‘Kong: Skull Island’ Picks Up ‘Jurassic World’ Screenwriter

Kong: Skull Island is preparing to head into production in Hawaii with stars Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson on board, but they’ve got one more stop to make before they officially begin shooting — Jurassic World screenwriter Derek Connolly has been tapped to do a little last-minute scripting on the project.

According to THR, Connolly has been brought in to work on the screenplay, which has already been worked on by Max Borenstein (Godzilla), John Gatins (Flight), and Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler). Connolly previously wrote the screenplay for Jurassic World for his filmmaking partner Colin Trevorrow.

Kong: Skull Island will explore the origins of iconic movie monster King Kong. The film is set in the ‘70s, although no other plot details are known at this time. Hiddleston and Larson are headlining the film, which also stars Straight Outta Compton’s Corey Hawkins. Samuel L. Jackson and John C. Reilly are reportedly in talks for roles, with Jackson likely taking the part previously held by J.K. Simmons. That role almost went to Russell Crowe before talks switched over to Jackson.

Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who made his feature debut with the indie dramedy The Kings of Summer, is directing Kong: Skull Island, which will also film in Vietnam.

Kong: Skull Island hits theaters on March 10, 2017.