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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/looming_kong.png]]

->''"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead."''
--> -- '''(Fictional) Arabian Proverb'''

[[{{Tagline}} "The Eighth Wonder of the World!"]]

With those words, Creator/RKOPictures introduced one of the most well-known and enduring [[{{Kaiju}} movie monsters]] of all time. "Kong" is a giant gorilla living on a [[LostWorld hidden island]] in the South Pacific. When a charter ship travels to this island, the oversized primate becomes enraptured by the crew's sole blonde woman, whom the island natives offer up to it in sacrifice. The crew rescue the girl and even manage to capture Kong, bringing the creature back to Manhattan for a spectacle. However, Kong escapes and causes mayhem in the streets of New York before being shot off the top of a skyscraper.

The original 1933 film has had two official remakes, along with numerous spin-offs, sequels, crossovers, and spoofs. Retellings in other media range from a DirectToVideo animated feature in TheNineties (''The Mighty Kong'' for those curious) to an Australian stage musical in 2013 (a Broadway production of this version, with significant changes to the song list, opened in November of 2018). The major films (and their sequels) are:
[[index]]
* ''Film/KingKong1933''
** ''The Son of Kong'', a 1933 sequel to the original.
* ''Film/KingKong1976''
** ''Film/KingKongLives'', a 1986 sequel to the above.
* ''Film/KingKong2005''
* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' (2017)
[[/index]]

'''Other Appearances'''\\

Between the 1933 and 1976 films, King Kong also famously appeared in ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla'', released in 1962 and featuring [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin King Kong battling Godzilla]], in an exemplar of CoolVersusAwesome. King Kong was beefed up by a hundred feet or so and given lightning-based {{Eleventh Hour Superpower}}s so that he could manage an incredible turnaround against the Big G after getting a bad case of TheWorfEffect, infamously getting him to [[http://youtu.be/CkFm0FpT3R0?t=1m53s eat his goddamn veggies]]. The movie ends with both of them falling into the ocean, but King Kong emerging alone.

King Kong would return in ''Film/KingKongEscapes'', also produced by Toho.

''WesternAnimation/KongTheAnimatedSeries'' involves a much more heroic, cloned version of the original ape helping a group of [[RecruitTeenagersWithAttitude plucky teens]] race an evil mastermind to be the first to [[GottaCatchEmAll collect all of a series of magical stones]]. The show's human hero (who was also a DNA donor for this show's version of the big ape) could [[FusionDance cybernetically combine with Kong]] to make him more of a match for the villain's own [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters]]. Received a SpiritualSuccessor in Netflix's ''Kong: King of the Apes,'' which even copies from TAS's theme song. There was also an earlier animated series about a heroic King Kong in the 1960s, ''WesternAnimation/TheKingKongShow''.

King Kong has also long enjoyed a presence in the literary world, helped by the original 1932 novelization becoming public domain. Two sequels in particular have been created, ''After King Kong Fell'' by Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer which places ''Radio/TheShadow'' and ''{{Franchise/DocSavage}}'' on scene after the great apes fell from the Empire State building; and ''Kong Reborn'' by Russell Blackford which has a dried blood sample found on the Empire State building leading to Kong being cloned and brought back to Skull Island.

The most diverse and widespread literary incarnation is by the works of Joe [=DeVito=] working in tandem with the Cooper estate. His most famous work, ''Kong: King of Skull Island'' serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original film by having the son of Carl Denham returned to Skull Island to find his estranged father and learning of Kong's upbringing as well is the origin of his species and the history of the natives. The story and its accompanying illustrations were adapted into comic book form by Creator/DarkHorseComics. Later on Creator/BoomStudios would partner up with [=DeVito=] to create both the series ''Kong of Skull Island'' which borrowed heavily from the novel as well is creating a variety of short series and one shots. [=DeVito's=] work continues with a variety of illustrations and short pieces set in his novel's universe as well as a crossover story entailing Kong getting free of the transport ship and ending up in Africa in Will Murray's ''Literature/KingKongVsTarzan''.

King Kong has been the basis for two attractions at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Orlando Resort]]. The first attraction, known as ''Ride/{{Kongfrontation}}'', was among the opening day rides at Universal Studios Florida in 1990. Based off the 1976 remake, the ride had guests board the Roosevelt Island trams and come face-to-face with the giant ape during his rampage in New York. The ride was suddenly closed in 2002, a decision that lead to much backlash from both fans and the general public. In response, a new King Kong attraction would eventually be built at the neighboring park, Universal's Islands of Adventure, in 2016. This new ride, titled, ''Ride/SkullIslandReignOfKong'', is loosely based off of the 2005 remake and follows an expedition to Skull Island that quickly goes awry as guests get several close encounters with the island's inhabitants before coming across Kong himself in a battle between him and a Vastatosaurus Rex trio. Both of the attractions were inspired by scenes from the tram-based ''Studio Tour'' at Universal Studios Hollywood; the former attraction was modeled after the ''King Kong Encounter'' sequence (which operated from 1986 until 2008, when it was destroyed in a backlot fire), while the latter attraction was based off of the ''King Kong 360'' sequence (which was built in 2010 to make up for the loss of ''Encounter'').

