Jackson working on DVD for original ‘King Kong’

By Thomas K. Arnold

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Director Peter Jackson,
at work on his own remake of “King Kong,” is helping produce
bonus materials for the DVD debut of the 1933 original.

Jackson is working on a new documentary, “RKO Production
601: The Making of Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World,” a
two-hour, seven-part feature included in the two-disc “King
Kong” set, which Warner Home Video will release on Nov. 22.

“Fans of this film are going to go crazy; we’ve got
everything but the kitchen sink on here,” said George
Feltenstein, the studio’s senior vp of classic catalog.

One part of the documentary focuses on the mysterious
“spider pit” sequence deleted from the film before its
theatrical premiere in New York and Los Angeles.

“For years, there has always been speculation, does this
footage exist, so we have a piece that actually explains what
it was and we do a recreation of it,” Feltenstein said. “For
fans of the film, that’s a big, important thing.”

In true Warner fashion, “King Kong” — which has never
before been available on DVD — will arrive in stores in two
configurations: a two-disc special edition and a two-disc
collector’s edition packaged in a collectable tin and including
a 20-page reproduction of the original souvenir program,
postcard reproductions of the original one sheets, and a
mail-in offer for a reproduction of a vintage 27-by-41-inch
movie poster.

“The real one is worth about $25,000,” Feltenstein said.
“These are all reproductions, but they’re still nice to have.”

Warner also will release a four-disc collector’s set
featuring the two-disc “King Kong” special edition along with
“The Son of Kong” and “Mighty Joe Young.”

Feltenstein said the DVD of “King Kong” was two years in
the making and the fact that the DVD is arriving right before
Jackson’s remake opens in theaters on Dec. 14 via Universal
Pictures is “actually a coincidence.”

In addition to the seven-part documentary, the “King Kong”
DVD set includes such extras as a documentary on “Kong”
director (and creator) Merian C. Cooper, a trailer gallery of
Cooper’s other films, and a commentary from stop-motion
animator Ray Harryhausen, actress Terry Moore (“Mighty Joe
Young”) and special effects master Ken Ralston (“Star Wars”).

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter