Tom Hiddleston arrived at Comic-Con on Saturday to do some really advanced promotion for Kong: Skull Island. Skull Island cost a lot, and it doesn’t come out until next year, but it’s never too early to get some buzz and build anticipation. Which is what happened! Warner Bros dropped the surprise first trailer for the film, and people LOVED it. I think it was a really smart decision to use the backdrop of the Vietnam War, just as it was smart to avoid using an all-white cast. While Hiddleston is the “buzz-worthy” star, the trailer makes the case for Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman as the real stars. Brie Larson and Hiddles don’t even speak in the first trailer! Here you go:
It does look better than I was expecting. I imagine when all is said and done with the special effects (Kong still looks slightly glitchy), this film will be super-expensive, which means they’ll really, really need this to be a huge hit. And maybe that will happen.
Tom was pretty much all-business at San Diego. There was no Loki cosplay, there was no dancing (from what I’ve seen). There were some true-blue Hiddlestoners screaming “I LOVE YOU TOM” at the panel discussion, and Tom said “I love you too” to them. Tom also gave an interview to Deadline ahead of his appearance at Hall H – you can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
The purity of enthusiasm: “Well, Comic-Con is the location of some of my fondest memories in the last five years. It was really the first place I ever spoke about Loki. My first trip was back in 2010 with Kenneth Branagh’s Thor when I was a whippersnapper. But I had been told about Comic-Con in advance of that and I was excited because people had always talked about the purity of the enthusiasm at Comic-Con.
The Loki cosplay from 2013: “Turning up as Loki three years ago was an unprecedented moment for me in my short career and it was just so much fun. It was more fun than should be allowed. Partly because it’s so rare that you get to play a character from film in a live context and there’s this theatrical cosmic fascist standing onstage being cheered by seven thousand people and we all loved it. I think we all had a good time anyway.
On Kong: Skull Island: “I loved making Kong: Skull Island. It was a completely unique experience. Chiefly, I think, because it felt like such as heavyweight cast. There’s so many people from so many different backgrounds and with so many different skill sets. And we traveled to these extraordinary locations to the ends of the Earth where nature is at its most beautiful and terrifying. And that was, I think, the genius of Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ pitch was an encouragement to shoot in real places and to make Skull Island out of parts of our planet that are absolutely breathtaking and remote. Where you could believe that Kong as a myth could originate. And the other thing to say about it is that part of his original idea was that he wanted to set it in the ’70s, because it was a world where technology is not what it is now and that perhaps mankind might believe there were mysteries in the South Pacific that were still unsolved.”
On The Night Manager’s Emmy noms: “You never know if things are going to catch fire in the audience. so I feel very lucky and incredibly honored. I’m absolutely delighted, truth be told.”
Whether he’s leaving a hole in his schedule to play James Bond: “Ha! I never make plans because every time I’ve tried to make plans life is full of surprises. So, I don’t know what the picture will look like by the end of this year. As an actor, I’ve always been excited by the breadth of what I’m allowed to do and that is what I’m honestly most grateful for. That I can jump around and play Hank Williams and Jonathan Pine, and Captain James Conrad in a Kong movie and then go back to Loki. And to have that privilege of playing so many different people and so many different genres is truly everything I’ve dreamed of.”
I love how we’re still pretending that Hiddles has a shot at playing James Bond. He does not have a shot, people. Truly. He was also asked, at the panel discussion, what he does in his spare time. He was asked specifically if he’s playing Pokemon Go, and he confesses that he’s not. Then he dropped this amazing quote: “Sometimes when I’m sick I go and re-watch all the Fawlty Towers.” Classic!
There are about a million stories and interviews coming out about Hiddles, but we’ll spread them out in the next few days. Don’t want too much of a good thing, eh? I did want to show this Instagram from Brie Larson, featuring Tom and the Skull Island costars. That’s Corey Hawkins on the far left, and Jason Mitchell in the middle. Both of those guys were in Straight Outta Compton as Dr. Dre and Easy-E respectively. Both were great, but I think Jason Mitchell in particular is due for a MAJOR breakout.
Wow, Tay-Tay ACTUALLY allowed him to go off and do business matters by himself without her sitting on his lap making it ALL about her? Shocking!
Pretty sure Swifty is no match for studios that want the focus on their movie and not her melodrama. Even if she wanted to I’m sure they would’ve shot it down.
She also didnt issue a congratulatory message for the Emmy nom. And they made sure to be seen going to the gym separately at different times of the day yesterday. They are probably wary of cross infection. Its not unusual for a mega star to suffer backlash (actually its expected). She is lucky that hers is in the form of ridicule. But Im sure Tom, his team and studios dont want that ridicule and memeing anywhere near his work persona.
I think we will have way fewer paparazzi couple moments. She may take him to her events but I dont think she will be at his. I dont even think she’ll be at the Emmys.
@Naya-I LOVED your “cross-infection” reference.
when Calvin didnt attend the Grammys with her her team made him out to be an insecure guy who couldnt handle her success and wasnt supportive. so is Taylor now intimidated by Toms success? (according to their logic)
And no tweet from her in support of his Unicef project. Wouldn’t you do that for your boyfriend? Especially if you had 10x the followers?