Creator/LegendaryPictures, fresh off their success with Creator/GarethEdwards' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[Film/{{Godzilla 2014}} remake]], produced ''Film/KongSkullIsland''. Standing alone from previous versions of the character, this King Kong will be part of a SharedUniverse, the ''Film/MonsterVerse'' with Legendary's Godzilla, with the two meeting in ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' in 2020.
----
!!General tropes for all films:

* AdaptationalHeroism: Jack's misogyny, arrogance and butchness in the original are parodied in a secondary character in the 2005 version while he is reinvented as a bookish, gentlemanly romantic. Ann, meanwhile, in the remakes, is no longer entirely terrified of the monster but sympathizes with him and is even able to calm him at times.
* AlasPoorVillain: Kong himself at the end.
%%* AlwaysSaveTheGirl
* AntiVillain: Even though Kong is a destructive force and responsible for killing extras in every film, he doesn't really comprehend the damage he's causing: he just wants Ann/Dwan. As such, King remains sympathetic in all film versions, and in some interpretations is the ''hero'' compared to the more greedy humans (Denham, Wilson the oil exec).
* ArtisticLicensePaleontology: Flesh-Eating Apatosaur (aka brontosaur) in the original. Most likely due to RuleOfCool.
** The brontosaur didn't actually eat anybody. It just shook around a man in its mouth and then left the guy's body on the ground. It was, however, a common cinematic depiction at that time.
** The 1976 version averts this because there is only a giant snake. The 2005 version makes its own dinosaurs.
** See also TyrannosaurusRex.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: In the original film, the stop-motion Kong models used on Skull Island were scaled to look 18 feet tall, but the one used in New York was made to appear 24 feet tall. The life-size hand, foot, and head props were built with a 40-foot Kong in mind, and RKO's marketing said Kong was 50 feet high. In the first remake, he's ranges from 42 to 55 feet, in ''Film/KingKongLives,'' he's 60 feet, in ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla'' he's 148 feet, in ''King Kong Escapes'' he's 66 feet, and in Peter Jackson's remake, he's 25 feet tall, but would probably be closer to 35 if he stood upright like the others instead of walking on his knuckles. ''TAS'' gives his size as "forty feet at the shoulder."
** Jackson's Kong is closest to what the SquareCubeLaw allows: [[http://viewerscommentary.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/king-kong-and-ann-darrow.jpg a bit larger than a large African Elephant]], walks on all fours most of the time, to distribute weight evenly, proportionately short hind legs with huge feet, like largest modern bears have to support them when walking upright. A 50ft Kong would be unrealistic, an 148ft Kong downright impossible.
* BeastAndBeauty. Also counts as ArcWords.
* BehemothBattle: King Kong fights giant monsters in every installment.
** 1933: King Kong (giant ape) fighting a Tyrannosaurus Rex. This might be the TropeCodifier for modern giant monster fights in movies.
** 1976: King Kong fights giant snake.
** 2005: King Kong fights no less than three Vastatosaurus rex, a fictive descendant of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
%%* BigApplesauce
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Averted in the '76 film, wherein black crew member Boan is the only member of the search party besides Prescott to survive. The first man to die in the 2005 film was a man who got a native spear through the chest. Ben Hayes died a bit later.
* BreakingTheBonds: Look out!
* BringItBackAlive: What happens to Kong.
* CataclysmClimax: Notably, the destruction of Skull Island in both the 1933 and 2005 versions does not happen in the main films themselves (in 1933, it happened in the sequel; in 2005, it is described only on the [[ExpandedUniverse website]] and the special features on the DVD.
** The demise of Skull Island is further discussed in ''[[AllThereInTheManual A Natural History Of Skull Island]]''.
%%* ChainedByFashion
* ChainedToARock: the natives tie a young maiden to stakes outside the village and leave her as an offering for Kong. Ann Darrow becomes the last 'bride of Kong' to be offered.
* ClimbingClimax: Each film's climax takes place on top of the currently highest building in New York (the Empire State Building in the 1933 and 2005 movies, the World Trade Center in the 1976 one).
* ClothingDamage: Sustained by Ann/Dwan, particularly in the '33 version when Kong tries to "peel" her like a banana.
** This is taken to insane extremes in the little-known Don Simpson "Monster Comics" adaptation. She's stripped completely down to her bra and panties. Likewise, Jack consistently loses bits and pieces of ''his'' clothing throughout his travails. By the time he and Ann get back to the wall, he's shirtless and his pants have been shredded to the point where it looks like he's wearing daisy dukes.
* CreatorCameo: In the original, the aircrew that downs Kong was played by the director and producer, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Shoedsack. In the 2005 remake, Jackson puts himself in the fatal plane in a deliberate {{homage}}. Also with him in that plane is Creator/RickBaker, who played Kong in the suit in the '76 version.
* DamselInDistress: Played straight in the original; subverted/deconstructed in the later films with the girl's Stockholm-esque/Koko-and-Kitten bonding with Kong.
* DarkerAndEdgier: The original was pretty dark as it was, but the '76 version is a bit darker, with [[BloodierAndGorier much more blood and gore]] (unsurprising, considering the difference in decades and moviemaking standards). And the '05 version is the darkest yet, with its savage natives, tons of violence, and nightmarish creatures.
* DownerEnding / BittersweetEnding: Both the '76 and '05 versions, as a result of making Kong even more sympathetic and having Ann/Dwan form a bond with him. The 2005 version in particular gets bleaker and bleaker the more you think about it: Kong's dead, and since he's the LastOfHisKind, his whole species is now extinct. Several civilians and many of the soldiers who tried to bring him down and protect the city were killed. Carl Denham's career is ruined for sure, and he'll never be able to donate the proceeds of his film to the families of the Venture's deceased crew members. And of the Venture's crew that survived, most of their friends (and in Jimmy's case, his father figure) are dead. One of the only really bright spots to come out of the whole deal is Ann and Jack's relationship, and there's a feeling that it won't last. Granted, a lot of the same points could also apply to the original, but the fact that the story of the '05 version is more "developed" just makes it even sadder. The bittersweet part to this is that at least New York is saved from destruction.
** Even worse, ''A Natural History Of Skull Island'' tells us Denham led ''several more'' expeditions to the island that got even more people killed, after which the whole place sank into the sea in an earthquake. So ''every'' exotic species on the island wound up extinct, and the natives too.
* EastIndies: Skull Island is located here.
* EpicMovie: Especially the Creator/PeterJackson version.
* EscapedAnimalRampage: After Kong arrives in New York City he is exhibited in a theater. When he escapes he terrorizes the city and... well, you know the rest.
* EverybodysDeadDave: ...particularly during the "shaken log" sequence, which both the 1933 and 1976 versions have. Subverted at first in the 2005 remake, where [[spoiler:Denham and most of his crew survive the fall, but then double-subverted when the insects attack and consume his entire crew]].
** Originally, this was supposed to happen in the 1933 version as well. The scene, now known as "Spider Pit Sequence", was actually shot, but removed because according to Cooper "it stopped the story".
*** Weta Workshop actually filmed a brand-new version of the Spider Pit Sequence as an extra for the de luxe DVD edition, using authentic stop-motion techniques, in black and white and Academy AspectRatio, to match the look of the film as closely as possible. They even created the sound of a monster's roar by slowing down one of Fay Wray's screams from the original movie..
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: As much a staple of the films as Kong himself.
** ''King Kong'' '33 features the famous fight between Kong and a T-Rex, as well as plenty of other dinosaurs.
** Godzilla in ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla''.
** Gorosaurus in ''Film/KingKongEscapes''.
** Oddly, the '70s movies featured no dinosaurs whatsoever, though Kong did fight a giant snake.
** The V-Rexes and the stampeding Brontosaurs in ''King Kong'' '05.
*** The '''RAPTORS!''' Oh, and the ceratopsian Ferrucutus in the extended version, as well as other dinosaurs.
** Gaw and her Death Runners in ''Kong: King of Skull Island'', an illustrated novel that serves as a prequel to the film.
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Especially 50-foot gorillas. Which aren't really monkeys.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Skull Island. Apart from the titular giant gorilla, there are vicious dinosaurs, BigCreepyCrawlies, bat-creatures and savage natives threatening any visitor's life.
* {{Fanservice}}: Ann/Dwan has their moments in the films.
** Jack Driscoll in the Don Simpson "Monster Comics" adaptation, who ends up shirtless and with his pants torn by the end of the Skull Island section.
* ForcedPerspective: Used constantly in the 1933 original and occasionally for the 1976 version.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Ann Darrow in both the original and Peter Jackson remake.
* HelicopterFlyswatter: Probably the TropeMaker.
* TheHeroDies: While it's hard to call Kong a hero, it counts as such in the sense that he is the title character himself.
* HollywoodNatives: All versions feature savage natives who capture Ann / Dwan and sacrifice her to Kong.
** In the original 1933 film, they are as typical Hollywood Natives as possible.
** Played with in the 2005 remake; the natives of Skull Island look more like orcs, while the "natives" in the New York stage show use the same costumes, dance and music as the natives of the 1933 film.
* HulksCooldownHugCorollary: A rampaging Kong can be calmed down if Ann / Dwan is around.
* HumanSacrifice: Ann / Dwan is offered to Kong by the natives as this.
* IntercontinuityCrossover with Franchise/{{Godzilla}}: Kong fought the Monster King in 1962's ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla''. See that film's page for more of its history, to avoid a FlameWar.
* IslandOfMystery: Skull Island.
* IsleOfGiantHorrors: Skull Island is an island teaming with horrific beasts and dinosaurs, with the titular giant ape [[AssKickingEqualsAuthority reigning as king of them]].
* {{Jawbreaker}}: Kong's signature finishing move in all three movies. The only monster who doesn't get it is Godzilla.
* {{Kaiju}}: Though Kong misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city (that honor goes to the [[StockDinosaurs Brontosaurus]] from Willis O'Brien's ''Film/TheLostWorld'', 8 years prior to Kong), he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
* KillerGorilla: One of the most famous examples and one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s. Kong might be a NonMaliciousMonster, but he still kills numerous people, both island natives and New York citizens.
* KingKongClimb: The TropeMaker, naturally.
* LostWorld: An uncharted island in the original story; hidden by a perpetual fog bank in the 70s version.
* MarsNeedsWomen: More accurately, Kong needs a blonde wife. (Well, the Islanders think he does...)
* MonsterShapedMountain: Several fictional homages to the original film have taken Skull Island's name literally, depicting either its central mountain peak or the actual shoreline as skull-shaped.
* MonumentalBattle: Always the tallest skyscraper in New York (Empire State Building, World Trade Center)
* MultipleGunshotDeath: How Kong dies--and then falling off the top of a skyscaper [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill for good measure]].
* NonMaliciousMonster: Kong, who rampages in New York and kills numerous citizens only because he is taken into an alien and hostile environment. Especially notable in the 2005 version, but present in all incarnations.
* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: If you think about it, Kong is ''not'' the real monster here. Kidnapped, dragged away from home, put on display and gawked at...he's more a victim than Fay Wray was.
* OutOfFocus: Englehorn in the '33 and '05 films, and Ross in the '76 one.
* PrettyInMink: In the original film, Ann wears a chinchilla cape. In the 1976 film, Dwan wears a chinchilla jacket.
* PrimalChestPound: Kong often does it; most iconically after defeating the giant reptile (TyrannosaurusRex / giant snake / V-rex), and when fighting the planes on top of the building.
* TheRemake: Most people agree the '76 film was a Remake Decay; the '05 version has been mostly favorably received.
* ScreamingWoman: Fay Wray, of course.
* SingleSpecimenSpecies: How come you don't see more like Kong in his island?
** Explained in the 2005 ''A Natural History of Skull Island''. Kong is the LastOfHisKind. Further, in the 2005 film, we see the bones of others of his kind, further cementing the idea that he is all alone.
** Lampshaded in a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' skit, among other questions.
* StarringSpecialEffects: While all movies feature human actors, the real star is Kong, created with the most modern visual effects of the age (stop motion in 1933, animatronic suit in 1976, CGI / motion capture in 2005).
* StockDinosaurs: Used in the 1933 (as well as averted) and averted in the remake (we get modern equivalents that have the stock dinosaurs as ancestors). Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Plesiosaur and Pteranodon all show up in the 1933 film (with the sequel having Styracosaurus, A Cave Bear, a different Plesiosaur and a dragon-like monster). The 2005 remake has descendants of Tyrannosaurs, Sauropods, Horned Dinosaurs, Duck Billed Dinosaurs and Raptors in it. It also has Giant centipedes, land-crocodiles and other weird thing.
** The 2005 version further subverts this by replacing the Pteranodon (which is not a dinosaur, but its "stock" anyway) with flying rodents, which look like a cross between a bat and a naked mole rat with large eyes and hindlimbs like those of a hawk.
* TitleDrop: For most of the movie everyone just calls the ape "Kong," and it's not until near the end that we see "KING Kong" written on a huge sign in New York. After that they ''still'' don't say the whole thing in dialogue.
* WhyIsntItAttacking: He likes that little blonde girl.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Kong
----

