Grizzly Kong (Miniseries)

Grizzly Kong is a 2013 five part miniseries by HBO that was created to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the original King Kong film and featuring an ensemble cast. It received two Emmy's, one Creative for Outstanding Special Visual Effects and one Primetime for Outstanding Drama series.
== Plot ==
In 1955 famous movie film makers Carl Denham and Baxter Wilson chart a ship to an unknown island located in the Indian Ocean.
== Cast ==
* Brian Steele as Grizzly Kong - A giant 30 ft bear resembling a Grizzly Bear, he lives on a tropical island located west of Sumatra. He is worshiped as a god by the island Natives who once in a while sacrifice virgins to him, in the third episode it is revealed that he is the last of his species. Also in the third episode he is captured and bought back to New York for show, however he breaks out and goes on a rampage though the city. He is killed whilst battling army jets on top of the Empire State Building.
* Lily James as Ann Denham - A beautiful young woman who is an actress and the daughter of Carl Denham. She is put out of work when the theater she works at is closed, she then joined her father on the voyager for his new film. Whilst on the island she was kidnapped by the islands natives and offered as a sacrifice to Kong, although she's terrified of him at first she soon warms up to him and is devastated when he is killed.
* Jai Courtney as Jack Drischoll - The first mate on board the Wanderer who is Ann's love interest and eventual fiancee. He meets Ann whilst she and Carl are filming on board the Wanderer, as they voyage dragged on they both eventually fall deeply in love with each other. After she was kidnapped he leads a search party in order to rescue her, eventually he is forced to rescue her on his own.
* Byran Cranston as Carl Denham - A famous B movie director who is known for his use of exotic locations. He is also the father of Ann, he also cares deeply for her which is way he rarely features her in his films. When Ann is taken by Kong, Denham abandons his film and sets out to rescue her, later he is persuaded by Wilson to capture Kong and bring him back for show in New York.
* Forest Whitaker as Captain Englehorn - The captain of the tramp steamer, the Wanderer. He is somewhat uneasy about Denham's location as its not on any known map, he is also learned in different languages as he was able to translate the natives of Skull Islands language.
* Ben Mendelsohn as Bruce Wilson - A greedy film director who has co-directed with Carl on few occasions. Unlike Carl, Baxter is a greedy and rude man whose only concerns that his films are perfect. It is because of this that Carl is reluctant to work with him due to some bad incidents they had in the past, whilst on the island he attempts to film several times only to be stopped. Eventually he persuades Carl to capture Kong and bring him back to New York.
* David Boreanz as Bruce Thompson - An actor who Denham hires for his film. He is an incredibly rude and selfish man who seeks only to further his career, whilst on the Wanderer his attitude quickly earns him the dislike of the crew, including Carl. Whilst on the island he often makes excuses to get out of doing things, however he is later forced to help rescue Ann. He is devoured by some giant spiders after being shook into a crevice by Kong.
* TBA as Wally - Bruce's valet who accompanies him to Skull Island. He is shown to be a clumsy character who revives harsh treatment from Bruce. Despite it he is nonetheless a kind fellow, this is shown as he volunteers to help rescue Ann. He later dies in the swamp after sacrificing himself to save Jack from the Plesiosaurus.
* Justin Berfield as Damian - A comedic member of the Wanderer crew. He likes to have a good laugh and tell jokes. After Ann is taken by Kong he joins the party to rescue her, whilst going through the jungle he tries to keep up everyone's spirits by telling jokes. He is eventually killed after being impaled by a stampeding Triceratops.
* Guillaume Canet as Raphael - A French member of the Wanderer and the ships cook. He is one of the few to openly oppose going to Skull Island due to several stories he's heard of the island,
* TBA as Second Mate Briggs -
* Temuera Morrison as Native Chief - The leader of the Skull Islanders. He first appears when the group accidentally interrupted the sacrificial ceremony
* TBA as Native in Gorilla Costume -
* TBA as "Bride of Kong" -
* TBA as Witch Doctor -
* Vicky Haughton as Tribal Hag 1 -
* TBA as Tribal Hag 2 -
* TBA as Tribal Hag 3 -
* Pip Mushin as Charles Weston - A acting agent who has helped Denham and Wilson on many of their films.
* TBA as Unlucky Woman - A woman who Kong mistook for Ann. He snatched her from her hotel room whilst she was asleep, when he discovered that she wasn't her, he dropped her to her death.