Tay Tay has never really shown much support for any BF’s endeavours unless she benefits directly from it (CH and that song). She’s too self absorbed for that.
I was thinking how much more genuinely happy he looks when he is out on parole.
Bahahahaha!
Really? God he looks so sad and tired and used up…
@Lisa,
Really? Maybe you haven’t seen the pics and videos of him all lit up and smiling from ear to ear. From what I’ve seen, I’d say Tom had a very good weekend at CC. I’m glad, I like seeing him happy and enjoying himself.
I completely agree. Although maybe his happy face is his acting face and his “authentic” face is slightly strained?
@elle_crells
I guess if you don’t know that much about Tom you might think that. Although why you would IDK. But Tom has a long history of smiling even before he was started becoming famous and way before TS. So I guess he must have always been “acting” even though there was nothing to gain from it. Isn’t that what the CB*tches here would have everyone think?
@BluBare-E well I have known of him for a while, I do know he is particularly careerist (which actor isn’t though…?). I was being a bit silly also and that his relaxed face is more like the one with Tay. Which would be unfortunate, normally with the one you love = happy.
Tom is doing remarkably well to smile because I have visions of him walking into Taylor’s LA digs and finding all his possessions from London scattered around the place and Taylor informing him that “you live here now”.
Oh secret squirrel! Make it happen with video and audio!
There needs to be a part 2 to this story
Looks like he has left LA – with Luke – on a commercial flight. Went to the airport from the Four Seasons Hotel. He didn’t stay with HER????
I had zero interest in this movie until this trailer, but now – I’m totally in. Everyone in the cast looks amazing, and the film looks beautifully shot.
Yeah, before seeing the trailer I figured I’d probably end up seeing the movie because PGrant would really want to go and I would humor him. But now, I’m in! I still like Hiddles as an actor (the Tiddles mess has killed any remaining ladyboner I had for him), but John Goodman and Samuel L. Jackson are national treasures.
Tom is always excited by his films. But this really needs to perform at the box office.
He’s in a bad place. If it perferms well, it might be credited to Sam Jackson. If it doesn’t, then he may get most of the blame. I can easily see some critics and even his former fans say that TnT was the reason more people didn’t go see it. I don’t know if he wins this one.
Brie is amazing, that’s all I have to say.
Though I’m disappointed she got Captain Marvel. I was really rooting for Katee Sackhoff. Brie isn’t old enough. But, Hollywood.
I think she’s a bit young, I was rooting for Emily Blunt.
I was rooting for Katee Sackhoff too – she’s the same age as Evans or barely a year older, far from ‘too old’ to lead a superhero flick.
But I’m not fighting Brie, she can act and this makes a good franchise perch to establish herself in Hollywood post-Oscar.
It just seems like Katee Sackhoff isn’t enough of a “get” or enough of an “it girl.” Was Katee in serious contention for the role?
I don’t think Katee was but Emily Blunt’s name was kicked about a great deal.
Katee would have been amazing in that role. I think Emily would have brought it too, after seeing her in Sicario. But I’m not unhappy about Brie being chosen either. She’ll kick a$$.
Amazing yes, but wrong and eye-roll worthy choice for Captain Marvel. A decorated Air Force veteran pilot? Ha! No.
Look if they are doing a start of her career thing…OK but waste of time…but mostly it just seems like Marvel’s boys couldn’t get hard at the thought of casting a woman over 30 who would actually fit the character. I mean she’s more a contemporary of Tony Stark than anything else. Now he could be her father. 🙄
Yea. Sackoff would have brought a grown woman soldier who’s got experience and resolve, no slam against Larson. I think Marvel is still casting with only their male comic fans in mind so went for a softer ingenue angle. Can’t have Cap’s position challenged too much.
He’s getting back to work, his first (and probably only) real love. Good for him.
I hope he did some massive partying. Absolutely EVERYONE was there.
People went nuts for him at CCon. I don’t think any of this drama has hurt his career at all. It has only given him wider name recognition amongst people who go to the movies- and more attention from those that cast them.
A known actor with strong name recognition is all that matters in Hollywood. His being polite, prepared, and professional on set is just the cherry.
Comic-con is always the coolest thing, everyone is happy and warm.
“A known actor with strong name recognition”
Many people in the real world didn’t know who he was till he started being Taylor Swift’s ‘boyfriend’.
Huh? Maybe as a regular Comic-Con attendee I don’t count as “people in the real world,” but I feel confident that if I polled my general circle of friends/acquaintances, Tom would have bigger name recognition than Swifty. Everyone has heard of her, sure, but can they name even a single song?
Belb is right most people who aren’t really into gossip or really into Avengers etc don’t have have any idea who he is. This didn’t hurt him at all.
Did see the tweet from the senior editor of New York Magazine/Vulture? It was liked & retweeted hundreds of times:
Kyle Buchanan @kylebuchanan
“Here is an Oscar winner (Brie) sitting next to a walking set of album liner notes (Tom).”
https://twitter.com/kylebuchanan/status/756944161576738821
Whether or not you think the tweet was appropriate, shows that Tom’s image has been damaged.
