History Trivia / KongSkullIsland

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/JKSimmons and Creator/MichaelKeaton were originally set to be part of the cast, but dropped out before production began. Simmons was originally going to play Packard and Keaton was originally going to play Marlow before they were replaced by Creator/SamuelLJackson and Creator/JohnCReilly, respectively.
*** Had Simmons accepted the role of Packard, it would have been an ActorAllusion to his past voice-over role as FantasticRacist HeWhoFightsMonsters GeneralRipper Wade Eiling from ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''.
** Legendary Pictures initially offered [[Creator/AdamAndJoe Joe Cornish]] a chance to direct the movie. Creator/PeterJackson (himself no stranger to Film/{{King Kong|2005}}) also suggested Creator/GuillermoDelToro (who directed ''Film/PacificRim'', which is a homage to {{kaiju}} films) as a possible director.
** Originally Ramarak/Skull Devil's name was going to be [=MacArthur=]. A nickname given by Marlow since, like [=MacArthur=], Skull Crawlers never gave up.
** Originally, the BigBad was going to be a giant dragon-like serpent with a saw-like jaw but was scraped and replaced by the Skull Crawlers.
** Several unused concepts for the Skullcrawlers included having a more snake-like body, being able to glide and climb trees, and having mantis-like raptorial arms.
** One deleted kaiju was a giant tiger with antlers.
** Godzilla himself would have actually made a physical appearance in this film. At least two ideas came to be.
*** According to [[Creator/JordanVogtRoberts Jordan Vogt-Roberts]] in the DVD commentary, there would have been black and white shots of Godzilla early in the film. But Jordan Vogt-Roberts fought against this idea of showing Godzilla first in a movie about King Kong, as he didn't want audiences to immediately focus on Godzilla, or have the film feel like a sequel. The director eventually won out and a shot of the damaged USS Lawton, which was attacked by Godzilla, was used instead.
*** In an Empire podcast, it was revealed that Godzilla was at one time considered to directly appear after the credits. Originally Conrad and Weaver are on a boat with Houston Brooks in the Arctic Ocean. Conrad and Weaver were to have asked Brooks what they were waiting for, to which he would have replied "hold on, hold on...". This would have led to Godzilla dramatically surfacing, breaking through the ice. However, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts admitted the scene did not line up with the events of ''Film/{{Godzilla|2014}}'', which implied Godzilla had not shown up between 1954 to 2014. As a result, it was ultimately scrapped for an ending that instead evoked Godzilla without directly showing him.
** Weaver actually had a backstory about growing up with a ControlFreak father and all-around dysfunctional family that was scripted but never filmed.
** [[http://collider.com/kong-skull-island-brie-larson-tom-hiddleston-backstories-cut/ According to writer Dan Gilroy]], Conrad and Weaver's deleted backstories:
*** Instead of being reluctant to join the expedition, Conrad would have wanted to join as he would've been searching for the giant monster that attacked him and his unit in Vietnam.
*** Weaver was originally written to be a war-weary photojournalist who [[JadeColoredGlasses didn't believe in anything and felt she had been taking photos for too long]], but would experience an awakening and "come back to life" when she first sees Kong.
** In an earlier version of the screenplay, the film took place in 1917 and was a prequel to the [[Film/KingKong1933 1933 film]], following James Conrad leading a rescue team to Skull Island and facing it's mythical creatures in search of his missing brother, who was stranded there while trying to find a "Titan Serum" said to cure all illnesses.
** Legendary intended to name the alpha Skullcrawler Ramarak during production, even trademarking it as such, though the name went unused in the film proper. As noted above, in the film it is referred to as "the big one", and the novelization and other supplementary materials referred to it as "Skull Devil" instead.
** According to an Empire podcast, Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts had a different opening in mind for the film that was shot down by the studio. Much like the opening we got, it would have also opened in WWII, but instead feature squads of soldiers fighting on Skull Island's beach, when another giant ape (albeit smaller than Kong) would have appeared out of the jungle - it's appearance would be based off of the [[Film/KingKong2005 2005 incarnation of the Kong]] - only to be killed by the soldiers. Shortly after it's death, a roar would be heard as the much larger, ''actual'' Kong emerges from the jungle. Legendary Pictures rejected that opening, as they thought it was too much of a mean spirited TakeThat to the 2005 film
** The movie was originally gone to be a sequel to Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong, Adam Wingard would've been director, but end up not happening.

