The King Kong story is one of the most durable in Hollywood. Beginning the 1933 film "King Kong," studios have made eight movies starring the building-sized monster.
The newest adventure is "Kong: Skull Island," which does away with the romantic center of the story to focus on visceral action sequences. It's meant to tie into Warner Bros.'s "Godzilla" movie, with "Godzilla vs. Kong" planned for 2020 and more monsters to join the "MonsterVerse" in the future.
It's a perfect time to take a look back at the previous "Kong" movie. Peter Jackson's 2005 take came right after he finished the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. And with lush special effects and a three-hour running time, it was equally magisterial.
In the 12 years since, its stars have gone on to new corners in the movie industry. Here's where they've been.
SEE ALSO: THEN & NOW: The cast of the 2005 'King Kong' movie, 12 years later
Naomi Watts plays a struggling actress.
Watts plays Ann Darrow, who's so desperate for work that she accepts a job traveling to the uncharted Skull Island.
In real life, Watts was coming off a string of critically successful performances. It started with David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" in 2001, then the box office smash "The Ring." Following that, she picked up roles in "21 Grams" and the cult classic "I Heart Huckabees."
2017 is shaping up to be one of her biggest years yet.
Watts will star in the revival of the television show "Twin Peaks," also directed by David Lynch. She'll also be in "The Glass Castle" and "The Book of Henry," both of which are poised for attention during awards season. Additionally, she'll be in the Netflix drama "Gypsy."
In the past few years, Watts earned an Oscar nomination for her role in the 2012 movie "The Impossible," picked up a role in the "Divergent" series, and had a memorable part in "Birdman."
Jack Black took on a more dramatic role than he was used to.
Black has made his career out of being a music-loving comedic actor with a lot of heart, best known for "High Fidelity" and "School of Rock." His role in King Kong — a self-serious, wild-eyed filmmaker — wasn't as comedic, but showed off his range.
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