to:

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1477711855083166500
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/looming_kong.png]]

->''"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead."''
--> -- '''(Fictional) Arabian Proverb'''

[[{{Tagline}} "The Eighth Wonder of the World!"]]

With those words, Creator/RKOPictures introduced one of the most well-known and enduring [[{{Kaiju}} movie monsters]] of all time. "Kong" is a giant gorilla living on a [[LostWorld hidden island]] in the South Pacific. When a charter ship travels to this island, the oversized primate becomes enraptured by the crew's sole blonde woman, whom the island natives offer up to it in sacrifice. The crew rescue the girl and even manage to capture Kong, bringing the creature back to Manhattan for a spectacle. However, Kong escapes and causes mayhem in the streets of New York before being shot off the top of a skyscraper.

The original 1933 film has had two official remakes, along with numerous spin-offs, sequels, crossovers, and spoofs. Retellings in other media range from a DirectToVideo animated feature in TheNineties (''The Mighty Kong'' for those curious) to an Australian stage musical in 2013 (a Broadway production of this version, with significant changes to the song list, opened in November of 2018). The major films (and their sequels) are:
[[index]]
* ''Film/KingKong1933''
** ''The Son of Kong'', a 1933 sequel to the original.
* ''Film/KingKong1976''
** ''Film/KingKongLives'', a 1986 sequel to the above.
* ''Film/KingKong2005''
* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' (2017)
[[/index]]

'''Other Appearances'''\\

Between the 1933 and 1976 films, King Kong also famously appeared in ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla'', released in 1962 and featuring [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin King Kong battling Godzilla]], in an exemplar of CoolVersusAwesome. King Kong was beefed up by a hundred feet or so and given lightning-based {{Eleventh Hour Superpower}}s so that he could manage an incredible turnaround against the Big G after getting a bad case of TheWorfEffect, infamously getting him to [[http://youtu.be/CkFm0FpT3R0?t=1m53s eat his goddamn veggies]]. The movie ends with both of them falling into the ocean, but King Kong emerging alone.

King Kong would return in ''Film/KingKongEscapes'', also produced by Toho.

''WesternAnimation/KongTheAnimatedSeries'' involves a much more heroic, cloned version of the original ape helping a group of [[RecruitTeenagersWithAttitude plucky teens]] race an evil mastermind to be the first to [[GottaCatchEmAll collect all of a series of magical stones]]. The show's human hero (who was also a DNA donor for this show's version of the big ape) could [[FusionDance cybernetically combine with Kong]] to make him more of a match for the villain's own [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters]]. Received a SpiritualSuccessor in Netflix's ''Kong: King of the Apes,'' which even copies from TAS's theme song. There was also an earlier animated series about a heroic King Kong in the 1960s, ''WesternAnimation/TheKingKongShow''.

King Kong has also long enjoyed a presence in the literary world, helped by the original 1932 novelization becoming public domain. Two sequels in particular have been created, ''After King Kong Fell'' by Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer which places ''Radio/TheShadow'' and ''{{Franchise/DocSavage}}'' on scene after the great apes fell from the Empire State building; and ''Kong Reborn'' by Russell Blackford which has a dried blood sample found on the Empire State building leading to Kong being cloned and brought back to Skull Island.

The most diverse and widespread literary incarnation is by the works of Joe [=DeVito=] working in tandem with the Cooper estate. His most famous work, ''Kong: King of Skull Island'' serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original film by having the son of Carl Denham returned to Skull Island to find his estranged father and learning of Kong's upbringing as well is the origin of his species and the history of the natives. The story and its accompanying illustrations were adapted into comic book form by Creator/DarkHorseComics. Later on Creator/BoomStudios would partner up with [=DeVito=] to create both the series ''Kong of Skull Island'' which borrowed heavily from the novel as well is creating a variety of short series and one shots. [=DeVito's=] work continues with a variety of illustrations and short pieces set in his novel's universe as well as a crossover story entailing Kong getting free of the transport ship and ending up in Africa in Will Murray's ''Literature/KingKongVsTarzan''.

