosystem centers on Kong, a 104-foot adolescent ape who serves as its sole protector. According to Hank Marlow, a pilot stranded there since World War II, Kong defends the surface from Skullcrawlers, subterranean predators awakened by seismic bombing that previously wiped out Kong's entire species. The Iwi natives believe that if Kong dies, a larger Skullcrawler will awaken and ravage the island entirely. Marlow explained that he and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari survived together for decades until Ikari was killed by a Skullcrawler. The island also features mass graves containing dinosaurs and members of Kong's family.

Reader's Guide

The island is strictly off-limits following the 1973 incident where a military unit and scientists suffered significant casualties. The Iwi natives worship Kong as a god, and their village offers temporary safety if one respects their customs. Monarch later detained survivors Conrad and Weaver in a post-credits scene, revealing archive footage of cave paintings depicting other Titans like Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, confirming Kong is not the only monster king.

Did You Know?

Terry Notary portrayed Kong as a '14-year-old trapped in the life of an adult' and spent three days filming motion capture scenes.
The film was originally developed at Universal Pictures as an origin story before moving to Warner Bros. to join the Monsterverse.
Jing Tian's role as biologist San Lin was reduced during rewrites, leading some critics to describe her character as a 'hua ping' (vase) with little dialogue.
John C. Reilly plays Hank Marlow, who had been stranded on the island for nearly 29 years since World War II.