King Kong (1976 film)

King Kong
Theatrical release poster by John Berkey
Directed by	John Guillermin
Screenplay by	Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Based on	King Kong by James Creelman Ruth Rose Merian C. Cooper Edgar Wallace
Produced by	Dino De Laurentiis
Starring	Jeff Bridges Charles Grodin Jessica Lange
Cinematography	Richard H. Kline
Edited by	Ralph E. Winters
Music by	John Barry
Production company	Dino De Laurentiis Corporation
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	December 17, 1976 (1976-12-17)
Running time	134 minutes
Countries	United States Italy
Language	English
Budget	$23–24 million[1][2]
Box office	$90.6 million[3][2]

King Kong is a 1976 American monster adventure film produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Guillermin. It is a modernized remake of the 1933 film about a giant ape that is captured and taken to New York City for exhibition. It stars Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Jessica Lange in her first film role, and features mechanical effects by Carlo Rambaldi and makeup effects by Rick Baker who also played the title character. It is the fifth entry in the King Kong franchise.

The idea to remake King Kong was conceived by Michael Eisner, who was then an ABC executive, in 1974. He separately proposed the idea to Universal Pictures CEO Sidney Sheinberg and Paramount Pictures CEO Barry Diller. Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis quickly acquired the film rights from RKO-General and subsequently hired television writer Lorenzo Semple Jr. to write the script. John Guillermin was hired as director and filming lasted from January to August 1976. Before the film's release, Universal Pictures sued De Laurentiis and RKO-General alleging breach of contract, and attempted to develop their own remake of King Kong. In response, De Laurentiis and RKO-General filed separate countersuits against Universal Pictures, all of which were withdrawn by January 1976.

The film was released on December 17, 1976, to mixed reviews from film critics while being a modest success at the box office. It won a noncompetitive Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, and it was also nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Sound. Of the three King Kong main films, it is the only one to feature the World Trade Center instead of the Empire State Building. A sequel titled King Kong Lives was released in 1986, with Guillermin directing once again.