King Kong has been the basis for two attractions at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Orlando Resort]]. The first attraction, known as ''Ride/{{Kongfrontation}}'', was among the opening day rides at Universal Studios Florida in 1990. Based off the 1976 remake, the ride had guests board the Roosevelt Island trams and come face-to-face with the giant ape during his rampage in New York. The ride was suddenly closed in 2002, a decision that lead to much backlash from both fans and the general public. In response, a new King Kong attraction would eventually be built at the neighboring park, Universal's Islands of Adventure, in 2016. This new ride, titled, ''Ride/SkullIslandReignOfKong'', is loosely based off of the 2005 remake and follows an expedition to Skull Island that quickly goes awry as guests get several close encounters with the island's inhabitants before coming across Kong himself in a battle between him and a Vastatosaurus Rex trio. Both of the attractions were inspired by scenes from the tram-based ''Studio Tour'' at Universal Studios Hollywood; the former attraction was modeled after the ''King Kong Encounter'' sequence (which operated from 1986 until 2008, when it was destroyed in a backlot fire), while the latter attraction was based off of the ''King Kong 360'' sequence (which was built in 2010 to make up for the loss of ''Encounter'').

Creator/LegendaryPictures, fresh off their success with Creator/GarethEdwards' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[Film/{{Godzilla 2014}} remake]], produced ''Film/KongSkullIsland''. Standing alone from previous versions of the character, this King Kong will be part of a SharedUniverse, the ''Film/MonsterVerse'' with Legendary's Godzilla, with the two meeting in ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' in 2020.
----
!!General tropes for all films:

