Entertainment_Weekly_Issue_1456_March_10_2017

54 EW.COM MARCH 10, 2017

Mov ies

EDITED BYEDITED BY KEVIN P. SULLIVAN KEVIN P. SULLIVAN@KPSull@KPSull

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King Kong has been scaling skyscrapers

and kidnapping blondes for more than

eight decades, but one thing that hasn’t

remained consistent is his size. Even

in Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B.

Schoedsack’s 1933 original, the ape’s

height fluctuates wildly depending on

the scene, and in the years since, he’s

shifted from roughly 25 feet to almost

150 feet. WithKong: Skull Island in

theaters March 10, we got out our tape

measure to compare a few of his many

incarnations—and finally figure out

which Kong is king.BY DEVAN COGGAN

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KINGS

KING KONG

1933

24 FEET

In the original masterpiece,

Kong’s size changes noticeably

between scenes, especially to

make him seem bigger next to

the Manhattan skyline.

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA

1962

148 FEET

Initially, Japanese filmmakers

wanted to pit a giant Franken-

stein against Godzilla. In the

end, they picked Kong, scaling

him up for more of a fair fight.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND: WARNER BROS. PICTURES (2);KING KONG (1933),KING KONG (1976): PHOTOFEST (2);KING KONG

VS. GODZILLA,KING KONG ESCAPES: EVERETT COLLECTION (2);KING KONG ( 20 05): WE TA DIGITAL LTD./UNIVERSAL