Bonzo I think the joke is funny but ultimately the vast majority of people don’t take any of that stuff seriously. His reputation isn’t damaged. He hasn’t done anything in the league of Tom Cruise or Ben Affleck. Hasn’t done any awkward interviews and although the pap shots are infamous and silly most people think of them as an invasion of privacy (even if we know they were set up). He’s fine. In fact out of any celebrity coupling they are reminding me most of Aniston/Theroux. In that Theroux basked in the attention and career he got from being attached to Jen Aniston.
LMAO of course a regular Comic Con attendee isn’t like the rest of the world. Remember Scott Pilgrim? That movie that had like the hugest buzz ever in Comic Con? And then completely flopped?
luca76, I think we can safely say that if Tom had dated Taylor very quietly and without the ridiculous, pap posing in-your-face antics that they did in the initial weeks, that tweet would have never been composed in the first place and hundreds wouldn’t have agreed or laughed along with it.
His image HAS taken a hit.
Profile raised (to everyone). Image lowered (to people of taste*).
He just made a trade-off is all. Which is why he is not in the least bit a hostage. He is a willing participant in the commercialising of a love affair (or a contract, or a mixture of the two, or whatever the Glorious Tiddlesbanging is).
*I’m a Britisher. I’m not only allowed to make such snobbish remarks, it’s expected of me. Ner!
@bonzo to be clear the vast majority of of people don’t really care that much about celebrity gossip. That tweet is definitely meant for people who care but those people Lainey calls ‘the Minivan Majority’ don’t. The people who glance at People Mag or watch Entertainment Tonight on occasion but have no real clue about this stuff unless someone is dead/in jail/or humiliates themselves on national tv like Tom Cruise did on Oprah and The Today show. They barely were aware of who TH was because of Loki or TNM (if they are higher brow). They aren’t really concerned about a t shirt he wore. They just know he’s dating Taylor Swift.
I’m quitting CB if you ever stop with the snark, Sixer. I may just give up on life. You’re my reason for turning my computer, dontcha know??
He’s made his choice to date Taylor and we get the choice to take the mickey if we are so inclined. It’s a beautiful world we live in, isn’t it?
I’m sorry, Luca76, but when the senior editor of NY Mag and Vulture mocks you – and it is a mock – then your image has taken a hit. And that tweet ISN’T meant for the Minivan Majority; those people aren’t following the senior editor of Vulture on twitter. Anyone following this guy is keyed in on popular culture, movies, celebrities, etc.
That t-shirt – which you say no one cares about – it’s been brought up to Idris Elba on a morning tv show, a BBC show called “Mrs. Brown” mocked TH’s wearing of it, it’s become a meme on the internet. Finally a woman tweeted yesterday that a Loki cosplayer in line for a TH autograph was wearing an I Heart T.S. button. People noticed it, and not in a good way.
As much as I’m aware of and – dare I say – a fan of Hiddles, I don’t care who he dates. As ridiculous as I find Swifty, she’s gorgeous by every conventional standard of measurement in western culture, she’s probably a nice enough person, and she lives lavishly. I’m not gonna hate on any straight, unattached guy for being into that. Briefly. I still adore Tom (even if to the non-Con world he’s just a liner note in a TS song.)
@Bonzo: you’re right. This is a serious diss from a serious publication. I thought it was a bit OTT myself, but it does show that Tom become somewhat of a punchline because of this nonsense. I’m glad Luke is taking a tighter rein on things now that the US PR firm has FUBARed this whole thing.
@LadyLoo most to all big celebrities get mocked by places like Vulture that tend to have a snarky tone in their reporting. It doesn’t ruin them. Most don’t take it seriously. Especially since the editorial intent is to be satirical but not cruel. If you go to sites like People or more industry friendly places you’ll find that most people barely cared about the Kanye/Taylor revaluations etc. As for memes they are hilarious but again the vast majority of people who aren’t gossip obsessed aren’t going to care or even get it. They will just know that Tom is dating Taylor. It’s a big deal to a very small subset of people. (Maybe a bigger deal in the UK??)
That jab makes the guy look so bitter and salty lol
What snark, bonzo? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Pfft.
I have to agree. I just showed the trailer to my hubby and he said :’ that’s that guy who’s dating Taylor Swift’!
He knows who Taylor Swift is cause of our daughter.
So I do think it will give him wider recognition.
SDCC isn’t indicative of the recognition from the masses. Con is where the super fans go so of course he’s recognized and has a strong showing there. It’s a concentrated group of people.
A lot of people had zero clue who he was before this drama. So he gets name recognition but that’s not always great for a studio is it’s attached to drama
True. SDCC is very much a bubble.
Con is pretty mainstream at this point. Comic panels and vendors are a very small portion of the event now. True that comic movies are featured heavily, but in all fairness, those are the most prominent movies coming out of Hollywood these days, with the highest paid actors & the biggest budgets. Maybe Tom Hiddleston isn’t the best measure of comic success, but I feel pretty confident that Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the DC/Marvel A-List line up are bigger names than Taylor Swift.
Except the names you mentioned were HUGE before ever stepping into a Con for the first time. Ben’s first was last year…already had two oscars under his belt. Jen’s first was 2013 when she promoted Catching Fire and XMen…already one Oscar nom and huge buzz from THG and that was the year her Oscar buzz for SLP was rolling.
