King Kong

Peter Jackson, Three-time Academy Award®-winner (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) directs a new version of the classic dramatic adventure King Kong. As he brings his sweeping cinematic vision to the big screen, Jackson tells the iconic story of the gigantic ape captured in the jungle and brought to civilization where he meets his tragic fate. 

The film stars some of Hollywood's most versatile and accomplished actors including Academy Award®-nominee Naomi Watts (21 Grams), Jack Black (School of Rock) and Academy Award®-winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist). James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense, Collateral) has composed a memorable original score which is at once epic, suspenseful and sweepingly romantic. The soundtrack will be released on Decca.

James Newton Howard studied Piano Performance at the USC School of Music and studied with Leon Fleischer and Reginald Stewart at Santa Barbara's Music Academy. Howard joined the band Mama Lion after graduation as the keyboard player which led to years of session work with the likes of Carly Simon, Diana Ross and Ringo Starr to name but a few.

In 1975 he joined Elton John's band and soon became one of the most in-demand musicians in the industry, collaborating as songwriter, producer, and/or arranger with Barbra Streisand, Earth Wind and Fire, Rod Stewart, Toto, Olivia Newton-John, Randy Newman, Cher and many others. In 1985 he turned his hand to film scoring and hasn’t stopped since.

He is now recognised as a leading figure in Hollywood's new film composing generation. His work has been acknowledged by multiple Oscar®, Emmy®, Golden Globe® and Grammy® nominations, as well as an Emmy® he won in 2001 for "Outstanding Main Title Theme Music" for the television show Gideon's Crossing.

Known for his robust orchestral scores laced with lush sounds, Howard’s compelling music for King Kong is a treasure destined to become another classic in his rich catalogue.

Tracks such as "A Fateful Meeting" and "Defeat Is Always Momentary" take the listener on an urgent voyage to an undiscovered land, while "It's Deserted" and "Beautiful" evoke the lyrical beauty of the landscape created by Jackson and inhabited by the films memorable characters.  Howard’s score compliments the feeling of suspense, love and compassion which the film so powerfully conveys.