King Kong

This article is about the character. For the film franchise, see King Kong (franchise). For the various films with the same name, see King Kong (1933 film), King Kong (1976 film), and King Kong (2005 film). For other uses, see King Kong (disambiguation).

King Kong
King Kong character
King Kong as featured in promotional material for the original 1933 film
First appearanceKing Kong (1933)
Created byMerian C. Cooper
Portrayed by
Various
  • Shoichi Hirose[1] (1962)
  • Haruo Nakajima[2] (1967)
  • Rick Baker[3] (1976)
  • Peter Elliott (1986)
  • Andy Serkis (2005)
  • Terry Notary[4] (2017)
  • Toby Kebbell[5] (2017)
  • Eric Petey[6] (2021)
  • Allan Henry[7][8] (2021/2024)
Voiced by
Various
  • Murray Spivack[9] (1933 vocal effects)
  • Peter Cullen[10] (1976 vocal effects)
  • Peter Elliott[11] (1986 vocal effects)
  • Scott McNeil[12] (Kong: The Animated Series, Kong: King of Atlantis, Kong: Return to the Jungle)
  • Andy Serkis[13] (2005 vocal effects)
  • Lee Tockar[12] (Kong: King of the Apes, Tarzan and Jane)
  • Seth Green[14] (The Lego Batman Movie)
  • Dave Fennoy[15] (Skull Island: Rise of Kong)
  • Misty Lee[16] (Skull Island: Rise of Kong)
Binomial nomenclature
  • Megaprimatus kong (2005)
  • Tagu kong (Kong of Skull Island)
  • Gorilla gigans (Kong Reborn)
  • Titanus kong (MonsterVerse)
  • Apus giganticus (MonsterVerse)
In-universe information
SpeciesGiant gorilla-like ape
Family
  • Little Kong (1933)
  • Lady Kong (1986)
  • Baby Kong (1986)
  • Deceased parents (MonsterVerse)
  • Suko (MonsterVerse)
Home
  • Skull Island
  • Faro Island (King Kong vs. Godzilla)
  • Mondo Island (The King Kong Show, King Kong Escapes)
  • Kong Island (Kong: The Animated Series)
  • Hollow Earth (MonsterVerse, Kong: King of the Apes)

King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster, or kaiju, resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,[17] appearing in several movies, comics, videogames and television series, as well as repeatedly crossing over with the Godzilla franchise. Kong has been dubbed the King of the Beasts.[18]

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. The Japanese film company Toho later 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' 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, 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 was released in 2021. It was followed by the film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in 2024, which featured more of Kong's kind.

King Kong has inspired a number of imitators, parodies, cartoons, books, comics, video games, theme park rides, and a stage play.[19] King Kong has also crossed over into other franchises, such as Planet of the Apes,[20] and encountered characters from other franchises in crossover media, such as pulp characters Doc Savage and Tarzan, and the Justice League.[21] His role in the different narratives varies, ranging from an egregious monster to a tragic antihero.

  1. ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 353.
  2. ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 178.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ew11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Kong: Skull Island (2017) End Credits". Legendary Pictures. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ Coley, Samantha (May 5, 2024). "The Best Fight Sequence in 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' Almost Didn't Make the Cut". Collider. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ a b "Voices of King Kong". BehindTheVoiceActors. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  13. ^ "Bringing Kong to Life Part 1 - Motion Capture". King Kong DVD Extras. April 29, 2010. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Dave Fennoy is the voice of King Kong in Skull Island: Rise of Kong". BehindTheVoiceActors. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  16. ^ "Misty Lee is the voice of Baby King Kong in Skull Island: Rise of Kong". BehindTheVoiceActors. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Erb, Cynthia, 1998, Tracking King Kong: A Hollywood Icon in World Culture, Wayne State University Press, ISBN 0-8143-2686-2.
  18. ^ King of the Beasts:
  19. ^ Boland, Michaela (February 9, 2009). "Global Creatures takes on 'Kong'". Variety. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Morrison, Matt (July 20, 2023). "Justice League to Fight Godzilla and King Kong in Upcoming Crossover". Superherohype. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
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