So not even close to an equivalent situation. Again tom did not have a huge career to insulate himself from the hit he’s going to take.
Alex, I’m mystified by your response. That’s exactly my point. Con doesn’t launch careers. It’s a fan fest that attracts existing A-Listers. And because A-Listers love Con, the attendees are drawn from all segments of society, not just geeks. Comics are about as mainstream as entertainment gets. It’s not a “bubble” at all.
And if Tom isn’t well known, how can his career take a hit? I still love him, and I’m starting to think I’m his primary fanbase. 😉
“if Tom isn’t well known, how can his career take a hit?”
If he isn’t well known for any of his actual work, but is instead only known as TS’s current bf – then that’s a hit to his career. When they stop talking about your professional work and only talk about your private (or not so private in this care) life, then your career has troubles.
And any study on con attendees will tell you that they are not drawn from all segments of society. The gender splits about equal, but the majority are white, under 35, make less than 35K a year and are fantasy/sci-fi movie fans. That’s not a wide segment of society.
Ladyloo, I recognize I have a skewed perspective because I’m surrounded by fantasy/sci fi/Con fans in my life, but literally none of them fit the demographic you’ve described.
Good trailer. Zero interest in seeing a Kong film. Thankfully, the Sixlets are old enough to go without me so I imagine I’ll not be made to watch it until it comes to Sky in 2018 or somesuch. Perhaps the Sixlets will have girlfriends by then and I won’t have to watch bang-y and crash-y at all. But for bang-y and crash-y, it looks good. Just not my thing.
WHY DOES LEGS NOT SPEAK IN IT? ISN’T HIS VOICE HIS USP? IS IT NOT KONG-Y ENOUGH?
Also: volunteers for taking out the wispy stalks of blackcurrants pre-freezing would be welcome. Sixlet Minor is moaning and doing his share with tweezers, the lightweight.
I’ll come and do the destalking if you will come and do my dusting. 🙂
Dusting sucks. Nothing wrong with a bit of grime, Spidey! Stick with me though – there will be home-made blackcurrant ripple ice cream later.
But since I’ve reminded myself of LEGS’s posh voice, I’m going to spend the time waiting for Sixlet Minor to sulkily finish his task by declaiming DH Lawrence’s The Oxford Voice at the top of my lung capacity. That should make the recalcitrant child hurry the eff up. Pokemon-chasing has to be better than listening to your mother mocking the poshies, right?!
I’ll tweeze currants if you weed out the nightshade that is taking over my yard.
Only Jackson and Goodman speak. And well, Kong breathes heavily. The director doesn’t want too much given away in the trailers.
The good news is that I watched the video! And the even better news is that I thought it was good! Is your nightshade a triffid, like my rhubarb?
The director is rarely involved in constructing the trailer and especially not for a summer blockbuster type of film like this. Trailers are made by the marketing department which basically assess the strongest points of the film and try to lure an audience with a 30 second clip. Sam Jackson, John Goodman and Kong are the real bait to this movie hence their prominence.
I am not sure he will talk much in this film. He seems to be a reticent but resourceful, clever action hero.
Definitely triffid-like. You get cake for watching the video.
Someone explain to me the ratios over budget a film needs in takings before it’s considered a hit. Double the budget in box office does little more than break even, have I got that right?
@ Sixer, as far as I know, this is a thumb of rule. Double – break even; triple -decent, a sequel can be made. But sometimes they make a sequel for films that earned slightly more than double.
Have you tried doing it the lazy way? If you freeze in a bag, then shake the bag (vigorously), the stem and stamen remnants should snap right off without doing too much damage to the fruit. The remnants you can rub off.
Not appropriate if you’re planning to use them as decoration, but it works fine for jam and smoothies.
NOW she says it! Only joking! Ack. This is ok for the fruit we’re using now but not for the fruit we freeze and take out a handful at a time for cereal over the rest of the year. It’s that part of the crop poor old Sixlet Minor was tweezing. Happily, he’s now finished and has gone to play cricket with his mates.
Sixer, that was the first thing I noticed about Apocalypse Kong. Tom, despite being the film’s lead and leading the group of explorers, doesn’t talk at all? I presume Tom’s voice wouldn’t give the effect needed for the first impression, but still, kinda odd that they left that out.
I did get excited to see SLJ and John Goodman because for me, they’re the real stars of this film, among the humans at least. I hope neither of them get killed off in the first hour or I’ll be pissed.
ETA: I think twice the budget is the general rule of thumb for breaking even at the box office.
I guess I thought he was the actual lead? Giving little attention to this type of popcorn film that I do, beyond what I read on here. Looking now, it’s more of an ensemble thing? So I suppose it’s obvious they’d go for the better known voices.
It was the first thing I noticed though, like you.
In an interview, Hiddles said that he is “one of main leads.” So I guess this is an ensemble film. As they cast Tom and two guys first (then Keaton and Simmons), I think those three men are main leads, Tom being a bit more prominent.
Tom’s always listed first among the cast and he’s supposed to be leading the explorers to the island. I think though, they realized that SLJ & Goodman being more recognizable by the mainstream audience need to be featured prominently to help market it.
My guess is SLJ is the tough guy, Goodman is the bad guy and Tom supplies the pretty, damaged hero/love interest in this ensemble.
