In 2005 Peter Jackson released his version of the classic story King Kong. Jackson said he had always been inspired by the King Kong movies and always wanted to try do it himself. After making the three Lord of the Rings movies he decided to build on this success and tackle King Kong using many new visual effects he had developed.Principal photography started on September 6, 2004 at Camperdown Studios in Miramar, New Zealand with most of the movie being shot in locations and studios around Wellington. Directed, co-written and produced by Peter Jackson, the film stars Naomi Watts as Ann Darrow, Jack Black as Carl Denham, Adrien Brody as Jack Driscoll and, through motion capture, Andy Serkis as the title character. Serkis also played Lumpy, the galley chef on the SS Venture.
The film's budget climbed from an initial US$150 million to a record-breaking $207 million. The film was released on December 14, 2005, and made an opening of $50.1 million. While the film performed lower than expectations, King Kong made domestic and worldwide grosses that eventually added up to $550 million, becoming the fourth-highest grossing film in Universal Pictures history. It also generated $100 million in DVD sales upon its home video release.
To mark the release of this movie, NZ Post produced this miniature sheet including five stamps which featured scenes from the movie.
King Kong - 45c
Worshipped by a savage race, the 25-foot gorilla has survived the horrors of a prehistoric jungle only to be defeated by his fascination for Ann.
Carl Denham - 90c
A maverick film-maker, Carl Denham is captivated by the legend of Kong and sets off to make a movie that will catapult him into fame. Ultimately, his greed for success would be the undoing of him.
Ann Darrow - $1.35
Struggling, out-of-work actress Ann Darrow believes her luck has finally changed when she's offered a role on Carl Denham's film. unaware of what part she would play in the adventure that unfolds.
Jack Driscoll - $1.50
A sensitive New York playwright, Jack Driscoll becomes an unlikely hero on Skull Island, as both his physical courage and his heart are tested in pursuit of Ann.
Ann Darrow and Jack Driscoll - $2.00
When Ann and Jack discover their feelings for each other on Skull Island they become part of a terrifying love triangle, as Kong pursues the golden-haired actress for himself.
Technical information
Date of issue:
| 19 October 2005 |
|---|---|
Number of stamps:
| Five |
Denominations and designs:
| 45c King Kong, 90c Carl Denham, $1.35 Ann Darrow, $1.50 Jack Driscoll, $2.00 Ann and Jack |
Stamps and first day cover designed by:
| Saatchi & Saatchi, Wellington |
Printer and process:
| Southern Colour Print, New Zealand by offset lithography |
Number of colours:
| Four process colours with spot UV overgloss |
Stamp size and format:
| 30mm x 50mm (vertical) |
Paper type:
| Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor stamp gummed paper |
Number of stamps per sheet:
| 25 |
Perforation gauge:
| 14.80 x 14.67 |
Special blocks:
| Plate/imprint blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least six stamps from a sheet. Barcode, value blocks and logo blocks could be obtained by purchasing at least two stamps from a sheet. Barcode blocks were available in both A and B format. |
Period of sale:
| These stamps remained on sale until 18 October 2006. |
Some of the images in this post were used with permission from the illustrated catalogue of StampsNZ
You can visit their web site and On-line Catalogue at, http://stampsnz.com/