Massive Monkey Movie

It's been on the boil for nearly ten years but, with Tolkien's epic trilogy now almost behind him, Peter Jackson has officially confirmed his remake of King Kong to be next on the slate. After pondering a somewhat smaller tale, As Nature Made Him, Jackson has clearly decided that he's on a roll with large-scale, cgi-happy affairs and, refusing to stop and smell the roses, has bumped up his dream project effective immediately. "No film has captivated my imagination more than King Kong," Jackson told Variety. "I'm making movies today because I saw this film when I was 9 years old. It has been my sustained dream to reinterpret this classic story for a new age." The age-old tale of giant ape gone awry is a formidable undertaking and one that would give even the most accomplished director pause. However, after achieving the impossible with his adaptation of Lord of the Rings, which surpass all expectations, one has to wonder whether there is any limit to the shorts 'n' sandal-sporting director's talents. Knowing when he's on to a good thing, Jackson will once again film entirely in his native New Zealand, with all special effects done by Weta, who crafted Middle-earth with such eye-popping skill. Jackson and Rings co-writer, Philippa Boyens, will begin crafting a final draft of the film as soon as post-production on Return of the King finishes in October with a scheduled 2005 release.