Global InformationKing Kong information
| King Kong | |
|---|---|
| King Kong character | |
 King Kong as featured in promotional material for the original 1933 film. | |
| First appearance | King Kong (1933) |
| Created by | Merian C. Cooper |
| Portrayed by |
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| Voiced by |
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| Binomial nomenclature |
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| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Kong |
| Aliases | The Eighth Wonder of the World The Beast |
| Species | Giant gorilla-like ape |
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King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster, or kaiju,[14] resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. Kong has been dubbed the King of the Beasts[15] and over time it would also be bestowed the title of the Eighth Wonder of the World,[16] a widely recognized expression within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelization of the 1933 film King Kong from RKO Pictures, with the film premiering a little over two months later.
A sequel quickly followed that same year with The Son of Kong, featuring Little Kong. Toho produced King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) featuring a giant Kong battling Toho's Godzilla and King Kong Escapes (1967), a film loosely based on Rankin/Bass's The King Kong Show (1966–1969). In 1976, Dino De Laurentiis produced a modern remake of the original film directed by John Guillermin. A sequel, King Kong Lives, followed a decade later featuring a Lady Kong. Another remake of the original, this time set in 1933, was released in 2005 by filmmaker Peter Jackson.
Kong: Skull Island (2017), set in 1973, is part of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment's MonsterVerse, which began with a reboot of Godzilla in 2014. A sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, once again pitting the characters against one another, was released in 2021. It was then followed by the film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024 which featured more of Kong's kind.
The character has since become an international pop culture icon,[17] having inspired a number of sequels, remakes, spin-offs, imitators, parodies, cartoons, books, comics, video games, theme park rides, and a stage play.[18] King Kong has also crossed over into other franchises such as Planet of the Apes,[19] and encountered characters from other franchises in crossover media, such as the Toho movie monster Godzilla, pulp characters Doc Savage and Tarzan, and the Justice League.[20] His role in the different narratives varies, ranging from an egregious monster to a tragic antihero.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 353.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 178.
- ^ Lambie, Ryan (March 10, 2017). "The Struggles of King Kong '76". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ew11was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Kong: Skull Island (2017) End Credits". Legendary Pictures. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
- ^ "Extract: "Animating Kong" — Godzilla vs Kong visual effects by Weta Digital". The Illusion Almanac. May 28, 2021. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Failes, Ian (April 15, 2021). "How Kong's ocean showdown with Godzilla was made". befores & afters. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Murray Spivack is the voice of King Kong in King Kong (1933)". BehindTheVoiceActors. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Trumbore, Dave (September 19, 2017). "'Transformers': Peter Cullen and Frank Welker on the Evolution of Optimus Prime and Megatron". Collider. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ "Peter Elliott is the voice of King Kong in King Kong Lives". BehindTheVoiceActors. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ a b "Voices of King Kong". BehindTheVoiceActors. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ "Bringing Kong to Life Part 1 - Motion Capture". King Kong DVD Extras. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Seth Green is the voice of King Kong in The LEGO Batman Movie". BehindTheVoiceActors. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ The following sources have described King Kong as a kaiju:
- Ambrose, Kristy (January 4, 2021). "Godzilla: 10 things you never knew about the kaiju he fought". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- Robertson, Josh. "The 15 most badass kaiju monsters of all time". Complex Networks. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
- ^ King of the Beasts:
- Vaz 2005, p. 220
- Anderson, Brian (February 16, 2024). "The Top 10 Godzilla Movies, Ranked". Comic Book Resources.
- Minazzo, William (March 6, 2024). "The Evolution Of Kong: King Of The Beasts!". Supanova Expo.
- @Cineverse_ent (March 2, 2024). "The King of the Beasts turns 91 years old today! " (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Espinoza, Alexa (November 12, 2016). "New trailer for 'Kong: Skull Island' announced".
- Sell, Paul (August 17, 2016). "The history of King Kong: A prelude to Skull Island".
- "King Kong: 80th anniversary". March 15, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ Spray, Aaron (December 7, 2022). "From King Kong To The Crazy Horse Memorial: What Is The Eighth Wonder Of The World?". Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Erb, Cynthia, 1998, Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture, Wayne State University Press, ISBN 0-8143-2686-2.
- ^ Boland, Michaela (February 9, 2009). "Global Creatures takes on 'Kong'". Variety. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
- ^ Gross, Ed (August 9, 2017). "Kong on the Planet of the Apes: Exclusive First Look at the Comic Mini-Series". Empire. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
- ^ Morrison, Matt (July 20, 2023). "Justice League to Fight Godzilla and King Kong in Upcoming Crossover". Superherohype. Retrieved October 20, 2023.