* AdaptationalHeroism: Jack's misogyny, arrogance and butchness in the original are parodied in a secondary character in the 2005 version while he is reinvented as a bookish, gentlemanly romantic. Ann, meanwhile, in the remakes, is no longer entirely terrified of the monster but sympathizes with him and is even able to calm him at times.
* AlasPoorVillain: Kong himself at the end.
%%* AlwaysSaveTheGirl
* AntiVillain: Even though Kong is a destructive force and responsible for killing extras in every film, he doesn't really comprehend the damage he's causing: he just wants Ann/Dwan. As such, King remains sympathetic in all film versions, and in some interpretations is the ''hero'' compared to the more greedy humans (Denham, Wilson the oil exec).
* ArtisticLicensePaleontology: Flesh-Eating Apatosaur (aka brontosaur) in the original. Most likely due to RuleOfCool.
** The brontosaur didn't actually eat anybody. It just shook around a man in its mouth and then left the guy's body on the ground. It was, however, a common cinematic depiction at that time.
** The 1976 version averts this because there is only a giant snake. The 2005 version makes its own dinosaurs.
** See also TyrannosaurusRex.
* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: In the original film, the stop-motion Kong models used on Skull Island were scaled to look 18 feet tall, but the one used in New York was made to appear 24 feet tall. The life-size hand, foot, and head props were built with a 40-foot Kong in mind, and RKO's marketing said Kong was 50 feet high. In the first remake, he's ranges from 42 to 55 feet, in ''Film/KingKongLives,'' he's 60 feet, in ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla'' he's 148 feet, in ''King Kong Escapes'' he's 66 feet, and in Peter Jackson's remake, he's 25 feet tall, but would probably be closer to 35 if he stood upright like the others instead of walking on his knuckles. ''TAS'' gives his size as "forty feet at the shoulder."
** Jackson's Kong is closest to what the SquareCubeLaw allows: [[http://viewerscommentary.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/king-kong-and-ann-darrow.jpg a bit larger than a large African Elephant]], walks on all fours most of the time, to distribute weight evenly, proportionately short hind legs with huge feet, like largest modern bears have to support them when walking upright. A 50ft Kong would be unrealistic, an 148ft Kong downright impossible.
* BeastAndBeauty. Also counts as ArcWords.
* BehemothBattle: King Kong fights giant monsters in every installment.
** 1933: King Kong (giant ape) fighting a Tyrannosaurus Rex. This might be the TropeCodifier for modern giant monster fights in movies.
** 1976: King Kong fights giant snake.
** 2005: King Kong fights no less than three Vastatosaurus rex, a fictive descendant of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
%%* BigApplesauce
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Averted in the '76 film, wherein black crew member Boan is the only member of the search party besides Prescott to survive. The first man to die in the 2005 film was a man who got a native spear through the chest. Ben Hayes died a bit later.
* BreakingTheBonds: Look out!
* BringItBackAlive: What happens to Kong.
* CataclysmClimax: Notably, the destruction of Skull Island in both the 1933 and 2005 versions does not happen in the main films themselves (in 1933, it happened in the sequel; in 2005, it is described only on the [[ExpandedUniverse website]] and the special features on the DVD.
** The demise of Skull Island is further discussed in ''[[AllThereInTheManual A Natural History Of Skull Island]]''.
%%* ChainedByFashion
* ChainedToARock: the natives tie a young maiden to stakes outside the village and leave her as an offering for Kong. Ann Darrow becomes the last 'bride of Kong' to be offered.
* ClimbingClimax: Each film's climax takes place on top of the currently highest building in New York (the Empire State Building in the 1933 and 2005 movies, the World Trade Center in the 1976 one).
* ClothingDamage: Sustained by Ann/Dwan, particularly in the '33 version when Kong tries to "peel" her like a banana.
** This is taken to insane extremes in the little-known Don Simpson "Monster Comics" adaptation. She's stripped completely down to her bra and panties. Likewise, Jack consistently loses bits and pieces of ''his'' clothing throughout his travails. By the time he and Ann get back to the wall, he's shirtless and his pants have been shredded to the point where it looks like he's wearing daisy dukes.
* CreatorCameo: In the original, the aircrew that downs Kong was played by the director and producer, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Shoedsack. In the 2005 remake, Jackson puts himself in the fatal plane in a deliberate {{homage}}. Also with him in that plane is Creator/RickBaker, who played Kong in the suit in the '76 version.
* DamselInDistress: Played straight in the original; subverted/deconstructed in the later films with the girl's Stockholm-esque/Koko-and-Kitten bonding with Kong.
* DarkerAndEdgier: The original was pretty dark as it was, but the '76 version is a bit darker, with [[BloodierAndGorier much more blood and gore]] (unsurprising, considering the difference in decades and moviemaking standards). And the '05 version is the darkest yet, with its savage natives, tons of violence, and nightmarish creatures.
* DownerEnding / BittersweetEnding: Both the '76 and '05 versions, as a result of making Kong even more sympathetic and having Ann/Dwan form a bond with him. The 2005 version in particular gets bleaker and bleaker the more you think about it: Kong's dead, and since he's the LastOfHisKind, his whole species is now extinct. Several civilians and many of the soldiers who tried to bring him down and protect the city were killed. Carl Denham's career is ruined for sure, and he'll never be able to donate the proceeds of his film to the families of the Venture's deceased crew members. And of the Venture's crew that survived, most of their friends (and in Jimmy's case, his father figure) are dead. One of the only really bright spots to come out of the whole deal is Ann and Jack's relationship, and there's a feeling that it won't last. Granted, a lot of the same points could also apply to the original, but the fact that the story of the '05 version is more "developed" just makes it even sadder. The bittersweet part to this is that at least New York is saved from destruction.
** Even worse, ''A Natural History Of Skull Island'' tells us Denham led ''several more'' expeditions to the island that got even more people killed, after which the whole place sank into the sea in an earthquake. So ''every'' exotic species on the island wound up extinct, and the natives too.
* EastIndies: Skull Island is located here.
* EpicMovie: Especially the Creator/PeterJackson version.
* EscapedAnimalRampage: After Kong arrives in New York City he is exhibited in a theater. When he escapes he terrorizes the city and... well, you know the rest.
* EverybodysDeadDave: ...particularly during the "shaken log" sequence, which both the 1933 and 1976 versions have. Subverted at first in the 2005 remake, where [[spoiler:Denham and most of his crew survive the fall, but then double-subverted when the insects attack and consume his entire crew]].
** Originally, this was supposed to happen in the 1933 version as well. The scene, now known as "Spider Pit Sequence", was actually shot, but removed because according to Cooper "it stopped the story".
*** Weta Workshop actually filmed a brand-new version of the Spider Pit Sequence as an extra for the de luxe DVD edition, using authentic stop-motion techniques, in black and white and Academy AspectRatio, to match the look of the film as closely as possible. They even created the sound of a monster's roar by slowing down one of Fay Wray's screams from the original movie..
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: As much a staple of the films as Kong himself.
