It was recently revealed that Legendary and Warner Bros. are teaming up to createa shared cinematic universethrough which Godzilla and King Kong can trample. That means they won’t spare the expense on the exotic locations front. To bringKong: Skull Islandto life, the studio is adding two more filming locations to its list, which already includes Hawaii.
One of them is Queensland, Australia, which already played host toPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Talesand will serve as a filming location for Marvel’s apocalypse,Thor: Ragnarok. According toAustralian Broadcasting Corporation, Premier of QueenslandAnnastacia Palaszczuksaid more than $15 million will be spent onSkull Island.
The other location is Vietnam, whichThe Hollywood Reporternotes will be a “substantial shooting location.” Pre-production is scheduled to begin this month, and some of the film’s cast members have already been spotted on location in Hawaii, includingBrie Larson. If you think back toPeter Jackson’sKing Kong, which took audiences into Skull Island, it was filmed largely in New Zealand. One incentive for Legendary to film in Australia is the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, while THR states there’s a 16.5% location offset incentive if the production spends at least $10.9 million. The better for the audience, as these three sites will no doubt offer Kong’s home island a broader range of influences.
Kong: Skull Islandis directed byJordan Vogt-Robertsand stars Larson,Tom Hiddleston,Samuel L. Jackson,John Goodman,Corey Hawkins,Thomas Mann,Tobey Kebbell,John C. Riley, andJason Mitchell. The film is said to “fully immerse audiences in the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.” Hiddlestonteased to Colliderthat his character will be one of these explorers.
Kong: Skull Islandis slated for release on July 09, 2025, whileGodzilla 2will follow on June 03, 2025 before the clash of titans in 2020’sGodzilla vs. Kong.