All the food groups duly represetned.
Love the trailer. I’m all in!
SLJ and Goodman are seen and heard.
Tom and Brie and Tian and Jason and Corey and Thomas are seen but not heard.
John C Reilly is heard but not seen
John Ortiz is neither seen nor heard.
And that last scene in which a guy is holding a knife to the throat of another guy and they both stop struggling to stare at Kong coming up over the cliff at them has me really intrigued.
@Bonzo Yes, perhaps he sings his lines in the movie? Oh dread…
Sixer, taking a sharp left topic-wise, did you see the Guardian interview with Nicola Shindler today? I didn’t know that Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax were greenlit for another series. That made my day!
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jul/24/happy-valley-gritty-north-manchester-red-productions?CMP=twt_gu
I liked her comments about the Gritty North. Are any of the other series mentioned in the article worth tracking down?
I think I said you’d like Scott & Bailey before? Sorta Cagney & Lacey but Britisher with lots of tea between cases, obvs. You’d like The Five but it was on Sky so not sure how you’d find it. Queer as Folk – ace. Clocking Off might be a bit dated now. The show I suggested to you t’other day, Brief Encounters, is also based in the north. Since you liked Last Tango, I think you’d like it – same blend of realism, humour and the odd eccentric character.
TV is SO much better than film but I watched Tangerines just now – the Oscar-nommed Estonian-Georgian film pacifist film. I loved it and it’s really worth looking out – you like non-glossy things with the little people in them, don’t you?
you like non-glossy things with the little people in them, don’t you?
Sixer, you are correct. 😉
I was confused for a minute with Tangerines since I’d seen “Tangerine”, the dramedy about the transgendered sex worker that received a critical acclaim last year. I just added the other to my watch list on Amazon Prime.
I’d forgotten about Scott & Bailey which I recall you had recommended previously. I’ve started writing these down since there’s so many I’m catching up on!
I did catch Brief Encounters tonight and enjoyed the first episode… you know, I love that Yorkshire accent!
Tangerine is quietly heartbreaking. It’s a trip and quite funny, but it’s also really gritty. I was really surprised to learn it was shot completely on an iphone.
BTW, bonzo. My first ever sight of any pr0n was a pack of playing cards my cousin had filched from an Ann Summers party my aunt had hosted. The demonstrator was giving them out. Very rude! I probably like Brief Encounters because I can remember we kids always got sent upstairs for Ann Summers parties when we were allowed to attend all the jewellery and craft ones!
Samuel L. Jackson versus King Kong. It’s their game to lose in 2017.
The trailer looks ok i guess but not my type of film. Jason Momoa in Justice League looks made me want to go see a marvel movie for once . That man is so hot!
Justice League is DC. Marvel =/= DC. But I know what you mean! I was worried about how Aquaman would work on screen, and it was better than I thought. He was the only saving grace, IMO, of that Justice League footage. Everything else was so…try-hard and forced. Especially the humor. Marvel’s humor feels organic and natural, because that was the starting tone. DC is trying to play catch up in terms of tone; that feels off to me. But Wonder Woman was LIT (and I mean that figuratively AND literally. There was actual color and light in a DC movie for once). So excited for that.
Thanks! I am not a huge comic book movie fan. I did watch the trailers, Jason Momoa stole the show. Wonder woman looks good too.
That movie looks like your standard 90s B movie. Monster (Kong), young white male hero (Tom) young white female love interest (Brie) , old overweight baddie (John G), cocky over confident black guy (Sam J).
Interesting that Tom is barely in the trailer though. The only shots of him are of his facial expression. I’m sure I’ll catch it on TV one day.
Justice League trailer looked better. Jason Momoa as Aquaman and Ezra Miller as Flash looks like good casting, even Batfleck didn’t annoy me too much.
Yeah, I got more excited seeing Wonder Woman, Justice League, Snowden, Lego Batman and the new Dr Strange trailers.
LOL, I just said that to my husband, it reminds me of movies such as Predator and Jurassic park and I’d watch it just because I have a soft spot for these type of movies (I watched them all when I was a kid in the 90s).
Pretty good trailer. Lots of good trailers released yesterday.
I didn’t know Kong was set Vietnam era, that’s neat. And I love John Goodman, so that’s a plus for me!
Well it does look better than my preconception but I can’t get over the fact that it essentialy a big gorilla.
Sammual and John look good, not much of Tom though. John looks like he has slimmed down.
I’m won’t be rushing out to see it a really a tamer , slightly more hairier and bigger version of myself once a month.
She is dressing like him, working out like him…. If her mirroring starts to include being more private and chill, maybe she will be less annoying. For awhile anyway.
Yes please! The less we see of her the better.
As much as i find mirroring creepy is quite common. I have friends who do it – they dress similarly to their partner, eat what they eat, listen to the same music etc….
I actually am one who really liked Peter Jackson’s version (the cast was great and so was the CGI, actually), but I’m looking forward to this. Looks like a fun monster movie. And while I think Kong’s size is a little too ridiculous, it makes sense for WB to make him bigger so that he can go up against Godzilla in the inevitable match-up…which doesn’t make sense but….Hollywood. Also, if Kong is in the Vietnam War era, how does he go up against Godzilla in the modern day? That means none of this original cast will be in the sequel. Interesting.