** ''King Kong'' '33 features the famous fight between Kong and a T-Rex, as well as plenty of other dinosaurs.
** Godzilla in ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla''.
** Gorosaurus in ''Film/KingKongEscapes''.
** Oddly, the '70s movies featured no dinosaurs whatsoever, though Kong did fight a giant snake.
** The V-Rexes and the stampeding Brontosaurs in ''King Kong'' '05.
*** The '''RAPTORS!''' Oh, and the ceratopsian Ferrucutus in the extended version, as well as other dinosaurs.
** Gaw and her Death Runners in ''Kong: King of Skull Island'', an illustrated novel that serves as a prequel to the film.
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Especially 50-foot gorillas. Which aren't really monkeys.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Skull Island. Apart from the titular giant gorilla, there are vicious dinosaurs, BigCreepyCrawlies, bat-creatures and savage natives threatening any visitor's life.
* {{Fanservice}}: Ann/Dwan has their moments in the films.
** Jack Driscoll in the Don Simpson "Monster Comics" adaptation, who ends up shirtless and with his pants torn by the end of the Skull Island section.
* ForcedPerspective: Used constantly in the 1933 original and occasionally for the 1976 version.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Ann Darrow in both the original and Peter Jackson remake.
* HelicopterFlyswatter: Probably the TropeMaker.
* TheHeroDies: While it's hard to call Kong a hero, it counts as such in the sense that he is the title character himself.
* HollywoodNatives: All versions feature savage natives who capture Ann / Dwan and sacrifice her to Kong.
** In the original 1933 film, they are as typical Hollywood Natives as possible.
** Played with in the 2005 remake; the natives of Skull Island look more like orcs, while the "natives" in the New York stage show use the same costumes, dance and music as the natives of the 1933 film.
* HulksCooldownHugCorollary: A rampaging Kong can be calmed down if Ann / Dwan is around.
* HumanSacrifice: Ann / Dwan is offered to Kong by the natives as this.
* IntercontinuityCrossover with Franchise/{{Godzilla}}: Kong fought the Monster King in 1962's ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla''. See that film's page for more of its history, to avoid a FlameWar.
* IslandOfMystery: Skull Island.
* IsleOfGiantHorrors: Skull Island is an island teaming with horrific beasts and dinosaurs, with the titular giant ape [[AssKickingEqualsAuthority reigning as king of them]].
* {{Jawbreaker}}: Kong's signature finishing move in all three movies. The only monster who doesn't get it is Godzilla.
* {{Kaiju}}: Though Kong misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city (that honor goes to the [[StockDinosaurs Brontosaurus]] from Willis O'Brien's ''Film/TheLostWorld'', 8 years prior to Kong), he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
* KillerGorilla: One of the most famous examples and one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s. Kong might be a NonMaliciousMonster, but he still kills numerous people, both island natives and New York citizens.
* KingKongClimb: The TropeMaker, naturally.
* LostWorld: An uncharted island in the original story; hidden by a perpetual fog bank in the 70s version.
* MarsNeedsWomen: More accurately, Kong needs a blonde wife. (Well, the Islanders think he does...)
* MonsterShapedMountain: Several fictional homages to the original film have taken Skull Island's name literally, depicting either its central mountain peak or the actual shoreline as skull-shaped.
* MonumentalBattle: Always the tallest skyscraper in New York (Empire State Building, World Trade Center)
* MultipleGunshotDeath: How Kong dies--and then falling off the top of a skyscaper [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill for good measure]].
* NonMaliciousMonster: Kong, who rampages in New York and kills numerous citizens only because he is taken into an alien and hostile environment. Especially notable in the 2005 version, but present in all incarnations.
* NotEvilJustMisunderstood: If you think about it, Kong is ''not'' the real monster here. Kidnapped, dragged away from home, put on display and gawked at...he's more a victim than Fay Wray was.
* OutOfFocus: Englehorn in the '33 and '05 films, and Ross in the '76 one.
* PrettyInMink: In the original film, Ann wears a chinchilla cape. In the 1976 film, Dwan wears a chinchilla jacket.
* PrimalChestPound: Kong often does it; most iconically after defeating the giant reptile (TyrannosaurusRex / giant snake / V-rex), and when fighting the planes on top of the building.
* TheRemake: Most people agree the '76 film was a Remake Decay; the '05 version has been mostly favorably received.
* ScreamingWoman: Fay Wray, of course.
* SingleSpecimenSpecies: How come you don't see more like Kong in his island?
** Explained in the 2005 ''A Natural History of Skull Island''. Kong is the LastOfHisKind. Further, in the 2005 film, we see the bones of others of his kind, further cementing the idea that he is all alone.
** Lampshaded in a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' skit, among other questions.
* StarringSpecialEffects: While all movies feature human actors, the real star is Kong, created with the most modern visual effects of the age (stop motion in 1933, animatronic suit in 1976, CGI / motion capture in 2005).
* StockDinosaurs: Used in the 1933 (as well as averted) and averted in the remake (we get modern equivalents that have the stock dinosaurs as ancestors). Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Plesiosaur and Pteranodon all show up in the 1933 film (with the sequel having Styracosaurus, A Cave Bear, a different Plesiosaur and a dragon-like monster). The 2005 remake has descendants of Tyrannosaurs, Sauropods, Horned Dinosaurs, Duck Billed Dinosaurs and Raptors in it. It also has Giant centipedes, land-crocodiles and other weird thing.
** The 2005 version further subverts this by replacing the Pteranodon (which is not a dinosaur, but its "stock" anyway) with flying rodents, which look like a cross between a bat and a naked mole rat with large eyes and hindlimbs like those of a hawk.
* TitleDrop: For most of the movie everyone just calls the ape "Kong," and it's not until near the end that we see "KING Kong" written on a huge sign in New York. After that they ''still'' don't say the whole thing in dialogue.
* WhyIsntItAttacking: He likes that little blonde girl.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Kong
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[[redirect:Franchise.KingKong]]
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The most diverse and widespread literary incarnation is by the works of Joe [=DeVito=] working in tandem with the Cooper estate. His most famous work, ''Kong: King of Skull Island'' serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original film by having the son of Carl Denham returned to Skull Island to find his estranged father and learning of Kong's upbringing as well is the origin of his species and the history of the natives. The story and its accompanying illustrations were adapted into comic book form by Creator/DarkHorseComics. Later on Creator/BoomStudios would partner up with [=DeVito=] to create both the series ''Kong of Skull Island'' which borrowed heavily from the novel as well is creating a variety of short series and one shots. [=DeVito's=] work continues with a variety of illustrations and short pieces set in his novel's universe as well as a crossover story entailing Kong getting free of the transport ship and ending up in Africa in ''Literature/KingKongVsTarzan''.

