King Kong [2005] (2 discs)

Random Trivia For This Title:

• Jack Black has claimed that he did not wear any make-up at all in the entire movie after hearing a false rumor that Clint Eastwood never wears any make-up in his movies. He also wore a hairpiece during filming rather than going through makeup to achieve the '30s hairdo' look.
• The insects attacking Jack Driscoll at the canyon bottom are gigantic versions of the Weta, a species native to New Zealand and the namesake of Peter Jackson's production studio.
• The role of "Jimmy" played by Jamie Bell, was created specifically for him.
• Peter Jackson was paid $20 million to direct this film, the highest salary ever paid to a film director in advance of production.
• Howard Shore had written and recorded much of the score for this film, but shortly before release, he departed from the project. Peter Jackson stated that because of "differing creative aspirations" between the two of them, they both thought it best for Shore to be replaced by James Newton Howard, who was given less than two months to write and record a new score for the entire film.
• King Kong's roar is a lion's roar played backwards at half speed.
• Adrien Brody was the first and only choice for hero Jack Driscoll. While Brody was under the impression that he was competing with other actors for the role, he was quickly informed by the producers that they were only interested in him. He signed on before the script was written.
• Andy Serkis had 132 sensors attached to his face so that his every facial expression could be captured and shown on King Kong's face.
• Besides studying wild gorillas in Rwanda in order to be able to mimic their movements and behavior, Andy Serkis also developed a close friendship with a female gorilla called Zaire at a zoo near London.
• The scene where Denham, Driscoll and the crew fall into a pit filled with giant bugs is a reference to a scene in the original King Kong, where the crew fell into a pit and were devoured by giant spiders, which was cut after many members of preview audiences ran out of the theater in horror during the scene. The original scene has never been found.