King Kong. 1976. Directed by John Guillermin

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King Kong. 1976. USA. Directed by John Guillermin. Courtesy Paramount Pictures

King Kong. 1976. USA/Italy. Directed by John Guillermin. Screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr., based on a screenplay by James Creelman, Ruth Rose, Edgar Wallace. With Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Jessica Lange. 4K digital restoration by Paramount Pictures and L’Immagine Ritrovata; courtesy Paramount Pictures. 134 min. 134 min.

When Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis decided to remake King Kong (1933), he envisioned a full-scale animatronic colossus, perhaps inspired by another larger-than-life monster that made Jaws (1975) a monumental blockbuster. Yet what he strove for wasn’t just fear, but emotional connection. Enter Carlo Rambaldi, who moved from Rome to Los Angeles to build a 40-foot ape with a wide range of facial expressions, enough to make an audience cry and believe in the creature’s unusual bond with newcomer Jessica Lange. His success led the Academy to reward Rambaldi with a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects at the 1977 Oscars.

This film accompanies MoMA and Cinecittà Present: Carlo Rambaldi.

Past events

Mon, Dec 15, 2025, 4:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Thu, Dec 11, 2025, 6:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2, Theater 2

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2

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