Boy, you really know when Andy Serkis is not on the screen. So Jackson and Goodman looks to have top billing, Hawkins and Mitchell could get a final push for the recognition they deserve and Larson is Larson. But I am still sticking with being done with Tom, and I doubt he appreciates how stupid it looks to be in the IG photo above.
The budget is 190 mil. A bit expensive, but not so much. The trailer looks gorgeous. It’s more like a teaser tailer. I expect to see more Tom and Brie in the next trailers, which is likely to appear in winter.
It’s pretty sad that it’s an oddity that a film have a multi-ethnic and that the film not set during WWII.
I love Peter Jackson’s King Kong (or whatever its tittle) and Andy Serkis as Kong. As for this Kong version, hmm based on the trailer, not so much interesting but I might be wrong.
anyway, on monster movie, I came to see it because of the monsters not the human parts. for me, as long as they make good monsters (godzilla, t-rex etc), I am all set. I doubt that people see Kong SI just because of TH. He is decent actor, but he is not the reason why people see Kong.
Kong has its own built in audience and fanbase.
I think it could have trouble because the movie is set to be released in March, which isn’t one of the lowest months for the box office. I wonder why they didn’t try to hold it for summer.
Studios have been trying to spread the blockbuster season out longer over the past few years. There are only so many summer weekends and they don’t want their blockbuster opening at the same time as another blockbuster. The last few years they have been trying to kick off with March and April and extending into November, which is usually “serious movie” time.
The first Hunger Games movie came out in March and made quite a lot of money. One of the Captain American films came out in April and made a pretty penny.
If they were to release Kong in say January or February, also known as the months where movies go to die, then there could be problems with the film.
The dead months are January and February. March has shown the last few years that it’s the start of the film season, not leftovers like the two previous months.
I’m….not that impressed honestly? Beautiful cinematography but having grown up with the original story this trailer seems to need us to forget that Kong was never the “monster”. It was much more complicated than that. This looks like a whatever action movie. Eh…maybe.
I laugh whenever people talk about “amazing reactions!” at Comic Con. Two words: Scott Pilgrim. On all of it…we will see.
Actually the dialogue in the trailer indicates that the humans are invading someone else’s habitat and they are paying the price. That’s pretty indicative to me that it still follows that Kong is not the monster.
So if Tom and Taylor split say during his filming of Kong, will anyone seriously think much more about this episode in 12 months time?
Sorry that should say filming of Thor 3, of course.
Did you mean Thor 3? The answer is no for most of us.
Yes I did. 😳
From your mouth to God’s ears, Spidey.
Please make it go away
I’m working on in as we speak.
@Spidey: whatever you did must’ve worked because Tom has been spotted at LAX with Luke. Maybe there has been an exorcism.
#thankGod
#prayercircle
Also there is a new jacket. Don’t tell me they don’t read. 😉
work harder Spidey, gosh! 😉
Never underestimate the power of a silver surfer! 😆
Wait, who loved it? Pretty much most of the reaction I’ve seen online is that it looks dumb.
I’ve seen plenty of positive reaction too on film-centric sites. A lot of comments on how big Kong needs to be in order to fight against Godzilla, which hadn’t even crossed mind when I watched it. I assumed he’d be HUGE.
Maybe people were expecting worse? IMO this looks like a run of the mill popcorn movie.
It looks good. They made Kong really big for the Godzilla vs Kong movie in 2020. And it is set in the 70’s.
He did Nerd HQ with Zachary Levi and was the best version of Tom: Totally lovely and charming, no humblebragging, no crazy levels of eager. He rather adorably discussed his enthusiasm for breakfast and said the word, “Pokemons.” Very, very good. I was impressed.
Kong looks a little better than I expected, but not great. I always end up seeing these action movies so I’ll definitely be seeing it on the big screen.
And he is going back to theater but it can’t say what or when yet.
How is he going to do theatre if still dating Taylor and her teen fans are in the audience hoping to see her? What roles will the bodyguards play?
@ Browniecakes, didn’t he do Coriolanus when his super crazy Loki fans went to theater, wanting to see him? As fas as Tay fans sit silent and pay their money, I cannot see much difference to the thrater people.
if fans are disruptive they are asked to leave although it rarely happens
FYI, Zach Levi is a super crazy evangelical Christian. Even Tom is better than that.
What’s the point of this comment? Who cares if he’s a Christian. There are some on this site who are as well, y’know.
Tom seemed a bit tightly wound yesterday.
really smart decision to use the backdrop of the Vietnam War
And to not be bothered by details, like making Larson and Hiddleston actually look like people styling themselves in the 1970s.
Truthfully the main reason I want to see this if for the Vietnamese landscape. I think Jordan shot some amazing areas and will showcase them. This is the first major action film shot there since (I think) the war and they really rolled out the red carpet for everyone involved in making Kong. I want it to succeed because it may draw others to film there in the future. $$$ for Vietnam.
