Back in 1996, when Peter Jackson was expected to (re)make King Kong after ‘The Frighteners’, his deal at the time was a $6.5 million salary plus bonuses. Post ‘Lord of the Rings’, however, the deal was far more lucrative, with $20 million up front against 20 per cent of the gross.

Jackson’s movie is based upon the original idea by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace for the classic 1933 film that inspired a few sequels over the years, as well as a 1976 remake starring Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange and Charles Grodin. King Kong and the various dinosaurs in the new movie have been created using CGI (computer generated imagery) animation.

The film stars Andy Serkis (photo-mapping basis for Kong’s face and movements), Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody and Jack Black.