** In an earlier version of the screenplay, the film was about James Conrad leading a rescue team to Skull Island and facing it's mythical creatures in search of his missing brother, who was stranded there while trying to find a "Titan Serum" said to cure all illnesses.

* FanNickname:
** Like many other post-2016 works that involve apes, many took to calling Kong "Harambe" after the [[MemeticMutation memetic]] gorilla.
** ''[[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kong of War]]'', for when Kong uses the ship propellor on a chain in a way very similar to how Kratos utilizes his signature weapon.
** "Ramarak" isn't the canon name of the alpha Skullcrawler (as noted under WhatCouldHaveBeen), but fans have taken to calling it as such regardless.

* CreatorBacklash: The director co-wrote and appeared in the ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' of his own movie, highlighting some ''legitimate'' flaws with the film, such as massive (in his own words) structural problems, lack of character arcs for most of the human cast and the fact that there are too many human characters to begin with. However, he still stood by the film and attacked the [[DearNegativeReader video made on the film]] by ''WebVideo/CinemaSins'' shortly before ''Honest Trailers'' was released.
* DearNegativeReader: Jordan Vogt-Roberts spent some time on Twitter attacking WebVideo/CinemaSins for their video on the film, calling them trolls and countering some specific sins. Rather notably, he had participated in the ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' video for the film before all this happened and was released shortly afterwards, where his own criticisms of the film were noted [[CreatorBacklash to be especially harsh]].

* AllStarCast: Creator/TomHiddleston, Creator/SamuelLJackson, Creator/BrieLarson, Creator/JohnCReilly, and Creator/JohnGoodman lead the charge in this movie.

* CreatorBacklash: The director co-wrote and appeared in the ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' of his own movie, highlighting some ''legitimate'' flaws with the film, such as massive (in his own words) structural problems, lack of character arcs for most of the human cast and the fact that there are too many human characters to begin with. However he still stood by the film and attacked the [[DearNegativeReader video made on the film]] by ''WebVideo/CinemaSins'' shortly before ''Honest Trailers'' was released.

*** According to Jordan Vogt-Roberts in the DVD commentary, there would have been black and white shots of Godzilla early in the film. But Jordan Vogt-Roberts fought against this idea of showing Godzilla first in a movie about King Kong, as he didn't want audiences to immediately focus on Godzilla, or have the film feel like a sequel. The director eventually won out and a shot of the damaged USS Lawton, which was attacked by Godzilla, was used instead.

* ActingForTwo: Will Brittain portrays both young Hank Marlow and [[spoiler: his adult son]].

** According to an Empire podcast, Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts had a different opening in mind for the film that was shot down by the studio. Much like the opening we got, it would have also opened in WWII, but instead feature squads of soldiers fighting on Skull Island's beach, when another giant ape (albeit smaller than Kong) would have appeared out of the jungle - it's appearance would be based off of the [[KingKong2005 2005 incarnation of the Kong]]. only to be killed by the soldiers. Shortly after it's death, a roar would be heard as the much larger, ''actual'' Kong emerges from the jungle. Legendary Pictures rejected that opening, as they thought it was too much of a mean spirited TakeThat to the 2005 film

** According to an Empire podcast, Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts had a different opening in mind for the film that was shot down by the studio. Much like the opening we got, it would have also opened in WWII, but instead feature squads of soldiers fighting on Skull Island's beach, when another giant ape (albeit smaller than Kong) would have appeared out of the jungle - it's appearance would be based off of the 2005 incarnation of the Kong character. only to be killed by the soldiers. Shortly after it's death, a roar would be heard as the much larger, ''actual'' Kong emerges from the jungle.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Part of the reason for the film going to Warner Bros. Legendary wanted the film to be a prelude to a potential crossover with ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'', but Universal (holders of the Kong rights, and Legendary's current partner) refused to allow it, as they wanted nothing to do with ''Godzilla''[[note]]Coincidentally, Universal owns the US rights to the original ''Film/KingKongVsGodzilla'', and since 2016 has held the US licensing rights to several of Toho's ''Godzilla'' films due to Universal's acquisition of Classic Media[[/note]].