That’s one of the reasons I want to see the movie. Vietnam is really beautiful.
the cinamatorgaphy would be an attraction for me as well
Why can’t ya’ll see that Tom is totally gay! I can’t not see it! He is Taylors gay BFF. She needed one of those in her squad. She has the token black, the affluent vanilla married couple, the token lesbian couple, the beautiful single girl-single as in not married yet. All boxes checked. And for the record, Tom never said they were in a relationship and happy, he just they were together and happy.
I thought we were past the stage of being able to “tell” who was gay and who wasn’t by looking at them. And you aren’t the first with that theory BTW. I don’t think anyone would have looked at the rugby player Gareth Thomas and said “gay” for example. Some people are camp – though I don’t think Tom is – and straight, others are macho and gay. I don’t make presumptions about the sexuality of someone I’ve never met based on…your view that he completes Taylor’s squad.
why does his sexuality even matter-he could be bi or transgender and be a great actor
For the record he has stated that he’s heterosexual. He’s had several public relationships/ ‘probable hook ups’ with women (JArthy). The consensus on the gay gossip sites for years now is that he’s probably straight. After looking and putting out the call for tea and receipts, nothing ever came up to support the claim. That alone is enough for me, I’m convinced.
Mostly anyone strongly proposing that he is gay is usually wishing he was for their own fantasies. Don’t mistake cultural, genteel mannerisms for “gay”. Like @Annetommy points out, there’s not full proof way to “tell”. For as many times as someone supposes correctly and think they can “always” tell, there’s also many times they are wrong – (and never corrected btw).
Just watched the trailer. To me it looks like a standard issued action flick aimed at 12 year old boys. What I love though are the landscapes. Yum!
This is going have to knock it out of the park on the opening weekend to be a success– that is not going to be easy.
The landscapes are breathtaking.
I hope it will perform well in Asian markets, especially in China. Many Legendary scifi films did make money globally even though their US box offices were poor. Legendary/Wanda will do their best to sell it in Asia as this is its first film after it became a Chinese company. I don’t know the Chinese actress, but it seems that she already appeared in several movies. Chinese people might be glad to see their actress run along with HW stars in a place they know fairly well.
He doesn’t talk in the movie trailer. Unbelievable! This was his movie originally. LOL. He cannot be taken seriously. There is video footage of an interview between Ken Ehrlich (producer of the Grammys) and Entertainment Tonight from Feb . 12 , 2016 where he says that “she had an advance of the track”. He was forced to retract and her people said that he was confused. This girl is a piece of work ; there is nothing to be proud off hanging out with her or loving her through this.
This actually has nothing to do with this particular story or any other story but I found this story in the Guardian very validating of what Celebitchy does and the time I spend reading here 😉
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/23/celebrity-gossip-taylor-swift-katy-perry-escapism
duplicate
Quite.
Looks like fun, but I’ll always prefer the 1930s original B/W film.
He’s wearing eyeliner in the photos from comic con. Did he borrow taylors make up artist as well as her bodyguard?
You know what is amazing to me? Look at the photos on Daily Mail of he and Brie Larson together. Observe how Brie Larson presents herself. She and Swift are the SAME AGE. They are both 26 years of age. Yet, when you see Brie Larson, she carries herself like a mature young woman. Swift behaves and carries herself like a fifteen-year-old. I have to wonder about his taste level at this point if this is an actual relationship, which I still question the sincerity of.
Well according to you. If you listened to Brie’s interviews at Comic Con, she sounded quite silly as well. Besides you don’t get to choose or approve who he chooses to have a relationship with. Taylor Swift didn’t get to be the most successful musician of her generation and the highest paid celebrity of 2016, and winner of 10 Grammys by being an immature 15 yr old.
You are absolutely right. She got all of those things BECAUSE of immature 15 year olds. That demographic will make a star out of anyone.
Off the topic of Tom (& Ms Swift) Jason Mitchell broke my heart as Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton. Even though you know his fate, when he falls ill in gnr movie I cry, every time.
Really looking forward to the new Kong movie.
Apparently he’s back at LAX with Luke as his traveling buddy this time. I guess Aussie Tiddles has come to a close.
I wouldn’t get too hopeful yet. Let’s see if she returns to OZ at some point during shooting. There is the big question mark regarding the Emmy RC. I also believe she has a concert in Austen sometime in October which I’m sure she has to prep for. Maybe even new music by then? Hehehe…
I’m not hopeful that it has come to a close—the Tiddlesbanging Tour 2016 has brought me great joy. Not so much now that all this other drama has been dragged into it, but Tiddles on their own bring me huge amounts of happiness and entertainment.
Most importantly: different blue jacket
He has a new jacket.
He returned back to Taylor’s house in LA after SDComicCon last night. Was dropped off by her driver and bodyguard at the Four Seasons this morning to pick up Luke to go to LAX. Most likely going to NYC for business meetings. Taylor’s private jet filed a flight plan to Nashville today so most likely she is heading back to Nashville to take care of her business. She will most likely pick up Tom in NYC and both of them will return to Australia. All this courtesy of both fandom sleuths on Tumblr. They haven’t been wrong yet. So don’t get your hopes up that Hiddleswift is over. Since those Rhode Island pics hit on June 15, they have only been apart 3 days! Pretty incredible!
He had his passport in his hand.
