Peter Jackson will start work on KING KONG for Universal Pictures immediately following the release of LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final installment in the director's blockbuster trilogy based upon the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson will direct and write the screenplay with his partner Fran Walsh and Rings co-writer Philippa Boyens. Their screenplay will be based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace. Jackson plans to employ extensive use of visual effects by his Weta, Ltd. in New Zealand, where the film will be shot. "No film has captivated my imagination more than KING KONG. I'm making movies today because I saw this film when I was nine years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story for a new age," Jackson stated. "The story of Kong offers everything that any storyteller could hope for: an archetypal narrative, thrilling action, resonating emotion and memorable characters. It has endured for precisely these reasons and I am honored to be a part of its continuing legacy." Jackson and Walsh will produce KING KONG under their WingNut films banner, and Universal Pictures will release the film worldwide in 2005. Jackson, Walsh and Boyens are all repped by ICM.
