Kong: Skull Island

Kong: Skull Island is a kind of sequel to 2014’s Godzilla, and, since it’s also about a giant monster, has a lot to live up to in terms of creating a ridiculously huge sense of scale. Kong is bigger than anything should be allowed to be, and it’s sometimes tough to make a monster look big without making it look silly and unbelievable. A few new clips from Kong: Skull Island show us that this movie will have the same sense of wonder and awe as Godzilla — and maybe even more.

Summer movie season starts a little earlier every year, and in 2017, it has consumed May, April, and even our beloved March. Logan will kick off the big-budget bonanza in the first weekend of March, and then cede the floor to the gargantuan Kong: Skull Island the weekend after. Even so, these two releases in particular inspire hope rather than dread when reflecting upon the studio-fronted franchise releases encroaching beyond their summer stomping grounds. All the previews have suggested that these two films will have something original to bring to the table, and the latest clip for Kong: Skull Island confirms that if nothing else, we’ll have some delectable character acting to enjoy.

There are movie posters, and then there are movie posters. Of late, most action movie posters kinda all look the same, with some notable exceptions. Those movies willing to get a little more creative with their promotional art really stand out amongst the crowds of character heads photoshopped on top of one another. Kong: Skull Island entered the game today with a new poster that’s a direct homage to one of the most famous war movies of all time: Apocalypse Now.

With the movie only a couple months away, it’s about time for Kong: Skull Island to drop another bit of footage — or four. Today, Legendary has gifted us a bunch of new short TV spots that have a few new shots in them and give us a better idea of who all these non_kong characters really are. The first one, above, reiterates the Godzilla connection while also letting us know that, yes, Samuel L. Jackson is going full Samuel L. Jackson villain mode for this one too, never fear. Or, if you’re one of the people stuck on the island with him, fear a lot.

This island may be big enough for Kong and a bunch of other creatures, but it ain’t big enough to fit all these pesky humans too. The new international trailer for Kong: Skull Island gives us more flames, more ape, and introduces a bunch of new creatures, each one huger than the last.

Kong’s beats may not be on fire, but his island sure is. A new concept art image from Kong: Skull Island shows the ape bursting through a wall of flames while tiny soldiers run for their lives in the foreground. You can tell the production team liked this one, because it looks like it comes straight out of the actual trailer itself.

The first trailer for Kong: Skull Island debuted at Comic-Con back in July, offering a sneak peek that was more visually exciting and intriguing than we could have possibly hoped, clearly evoking classic war films like Apocalypse Now and The Thin Red Line — you know, but with a giant ape. After a week of teasers and images preparing us for Kong’s revival, a new official trailer has arrived online heralding a bigger, badder return for the legendary movie monster.

Kong’s helicopter hatred continues in the new trailer tease for Kong: Skull Island that the movie’s official Twitter account posted earlier today. In the 9-second clip, the big gorilla can be seen with both halves of a helicopter in either paw, ready to smash them into the ground. It’s an extremely cool shot, one that shows the immensity of Kong from below and makes him look way scarier and more primordial than he’s looked in any movie thus far.

I’m not really sure how I feel about the new Hollywood trend of teasing out your trailers. On the one hand, it kind of takes the fun out of the equation; one of the best parts of coming back from a long day of meetings or classes is seeing that a brand new Star Wars spot has been dropped in your absence. On the other hand, though, it’s a real boon for cultural writers like me. Rogue One hints online that their next trailer will be released during the Olympics? You better believe we’ll be ready.

2017 is already shaping up to be more exciting for new blockbuster films than 2016, and one of the most intriguing titles is Kong: Skull Island, from Kings of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. We’ve already seen one impressive trailer for the film, which stars Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson and takes the legendary ape back to his titular home. That trailer offered a tantalizing tease of the creature, but today brings our first full look at the all-new Kong — still kind of the same as the old Kong, but maybe a bit grumpier.