But all of this is sooo autenthic:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3705810/Tom-Hiddleston-insists-romance-Taylor-Swift-won-t-negatively-affect-career.html
😉
I don’t know if I should start to believe it or he’s just good with words as usually…
This rubbish is coming from a Swiftie tumblr blog that most certainly is wrong from time to time; for instance they were all so sure that TS would go to Comic-Con with him. Didn’t happen. They also believe that they are already secretly engaged and planning a wedding. Yeah, that’s the level we’re dealing with here.
Really it’s just some over-invested fans stalking her plane and then guessing about Taylor’s whereabouts and, now, Tom’s, based on the plane’s movements.
That blog isn’t the epicenter of good sleuthing, it’s mostly fan fiction.
@ Sue – but what is he supposed to say. “Darn it, yes I’m ruined”
Yay, I hope they last! Tiddlesbanging is awesome! Oh, the fun!
I think he should really privately take a break from her because The Night Manager was going to do well with Hugh Laurie and John LeCarre and the BBC attached. He is so talented, but he has had 4 movies that have grossly under performed in the box office. He has a lot of work to do. I do wish him well. Who he loves is his business, but the reality of this spectacle for six weeks straight must be kicking in.
Breaking news! Tom has a new blue jacket!
Bit out of context re the Bond Question –his answer about not making plans was in response to a general what are you doing next question, with Bond tacked on to the end.
Poor Brie Larson, her first major studio release since she wins the Oscar and she’s got to play second fiddle to his embarrassing side show.
She’s an amazing talent who rose to the top without the help of a “squad” or a PR machine or Instagramming hourly photos of her recent engagement.
Tom could learn a thing or five from her.
I doubt she’s playing second fiddle to Hiddleswift. She was announced as Ms. Marvel at SDCC, so things are pretty awesome for her. And she totally deserves it. She’s great.
She is great, and while I would have preferred Katee Sackhoff, I’m delighted she has this role.
But the ever changing lenses of perception people wear when examining the actions of different folk fascinate (and exhaust) me. Brie planned and executed “Briekends” with her squad of boys, including riding Angry Birds toys at the Mall which really are meant for toddlers, and has been an avid Instagrammer since long before her Oscar. Kong’s director also massively, teasingly Instagrams (heck, even his assistant is Instagram-mad, posting frequently as a record of their Kong:SI squad adventures. Not to mention his ex/possibly present gf) –but no-one evidently considers any of them thirsty. Tom sneezes, and it was a pr set-up just so someone would take a picture of the bless you.
I don’t dislike Brie Larson. I think she’s a good actress, but in your attempt to put down Tom you seem to exaggerate Brie’s career history. No she didn’t have to resort to PR stunts or social media tactics, but she’s a) American b) been in the business since a very young age, like 12 or maybe even younger. Basically she WAS a child actress. Oh and c) she’s been in HW, workin the system, making the contacts, the insider business since her childhood. During this time Tom was attending university, then drama school and then paying his dues on the stage and film. I’m not trying to take anything away from her talent. I basically like and respect her. But it’s not fair to just use her good fortune to knock other people down.
And good fortune it is, make no mistake. Talent and hard work doesn’t guarantee an award in this business. It should, but it doesn’t. Most of the time there’s massive $ and promoting going on, and of course, those that are most marketable like Jennifer Lawrence get to take a bite at the apple multiple times whether she deserved it each time or not. My point is there are so many great actors and great performances that are totally overlooked by the Academy for the sake of $ and connections, but once in while the right person that has done nothing but plug right along, lands a great part that can’t be ignored. Fortunately for Brie it was her, and she deserves it.
Brie said this much herself when she was interviewed by Vanity Fair I think. That it really came down to luck that she got that part and that it was so well written and hers was the strongest performance in her category for this awards year. There was no one more shocked than her cause she knows that that’s not how it usually goes down.
Plus (not that it has anything to do with her Oscar) she DOES Instagram and use social media. Tom has never had an Instagram account.
Wonder what you would say about Tom if he instagrammed like Brie does?
Exactly what side show did she play second fiddle to at Comic Con? It is SDCC. The cheers he received were because he is loved at SDCC, not because of Taylor Swift. The questions put to their panels were about the film. She has been in the business long enough to know what SDCC is – and she appeared to be enjoying herself during the Kong panel.
Yeah, Comic Con is Tom’s turf. Ever since SDCC 2013 when he came out in full character as Loki and killed Hall H, 6000+ people, he has been the King of Con (KingCon – lol) when ever he attends. The excitement for him even over shadows bigger, A-list celebrities like Afleck, Henry Cavil, Jackman, Cumby etc. with the exception of RDJ.
The fanboys and girls know that he’s a pretty good, likeable guy and are Marvel/Loki fans anyway. But when an actor takes the trouble to get into costume and makeup (2+ hrs) and comes on stage in character and rocks the house as their favorite comic character, that’s truly a treat that doesn’t happen (successfully) all the time even at Comic Con.
So CC goers really appreciate, hell they love, those that have given them some great, beloved experiences, and they don’t forget. They don’t care who he’s dating; They care about his WORK, as Loki.
So at Comic Con it’s “Hale Tom!”, and he earned it.
Zackary Levi got divorced after 6 mos of marriage. Bet he could give TH an earful about rushing things!