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The most diverse and widespread literary incarnation is by the works of Joe [=DeVito=] working in tandem with the Cooper estate. His most famous work, ''Kong: King of Skull Island'' serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original film by having the son of Carl Denham returned to Skull Island to find his estranged father and learning of Kong's upbringing as well is the origin of his species and the history of the natives. The story and its accompanying illustrations were adapted into comic book form by Creator/DarkHorseComics. Later on Creator/BoomStudios would partner up with [=DeVito=] to create both the series ''Kong of Skull Island'' which borrowed heavily from the novel as well is creating a variety of short series and one shots. [=DeVito's=] work continues with a variety of illustrations and short pieces set in his novel's universe as well as a crossover story entailing Kong getting free of the transport ship and ending up in Africa in Will Murray's ''Literature/KingKongVsTarzan''.
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King Kong has also long enjoyed a presence in the literary world, helped by the original 1932 novelization becoming public domain. Two sequels in particular have been created, ''After King Kong Fell'' by Creator/PhilipJoseFarmer which places ''Radio/TheShadow'' and ''{{Franchise/DocSavage}}'' on scene after the great apes fell from the Empire State building; and ''Kong Reborn'' by Russell Blackford which has a dried blood sample found on the Empire State building leading to Kong being cloned and brought back to Skull Island.