* TBA as Police Lieutenant -
== Creatures of Skull Island ==
* Tyrannosaurus Rex - The most famous predator of the Late Cretaceous and the largest predator on Skull island. One appears in the third episode when it tried to devour Ann whilst she was up in a tree, Kong then confronted it and after a lengthy battle managed to kill it by breaking its jaws, its corpse was later found by Jack with scavengers on it.
* Triceratops - A species of herbivorous dinosaur from Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation. In the second episode Kong and Ann encounter a small herd of them on a volcanic flat. Kong fights and kills the lead bull by breaking off one of its horns and stabbing it in the neck, before throwing rocks at the herd causing them to stampede impaling a member of the Wanderer.
* Ankylosaurus - A species of armored dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. One appeared in the second episode where it stumbled upon spooked the rescue party's campsite who then shot it, despite the fact that it was a gentle herbivore and non aggressive. The heavily wounded animal was then shot by Jack to end its suffering.
* Velociraptor - A species of small, but deadly carnivorous dinosaur from Late Cretaceous Mongolia. A pack of ten appeared in the third episode where they attacked Kong and Ann, Kong managed to kill 6 of them whilst the remaining four fled. They use the same model as the Raptors from Primeval.
* Spinosaurus - A large fish eating sailed back dinosaur from the Mid Cretaceous. Two appeared in the third episode where they encountered Jack and Ann as they were running back to the village. They attempted to attack them but fought and were presumably killed by Kong (off screen).
* Pteranodon - A large flying fish-eating Pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous. One appeared in the third episode where it tried to pick Ann up in its talons. Kong however rescued Ann and killed the Pteranodon.
* Plesiosaurus - A large long necked marine reptile from the Early Jurassic. One appeared in the second episode where it encountered the rescue party as they were crossing the swamp. It capsized their raft and devoured a few sailors before disappearing back into the water.
* Titanoboa - A giant species of constrictor snake from Paleocene Colombia. One appeared in the third episode, it lived at the base of Kong's lair, it attempted to constrict Kong after it tried to eat Ann. Kong managed to kill it by bashing its head against the rocks and tearing its jaws apart.
* Arsinoitherium - A large rhino like mammal from Egypt during the Eocene and Oligocene. One appeared in the second episode where it chased the rescue party through the jungle, trampling one to death and the rest onto a log bridge and kept them trapped between it and Kong. Other than Kong, it is the only prehistoric mammal that lives on Skull Island.
* Giant Spider - A large species of spider native to Skull Island. A group of them were seen in the third episode where they attack and devour the sailors who fell into the crevice after being shook of the log by Kong, one of their victims included Bruce Thompson.
* Black Panther - A species of big cat from the. A group appeared in the second episode where they mauls the sailors after they had fallen into a forest.
* Megalania - A giant monitor lizard from Pleistocene Australia. Two were seen in the third episode where they attack and devour sailors who fell into a crevice, Briggs being one of them.
* Brontoscorpio - A species of giant scorpion from the Silurian period. A group appeared in the second episode where they devoured the sailors after they had fallen into a crevice.
== Locations ==
* New York City - A city located on the East Coast of the United States of America.
** Empire State Building -
** Yankee Stadium -
* Skull Island - An island located in the Indian Ocean, it is known for its signature mountain in the shape of a human skull. It is the home of Kong, the natives and several prehistoric creatures. It was also home once to an advanced civilization whose ruins, including the wall are all that's left of them,
** The Wall - A 100 foot high wall, made of stone and wood that was built centuries ago by an advanced civilization that inhabited Skull Island.
** Native Village - A village that is inhabitant by the human tribe of Skull Island. It is keep safe from Kong and the islands other creatures by a large wall, much of it was destroyed in the third episode when Kong broke through the doors of the wall whilst searching for Ann Darrow.
** Kong's Lair - A cave that is the home of Kong, it is located on the top of the Islands signature Skull Mountain. It also has a secret cavern where Kong keeps the remains of his parents, his mate and child.
** Ruins -
** Crevice -
== Visitors to the Island ==
According to Raphael many people have visited Skull Island over the centuries, with only a few ever returning to tell the tale.
