KongIsKing.net (along with a dozen or so other internet writers) sat down with Jackson two weeks before “King Kong” had been unchained and set free to unleash its box-office damage on the free world. The internet geeks had screened the film the previous night, the first-ever audience to watch the just-finished film. There were no box office numbers yet and even critical response of the finished film was limited to a single internet review.
To genre movie lovers, Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” Extended Edition trilogy is a high-water mark for the DVD format. Does Jackson not know this? Does Universal not understand this? Probably, but after sinking $200 million into a single film, a remake no less, it is understandable that they aren’t eager to head back to the effects workshop to pay for yet longer film for a DVD. After all, Kong is a remake and already nearly twice the running time of the original.
Still, Jackson had to know he had a pretty gigantic hit on his hands but it was interesting that he talked about a “Kong” extended edition in “ifs” and “maybes”.
“Even thought the movie is three hours long there actually, there are quite a few scenes we filmed that didn’t make it into the cut,” Jackson said. “So some of those things that you are missing from the original film, I guess if we did an extended DVD – which hopefully we will get a chance to do – we might see them pop up again.”
While some are calling the three hours of the theatrical edition a bit much it seems a foregone conclusion that Kong fans (definitely including KiKn patrons) could manage to sit through more Kong, if given a chance, especially considering the chance for more monsters.
“We have some dinosaur sequences and other stuff as well. It’s not just drama and character stuff,” Jackson said.
Universal’s plans may change very quickly once “King Kong” follows the box-office momentum of last week’s “Narnia.” While Universal can’t be publicly too optimistic, all signs point toward a box office smash, even with the film’s $200 million price tag. With a sequel out of the question for Jackson, Universal may soon look at the opportunities to repackage the film.
DVD producer Michael Pellerin, the very man who heads up the team that has been sending KiKn production and post-production diaries for a couple of years, said he didn’t know if Extended Editions were planned but he has millions of feet of video prepared just in case.