Kong Skull Island

Lore & Background

Kong acts not merely as a resident but as a guardian, keeping the more dangerous entities like the Skullcrawlers in check. The Iwi natives believe when Kong dies, a larger Skullcrawler will awaken and ravage the island. In 1944, two World War II fighter pilots, American pilot Hank Marlow and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari, parachuted onto the island after a dogfight and engaged in close combat until interrupted by a giant ape. Marlow and Ikari became friends during their time on the island, but Ikari was killed by a Skullcrawler some time ago.

Marlow was stranded on Skull Island for nearly 29 years since World War II. In the film, Bill Randa, head of the organization Monarch, convinces the government to allow him to lead a research expedition to the recently discovered Skull Island. The expedition includes a U.S. Army unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Preston Packard, tracker and former British Special Air Service Captain James Conrad, and anti-war photographer Mason Weaver. The group encounters Kong and various monsters, leading to a confrontation that reveals Kong's role as protector of the island.

Reader's Guide

The legend of Skull Island began in the 2017 film Kong: Skull Island, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. The film is a reboot of the King Kong franchise, the second film in Legendary's Monsterverse franchise, and the eighth film in the King Kong franchise. Principal photography began in October 2015 in Hawaii and various locations around Vietnam and ended in March 2016. In the film, Kong is portrayed as a 104 feet (31.7 m)-tall ape who is the last of his kind and is worshiped as the king and god on Skull Island by the Iwi natives.

Terry Notary performed the motion capture for Kong, stating that this Kong is an adolescent, and he tried to play Kong like a "14-year-old that's trapped in the life of an adult." Toby Kebbell also provided some facial references for Kong. The film was theatrically released on March 10, 2017 to generally positive reviews from critics. It was a box office success, grossing $569 million against a $185 million budget, and received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 90th Academy Awards. A sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, was released in 2021, and an animated series, Skull Island, was released in 2023.

Did You Know?

• The film was announced in July 2014 at San Diego Comic-Con, and Jordan Vogt-Roberts was announced as director in September 2014.
• In a post-credits scene, archive footage of cave paintings depicts Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.