Naomi Watts Going Ape

Canada

Naomi Watts Going Ape

Fri., Dec. 5, 2003 11:15 AM PST by Josh Grossberg

Forget about ex-beau Heath Ledger. This Aussie actress has eyes for a 25-foot gorilla.

Naomi Watts is Peter Jackson's top choice to channel Fay Wray in the director's highly anticipated remake of King Kong.

According to Wellington, New Zealand's Dominion Post, Watts flew to London in October and met with The Lord of the Rings ringleader to discuss playing Ann Darrow, i.e., the alluring blonde starlet who attracts the love of a great ape.

"It's looking okay," Jackson told the paper. "She got really excited and it was great. Naomi's the only person that we've really approached because she's becoming so eagerly sought after by everybody."

During the meeting, Jackson showed Watts sketches and designs regarding his vision for Kong, purportedly a period piece set in the 1930s.

Like the 1933 original, Jackson's redo will follow a group of intrepid explorers accompanied by a documentary film crew on a journey to a remote island to investigate the legend of a gigantic gorilla named Kong. The super-simian turns out to be alive and well and horny for Darrow, who is used as bait to subdue the monkey. Arriving back in the Big Apple, Kong breaks free of his shackles, grabs Darrow and shows her a good night (literally) on the town.

Terms of the offer have not been disclosed. Calls to Watts' publicist were not returned.

Following her breakthrough role in David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, Watts has quickly ascended the A-list and has become one of the Industry's most sought-after leading ladies. In the past year, she scored her first major box office with The Ring, costarred in the Merchant-Ivory ensemble Le Divorce and received critical accolades for her performance opposite Sean Penn in 21 Grams, which has garnered talk of her first Oscar nomination.

Aside from Kong, Watts has a busy slate ahead of her. Already in the pipeline are a reunion with Penn for The Assassination of Richard Nixon, a starring role in David O. Russell's comedy I Hate Huckabee's, the drama Stay with Ewan McGregor and a sequel to The Ring.

Jackson's final Lord of the Rings installment, The Return of the King, hits theaters December 17. Thanks to his Rings success, Jackson commanded a whopping $20 million paycheck to helm the monster remake, the richest upfront directing deal ever.

The filmmaker will reteam with wife and longtime writing and producing partner Fran Walsh and their LOTR collaborator Philippa Boyens for Kong, which is already in preproduction. The trio will share 20 percent of the film's gross once it recoups its initial production costs.

Jackson is scheduled to start shooting King Kong next August in his native New Zealand. The would-be blockbuster is scheduled to hit theaters by Christmas 2005.