More than 90 years have passed since King Kong first climbed the Empire State Building and made cinema history. Since then, the giant primate has remained a monarch of pop culture and starred in many more movies.
King Kong first appeared in 1933 in a homonomous movie written by James Creelman and Ruth Rose, and directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. The film follows a crew of explorers braving the uncharted territory of Skull Island, where dinosaurs still roam, and Kong is king. Since human curiosity knows no boundary, Kong is captured and brought back to New York, where he’s presented as an attraction. Of course, the gorilla escapes, wreaking havoc along his path.
King Kong has been praised as a tale of primitive forces struggling against the boundaries of civilization, a powerful image that still resonates. But that’s only one reason for Kong’s success. Kong is consistently featured in movies that push filmmaking forward and defy special effects limits, which helps fill theater seats. But how many King Kong movies are there?
Every theatrical release starring King Kong
If we only consider theatrical releases, there are 10 movies featuring King Kong. After the success of 1933’s King Kong, a sequel was immediately greenlit. Son of Kong was released in December of 1933, hoping to capitalize on the creature’s success. The sequel was met with mixed reviews, as critics felt the comedy introduced in Son of Kong diluted the impact of the original movie.
Kong remained dormant until 1962, when he appeared in the classic monster flick King Kong vs. Godzilla. The movie pitted the mightiest U.S. monster against the Japanese atomic lizard, helping to build the rivalry that still echoes in pop culture. King Kong vs. Godzilla would also introduce the primate to Japan’s booming kaiju culture, where the king remained popular for decades.
In 1967, King Kong Escapes was released in theaters. Produced by the legendary Japanese studio Toho, the movie features Kong fighting a robotic version of himself. Hollywood would reclaim the primate with the 1976 remake King Kong. The remake would take ten years to get a sequel, which happened in 1986’s King Kong Lives.
In 2005, Peter Jackson directed King Kong, the second remake of the original movie. The movie was a critical and box office success, claiming the title of the fourth-highest-grossing film in Universal Pictures history. Yet, Kong would only come back for Lengendary’s MonsterVerse.
The MonsterVerse has been Kong’s main stage in the last few years. The primate got a solo movie with 2017’s Kong: Skull Island before facing the King of Monsters in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong. The latest chapter of this saga is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, in which the titular monsters join forces again for our amusement.
Every King Kong direct-to-video movie and TV show
In addition to theatrical releases, King Kong starred in three direct-to-video animated movies: 1988’s The Mighty Kong, 2005’s Kong: King of Atlantis, and 2006’s Kong: Return to the Jungle. The Mighty Kong is a family-friendly adaptation of the original movie, while the other two animated films tried to create original stories that are best suited for teens. All three animated films failed to have a lasting impression.
On the television front, King Kong fared better. Thanks to the success of 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, Toei Animation produced the beloved The King Kong Show series from 1966 to 1969. In 2000, Kong: The Animated Series was created as a sister series to the fan-favorite Godzilla: The Series. Finally, in 2016, Netflix released the series Kong: King of Apes, which got panned by critics and condemned to oblivion.
The latest TV show featuring Kong is 2023’s Skull Island, an animated series set in the MonsterVerse. The series fills the gap between Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong by showing what happened to the giant ape before his showdown against the King of Monsters.
There are many productions featuring Kong. Now, thanks to the success of the MonsterVerse, the king is here to stay.