** Legendary intended to the alpha Skullcrawler Ramarak during production, even trademarking it as such, though the name went unused in the film proper. As noted above, in the film it is referred to as "the big one", and the novelization and other supplementary materials referred to it as "Skull Devil" instead.

* FanNickname: Like many other post-2016 works that involve apes, many took to calling Kong "Harambe" after the [[MemeticMutation memetic]] gorilla.

* ActorAllusion:
** John C. Reilly's character wears a bomber jacket with the ironic back patch "Good For Your Health", which seems to be a sly reference to [[Series/CheckItOutWithDrSteveBrule Steve Brule]].
** As the Sky Devils take off towards Skull Island, Colonel Packard says on the radio, [[Film/JurassicPark "Hold on to your butts."]]
*** Possibly unintentional, but Samuel L. Jackson's character is [[ComicBook/NickFury a Colonel]].
*** Additionally, Samuel L. Jackson, says his CatchPhrase of "motherfucker" in a film, but it gets [[CurseCutShort cut short]] before he can finish it.
** Creator/JohnGoodman in a film set during [[Film/TheBigLebowski 'Nam]].
** Music/{{Miyavi}}, who played WWII Japanese pilot Gunpei, was cast as the BigBad (who was also an Imperial Japanese military member during World War II) of the 2014 film ''Film/{{Unbroken}}''.

** Music/DrDre and Music/EazyE [[Film/StraightOuttaCompton reunite]].

*** In an Empire podcast, it was revealed that Godzilla was at one time considered to directly appear after the credits. Originally Conrad and Weaver are on a boat with Houston Brooks in the Arctic ocean. Conrad and Weaver were to have asked Brooks what they were waiting for, to which he would have replied "hold on, hold on...". This would have led to Godzilla dramatically surfacing, breaking through the ice. However, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts admitted the scene did not line up with the events of ''Film/{{Godzilla|2014}}'', which implied Godzilla had not shown up between 1954 to 2014. As a result, it was ultimately scrapped for an ending that instead evoked Godzilla without directly showing him.

** Weaver actually had a backstory about growing up with a ControlFreak father and all around dysfunctional family that was scripted but never filmed.

** Godzilla himself would have actually made a physical appearence in this film. At least two ideas came to be.
*** According to Jordan Vogt-Roberts in the DVD commentary, there would have been black and white shots of Godzilla early in the film. But Jordan Vogt-Roberts fought against this idea of showing Godzilla first in a movie about King Kong , as he didn't want audiences to immediately focus on Godzilla, or have the film feel like a sequel. The director eventually won out and a shot of the damaged USS Lawton, which was attacked by Godzilla, was used instead.

* MarketBasedSubtitle: According to the japanese poster, it's "King Kong: Giant God of Skull Island". With bonus ShoutOut as "giant god" is in the ''kanji'' that can also be read as [[Anime/AttackOnTitan "kyojin".]]

*** In an Empire podcast, it was revealed that Godzilla was at one time considered to directly appear after the credits. Originally Conrad and Weaver are on a boat with Houston Brooks in the Arctic ocean. Conrad and Weaver were to have asked Brooks what they were waiting for, to which he would have replied "hold on, hold on...". This would have led to Godzilla dramatically surfacing, breaking through the ice. However, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts admitted the scene did not line up with the events of Film/Godzilla2014, which implied Godzilla had not shown up between 1954 to 2014. As a result, it was ultimately scrapped for an ending that instead evoked the Godzilla without directly showing him.

* DearNegativeReader: Jordan Vogt-Roberts spent some time on Twitter attacking WebVideo/CinemaSins for their video on the film, calling them trolls and countering some specific sins.
** However, he also co-wrote and appeared in the ''WebVideo/HonestTrailers'' of his own movie, highlighting some ''legitimate'' flaws with the film, such as massive (in his own words) structural problems, lack of character arcs for most of the human cast and the fact that there are too many human characters to begin with.

** Legendary Pictures initially offered [[Creator/AdamAndJoe Joe Cornish]] a chance to direct the movie. Peter Jackson (himself no stranger to Film/{{King Kong|2005}}) also suggested Creator/GuillermoDelToro (who directed ''Film/PacificRim'', which is a homage to {{kaiju}} films) as a possible director.