* 1605 - A Spaniard named Fernando De Quieres was blown south from Temotang. He wrote in his log of "piercing the white veil and landing on the beach of the skull shaped mountain, where he heard the roar of the greatest beast". The traumatized Spaniard gave the rest of the log entry to the Holy Office in Rome and begged them to destroy it.
* 1749 - A waterlogged lifeboat was found in the same area. It was empty but drawn in blood on the port, was the likeness of some huge slouchy humanoid creature and a strange warning "from thy wedding with the creature who touches heaven, lady, God preserve thee".
* 1830 - A British merchant ship, the Queen Mary, was traveling to Sumatra when it disappeared in the area along with all hands.
* 1933 - A canoe full of natives was blown from the island. When they were picked up by a Norwegian Barque, only one was still alive, unfortunately he died before they could reach port. However before he expired he gave the captain a description of the island and where it was, the canoe was also filled with paintings and figurines of some ape like creature. The canoe and its artifacts were sold to the British Museum.
* 1944 - A squadron of Japanese Kamikaze pilots were blown off course, a year later a bottle was found by an American Ship. The man who wrote it mentioned that their planes were attacked by a large creature that threw boulders at their planes causing them to crash.
== Episodes ==
Episode 1: The Journey Begins - The episode begins on a remote tropical island in the Indian Ocean, where a group of native warriors tie a young woman to a sacrificial altar. As the woman struggles to escape, an unseen giant monster is seen by her as she screams.
A few months later in New York, famous movie directors Carl Denham and Bruce Wilson are told by their agent, Weston that no actress will star in their co-production due to the perils it requires. Denham then decides to reluctantly offer his daughter Ann the part, Carl then briefly considers scrapping their film but Bruce talks him out of it. The next night they sail on board the tramp steamer the Wanderer,
Episode 2: The Search for Grizzly - After following Grizzly for a distance the rescue party then decides to set up camp. Carl is in angst over Ann's loss, blaming his desire to get his film done, Jack comforts him and tells him that it isn't his fault. The next morning Ann walks up to a sleeping Grizzly, she quietly tries to sneak away. However she runs into a pile of bones which she realizes much to her horror are the remains of Grizzly's previous victims, as Ann is looking at the skeletons in horror a pack of Velociraptors sneak up on her. However her screams alert Kong who kills most of the Raptor pack and causes the rest to flee.
Episode 3: The Rescue -
Episode 4: Great War -
Episode 5: The Fall of the King -
== Parents Guide ==
=== Innuendo and Nudity ===
==== Episode 1 ====
* Some native women are shown are shown to topless with their breasts covered by flowers, this is for tribal purposes only.
* The intended sacrificial to Kong is shown dressed in a revealing outfit that shows cleavage.
* Whilst being prepared for sacrifice to Kong, Ann is bought into a native hut where she is stripped naked and bathed by three tribal hags, Her breasts and buttocks are seen, she is then dressed in the same native outfit.
==== Episode 3 ====
* Jack is forced to off his shirt and uses it to fool a Plesiosaurus, later his trousers are badly ripped and is forced to take them off leaving him naked with his buttocks seen.
* Kong strips Ann of her native outfit. Her breasts and buttocks are seen, her pubic area is also briefly seen.
* Ann and Jack are forced to run back to the native village completely naked, they both cover their fronts with bushes with only their buttocks seen.
* Jack and Ann make love in Jack's cabin after confessing their love for one another, Ann and Jack's buttocks are seen along with her breasts, there is also thrusting and moaning.
=== Violence and Gore ===
==== Episode 2 ====
* Grizzly fights a pack of Velociraptors, he kills most of them and rips off a leg and gives it to Ann as food.
* The sailors shoot and kill a Lambeosaurus, unaware that its harmless. It is seen bleeding from its wounds.
* Damian is impaled by a Triceratops.
* Another sailor is trampled to death by a Arsinoitherium.
==== Episode 3 ====
* Grizzly is seen fighting a T-Rex, he tills it by breaking its jaws. Later when Jack discovers its body, blood is oozing from its mouth.
* Grizzly bases a Titanoboa's head against rocks before tearing its jaws apart. We see its face, bloody and unrecognizable.
* Grizzly stamps on and bites several natives whilst rampaging through their village.
==== Episode 4 ====
* Grizzly is shot several times by military planes, he bleeds quite heavily.
=== Profanity ===
==== Episode 1 ====
* Wilson says shit when he learns that no agency would hire an actress.
