Introduction

In the second installment of our feature on Peter Jackson's "King Kong," the movie and the video game, Michael Pellerin, who filmed "Peter Jackson's Production Diaries" and produced the remake's DVD, describes the pressures of trying to recreate a classic. Pellerin and Ubisoft's Xavier Poix also explain how the video game adaptation was created alongside the epic film. See part 1 of this article.

The 1933 "King Kong"

TG: Some filmmakers would never take on a classic novel or remake a classic movie because they feel it could be too sacred. Was there any concern about not doing the legend of "King Kong" justice?

Pellerin: I know Peter approached "Kong" not unlike the way he approached "The Lord of the Rings." So far he's really gone out and only made movies he really wants to make, as opposed to approaching things like just being a director who got a gig doing "King Kong." He gets the project started, he buys the property or he gets involved with the property, he sells it to the studio and then goes and makes his movie. It isn't like New Line is making "The Lord of the Rings" and they've attached Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson brought "The Lord of the Rings" to New Line. He sold Universal on the idea of making "King Kong." That being said, I think the way he approaches things is: I'm a fan. At least he'll approach it from the point of the view of someone who has an appreciation and love for the subject matter, as opposed to it just being another job. I think he approaches things like: "If someone else does this they may not have the care or the love of the material like I do, and at least I've got that."

He worried a lot about doing justice with "Lord of the Rings," and I know he had such a love for the original "King Kong" that he absolutely set out to do the best job that he could. That being said, he didn't allow that to tie his hands. I think he approaches it from the point of view of: "I'm a fan, I love the material and therefore I'm going to try to do the best job I can as a filmmaker".

I think he originally looked at "Kong" and "Lord of the Rings" like, "Somebody's eventually going make "The Lord of the Rings" and someone's eventually going remake "Kong" again, so I should probably do it because at least I'm a fan. At least I care." I think that's his motivating principle.

At least he cares about these things enough to try to get them right, as opposed to it just being a job. He does projects he has a very personal interest in and a personal understanding of. If nothing else, even if the film doesn't turn out good, at least it will have integrity. Peter and Fran, they were coming from that point of view like you can't tread so softly, so reverentially that you can't work creatively, because then you're also doing a disservice to the film. Then you shouldn't make it at all - just look at the original.

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