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Ubisoft to Make King Kong Game

by Michael Cole - October 12, 2004, 1:47 pm EDT
Total comments: 8 Source: Ubisoft Press Release

Apes are king of film remakes and video games.

UBISOFT TO LAUNCH INTERACTIVE GAME FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ KING KONG

FOR HOLIDAY 2005

The Ubisoft Team on King Kong's set
Peter Jackson and Ubisoft development team members pictured here on the set

of King Kong in New Zealand: Jacques Exertier, Ubisoft game scriptwriter

(far left), Michel Ancel, Ubisoft creative director (in back), Peter

Jackson, movie director (front center), and Xavier Poix, Ubisoft producer

and site director (far right).

SAN FRANCISCO – October 12, 2004 – Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest

interactive video game publishers, and Universal Studios Consumer Products

Group today announced plans to release an interactive game based on

Universal Pictures’ upcoming motion picture adventure, King Kong. The game

will be available worldwide on all platforms at the beginning of the holiday

season in conjunction with the December 14, 2005 theatrical release of the

movie.

Triple Academy Award® winner Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The

Return of the King) brings his sweeping cinematic vision to the iconic story

of the gigantic ape-monster captured in the wild and brought to civilization

where he meets his tragic fate. Jackson assumes directing, producing and

co-screenwriting duties and surrounds himself with a list of superlative

filmmaking and acting talents.

Working very closely with Peter Jackson and Wingnut Films, Ubisoft’s prized

Beyond Good & Evil development team and award-winning Montreal studio - some

of the interactive game industry’s most creative designers - are creating a

game in their Montpellier studio in the South of France that will reflect

the visual interpretation, character dynamics and dramatic narrative of

Jackson's epic film.

Serge Hascoet, Executive Director, Worldwide Content Strategy for Ubisoft

stated: “Through this creative association, Ubisoft shows its growing

dedication to bringing intense emotions inspired by the movie industry to

interactive games. In the King Kong game, players will be able to experience

all the power, drama and emotion of the film thanks to the interactive

possibilities provided by the game.”

“I’m really enjoying the collaboration with these artists, and all the

creative possibilities we’re discovering,” said Peter Jackson. “By working

closely with the development team, Ubisoft is enabling me to help shape the

kind of gaming experience that I will be proud to associate with this new

version of King Kong, a story that began my life-long love of film.”

©2004 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft, ubi.com, and the

Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or

other countries.

About King Kong

Jackson re-teams with longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens,

co-writing the screenplay with three-time Oscar®-winning partner Walsh and

The Lord of the Rings co-writer, Academy Award® winner Boyens. The

screenplay is based on the original story by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar

Wallace, which became the classic 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film, directed by

adventurers Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. Jan Blenkin, Carolynne

Cunningham, Fran Walsh and Jackson are producing the film under their

WingNut Films banner, with Universal Pictures releasing King Kong worldwide

on December 14, 2005.

Starring in the Universal Pictures release is a slate of some of Hollywood’s

most versatile and accomplished actors, including Academy Award® nominee

Naomi Watts (21 Grams), Jack Black (School of Rock) and Academy Award®

winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist). Cast members include Andy Serkis (The

Lord of the Rings trilogy), Thomas Kretschmann (U-571), Colin Hanks (Orange

County) and Kyle Chandler (Angel’s Dance, television’s Early Edition).

Jackson brings his sweeping vision and employs the latest motion picture

technology to cinematically portray the timeless tale of the beast and his

beauty. He expands on the chapters of the tale that take place in the

mysterious and dangerous jungles of Skull Island, and his Kong promises to

be a unique and breathtaking creation.

As with his Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson is currently shooting King

Kong on location in his native New Zealand. Visual effects are accomplished

by New Zealand-based companies Weta Digital and Weta Workshop, recipients of

multiple Academy Awards® for their collective work on The Lord of the Rings

trilogy. Visual effects and miniatures supplement practical locations in

creating primordial jungles and '30s-period America. This film has not yet

been rated. Please consult www.filmratings.com or www.parentalguide.org for

more information.

Talkback

ProcessionOctober 12, 2004

Damn, Michel Ancel is currently in my city - that's cool, Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil are both incredible. I'm betting he'll make a great King Kong game. Then again though, I always thought Shiny could make a great Matrix game.

On another note - Peter Jackson is looking pretty svelte these days. All he need now is to shave and get a new haircut. face-icon-small-wink.gif

MarioOctober 12, 2004

Ubisoft? This could actually turn out to be a good game!

rholderOctober 12, 2004

Cripes! Peter Jackson looks like he t took lessons from Mary Kate Olson....I agree, looking rather "svelte."

/on the related note, yes, UbiSoft could make this a good game, so long as Vivendi-Universal doesn't cause problems.

MysticGohan24October 12, 2004

lol funny you should mentioned that face-icon-small-tongue.gif I believe they sold of their rights to anything related to Universal. So it won't be an issue, Vivendi doesn't have anything cept' for Blizzard.

Infernal MonkeyOctober 13, 2004

If UbiSoft were to have Donkey Kong cameo in the GC version, and just call it Donkey Kong, and forget about having the King Kong license at all, and pack in a free stick on gum with every copy then WOW!

NinGurl69 *hugglesOctober 13, 2004

I'd sell that gum on eBay!

Infernal MonkeyOctober 13, 2004

*******~L@@K!~ ULTRA RARE GUM SMELLS LIKE KING KONG ~L@@K!~*******

Ian SaneOctober 13, 2004

Peter Jackson now looks like the guy I used to say Peter Jackson ate.

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