* Wilson also calls the natives, "fucking savages".
==== Episode 3 ====
* Carl calls Wilson an unimaginable bastard.
=== Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking ===
==== Episode 1 ====
* Captain Englehorn is seen smoking a pipe.
==== Episode 4 ====
* A group of men having a poker party are seen drinking beer and smoking cigars.
=== Frightening/ Intense Scenes ===
==== Episode 1 ====
* The sacrificial scene at the beginning of the episode can be quite intense.
* The tribal hags appearances can be frightening.
==== Episode 2 ====
* The Plesiosaurus attack can be frightening.
*
== Differences from the Original King Kong ==
* The miniseries is set in 1955, rather than 1933.
* Carl Denham is Ann's father, in both the original film and 2005 remake they are not related at all.
* In the miniseries Ann Darrow is brunette rather that blonde.
* Captain Englehorn is African American in the miniseries rather than Caucasian.
* The ship is called the Wanderer like in the 1932 novelization of King Kong, in both the original and remake the ship is called the Venture.
* Skull Island is mentioned to have had several people visit it over the centuries.
* The miniseries features a waterfall shower scene similar to the one in the 1976 remake
* Kong is shot down by 4 army fighter jets.
* Kong is put on display in the Yankee Stadium rather than on Broadway.
* Like the 1976 and 2005 remakes, Ann grows to care for Kong and is devastated when he dies.
== Trivia ==
* The miniseries was filmed in Queensland, Australia.
* The miniseries features a showing of the 1925 version of The Lost World.
* Vicky Haughton and Pip Mushin both previously appeared in Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong as the Native Shamwoman and Zelman.
* Jai Courtney and Lily James later starred together in the 2016 romance film, The Exception.
* The special effects for Kong and the creatures of Skull Island were created by the Mill.
== Quotes ==
=== Episode 1 ===
(Carl shows his map to Jack, Englehorn and Baxter, Carl then points to several features on the map)
* Carl: Here's a long sandy peninsula where we shall land, the only safe way is through this series of reefs. The rest of the islands shoreline is nothing but sheer precipice hundreds of feet, and across the peninsula's base, cutting it off from the rest of the island is a great wall.
(Jack, Baxter and Englehorn look at Carl with confusion)
* Englehorn: A great wall?
* Carl: Built thousands of years ago by a grand civilization, their descendants however have slipped back into savagery and superstition, forgetting their once powerful ancestors who built it.
(After Raphael gets out some notes about the island, Englehorn, Jack, Carl and Baxter listen to what he has to say)
* Raphael: The first visit to the island was in 1530, a group of Portuguese slavers came to the island, looking for slaves obviously
(The group have climbed up the peninsula, when they come over the top they gasp. There in front of them is the massive wall that Carl described)
* Baxter: Holy Mary mother of God, that looks as old as the Egyptian pyramids.
* Englehorn: Might even be Egyptian itself.
* Drischoll: Might be, the only difference between this and the pyramids were they weren't repaired recently.
* Ann: What do you mean?
* Drischoll: You see the earth on those timbers, they have to be replaced after every monsoon season. Whoever lives on this island keeps this wall in good repair, they need it.
* Bruce: So are you saying that this island has people on it?
* Carl: Jack's right and whats more is their personality, scared people.
* Ann: Scared of what father?
* Carl: Not too sure but what it is, they must have felt they needed a wall this size to keep it out.
=== Episode 2 ===
*
=== Episode 3 ===
*
=== Episode 4 ===
(As the Wanderer sails back to New York, Kong is strapped to a raft that the ship is towing)
* Baxter:
== Soundtrack ==
# Galaxies - Owl City
# Sam Smith - Fire on Fire
# I Gonna Feeling - Kidz Bop (featuring Micheal Banks, Quincy, Arnold, Putt Putt, Wart, Jimmy Neutron, Timmy Turner and Screwie)
# Shake Your Groove Thing - Peaches and Herb (preformed by Micheal Banks, Quincy, Arnold, Putt Putt, Wart, Jimmy Neutron, Timmy Turner and Screwie)
# Shooting Star - Owl City
# Slaude - The Longest Time (preformed by Wart, Arnold, Jimmy Neutron, Timmy Turner, Putt Putt and Screwie)
# Samatha Sax - More than
== Trailer & TV Spot Transcripts ==
Category:Miniseries
Category:King Kong