The most diverse and widespread literary incarnation is by the works of Joe [=DeVito=] working in tandem with the Cooper estate. His most famous work, ''Kong: King of Skull Island'' serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original film by having the son of Carl Denham returned to Skull Island to find his estranged father and learning of Kong's upbringing as well is the origin of his species and the history of the natives. The story and its accompanying illustrations were adapted into comic book form by Creator/DarkHorseComics. Later on Creator/BoomStudios would partner up with [=DeVito=] to create both the series ''Kong of Skull Island'' which borrowed heavily from the novel as well is creating a variety of short series and one shots. [=DeVito's=] work continues with a variety of illustrations and short pieces set in his novel's universe as well as a crossover story entailing Kong getting free of the transport ship and ending up in Africa in ''Literature/KingKongVsTarzan''.
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Updating the status of the Broadway musical.


The original 1933 film has had two official remakes, along with numerous spin-offs, sequels, crossovers, and spoofs. Retellings in other media range from a DirectToVideo animated feature in TheNineties (''The Mighty Kong'' for those curious) to an Australian stage musical in 2013 (a Broadway production of this version has been announced, though the opening date is currently in limbo). The major films (and their sequels) are:

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The original 1933 film has had two official remakes, along with numerous spin-offs, sequels, crossovers, and spoofs. Retellings in other media range from a DirectToVideo animated feature in TheNineties (''The Mighty Kong'' for those curious) to an Australian stage musical in 2013 (a Broadway production of this version has been announced, though version, with significant changes to the opening date is currently song list, opened in limbo).November of 2018). The major films (and their sequels) are:
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* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Skull Island. So much.

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* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Skull Island. So much.Apart from the titular giant gorilla, there are vicious dinosaurs, BigCreepyCrawlies, bat-creatures and savage natives threatening any visitor's life.
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* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' (2017)

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Removed: 116

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* {{Kaiju}}: Though Kong misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city, he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
** The oldest Kaiju in cinema? A [[StockDinosaurs Brontosaurus]] from Willis O'Brien's ''Film/TheLostWorld'' (1925).

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* {{Kaiju}}: Though Kong misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city, he's city (that honor goes to the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
** The oldest Kaiju in cinema? A
[[StockDinosaurs Brontosaurus]] from Willis O'Brien's ''Film/TheLostWorld'' (1925).''Film/TheLostWorld'', 8 years prior to Kong), he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
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* {{Fanservice}}: Ann/Dawn has their moments in the films.

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* {{Fanservice}}: Ann/Dawn Ann/Dwan has their moments in the films.
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* MultipleGunshotDeath: How Kong dies--and then falling off the top of a skyscaper [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill for good measure]].
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* CreatorCameo: In the original, the aircrew that downs Kong was played by the director and producer, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Shoedsack. In the 2005 remake, Jackson puts himself in the fatal plane in a deliberate {{homage}}. Also with him in that plane is Rick Baker, who played Kong in the suit in the '76 version.

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* CreatorCameo: In the original, the aircrew that downs Kong was played by the director and producer, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Shoedsack. In the 2005 remake, Jackson puts himself in the fatal plane in a deliberate {{homage}}. Also with him in that plane is Rick Baker, Creator/RickBaker, who played Kong in the suit in the '76 version.
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Creator/LegendaryPictures, fresh off their success with Creator/GarethEdwards' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[Film/{{Godzilla 2014}} remake]], produced ''Film/KongSkullIsland''. Standing alone from previous versions of the character, this King Kong will be part of a SharedUniverse, the ''Film/MonsterVerse'' with Legendary's Godzilla, with the two meeting in ''Godzilla vs Kong'' in 2020.

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Creator/LegendaryPictures, fresh off their success with Creator/GarethEdwards' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[Film/{{Godzilla 2014}} remake]], produced ''Film/KongSkullIsland''. Standing alone from previous versions of the character, this King Kong will be part of a SharedUniverse, the ''Film/MonsterVerse'' with Legendary's Godzilla, with the two meeting in ''Godzilla vs Kong'' ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' in 2020.
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* {{Kaiju}}: Though he misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city, he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.

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* {{Kaiju}}: Though he Kong misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city, he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
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* {{Kaiju}}: Though misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city, he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.

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* {{Kaiju}}: Though he misses out on being the first monster to rampage across a city, he's the one people think of as the first proto-kaiju.
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* {{Fanservice}}: Ann/Dawn has their moments in the films.
** Jack Driscoll in the Don Simpson "Monster Comics" adaptation, who ends up shirtless and with his pants torn by the end of the Skull Island section.
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* ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' (2017)
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* ''Film/KongSkullIsland''

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* ''Film/KongSkullIsland''''Film/KongSkullIsland'' (2017)
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Creator/LegendaryPictures, fresh off their success with Creator/GarethEdwards' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[Film/{{Godzilla 2014}} remake]], [[http://www.slashfilm.com/skull-island-movie/ announced]] that they're producing a movie titled ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', which will be an OriginStory to the Eighth Wonder of the World himself. Standing alone from previous versions of the character, this King Kong will be part of a SharedUniverse with Legendary's Godzilla franchise, with the two meeting in ''Godzilla vs Kong'' in 2020.

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Creator/LegendaryPictures, fresh off their success with Creator/GarethEdwards' ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' [[Film/{{Godzilla 2014}} remake]], [[http://www.slashfilm.com/skull-island-movie/ announced]] that they're producing a movie titled ''Film/KongSkullIsland'', which will be an OriginStory to the Eighth Wonder of the World himself. produced ''Film/KongSkullIsland''. Standing alone from previous versions of the character, this King Kong will be part of a SharedUniverse SharedUniverse, the ''Film/MonsterVerse'' with Legendary's Godzilla franchise, Godzilla, with the two meeting in ''Godzilla vs Kong'' in 2020.
2020.

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