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Legendary has set King Kong film Skull Island for November 4, 2016.
It announced the film with a surprise teaser at the very end of its Hall H Comic-Con panel. Footage of an ancient island flashed on screen, with a voiceover comparing it to the very early days of the Earth. It was stormy, with lighting and glimpses of creatures.
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“We penetrated deeper and deeper into the very heart of darkness,” says a voiceover.
Finally: the money shot. King Kong roaring and looking quite vicious. The crowd went ape.
“Previous works have touched on the island, but staying and exploring this mysterious and dangerous place offers Legendary the opportunity to take audiences deeper inside this rich world with a style and scope that parallels other Legendary productions,” Legendary said in a statement.
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This could potentially be the start of a larger offshoot of monster films, even a monster cinematic universe, as a Legendary press release following the panel dropped the word “universe” several times. Cinematic universes are all the rage among studios, as they bolster their pipelines by guaranteeing product. A cinematic universe — which Marvel Studios pioneered to Avengers success — can see numerous movies combine characters and build toward a climactic story over the course of several films.
In King Kong lore, Skull Island is the mysterious home of the giant ape. It was featured in the 1933 film King Kong and multiple subsequent films, including Peter Jackson‘s 2005 film.
During its panel, Legendary also trotted out footage of Guillermo del Toro‘s Crimson Peak, Duncan Jones’ Warcraft and Michael Mann‘s Blackhat.
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