King Kong (1976) Climbs Blu-ray In May!

When Dino De Laurentiis remade King Kong, it was the sensation of 1976. You could pick up a magazine or walk past a wall without seeing the image of King Kong holding a smashed fighter jet while straddling the World Trade Center towers. Dino was going to one up the original by having his massive ape do more than just cling to the Empire State Building. The movie was a blockbuster and became a sensation when NBC broadcast it as a two-night event with 45 minutes of new footage included. Now <I>King Kong (1976) Collector’s Edition</i> comes out on Blu-ray in May with both versions of the tale of when an Ape went to Manhattan to make a name for himself. There’s plenty of bonus features to give a sense of how the movie dominated the culture during the Christmas of 1976 when the Bicentennial was winding down and Jimmy Carter was waiting to take the oath of office. Here’s the press release from Scream Factory:

Los Angeles, CA –On May 11, 2021, Scream Factory proudly presents King Kong (1976) on Blu-ray for the first time in North America. The sweeping 70s remake of the classic tale comes home in a 2-disc definitive collector’s edition set including both the theatrical cut with a new restored theatrical stereo track and an extended TV broadcast cut with a new 2k scan of the additional TV footage from the internegative. The release also comes packed with bonus features including new audio commentary with film historian Ray Morton (author of KING KONG – THE HISTORY OF A MOVIE ICON) and several new interviews with cast and crew. Fans who order from shoutfactory.com will also receive an exclusive poster featuring brand-new artwork, while supplies last.  The Petrox company’s search for new oil reserves on a strange island unleashes a terror unseen by civilized man—KING KONG! The timeless story of a “beauty” (Jessica Lange, making her feature-film debut) and a “beast” comes to the screen in this ambitious production from Dino De Laurentiis. Charles Grodin is the scheming oil company shark out to exploit the giant beast to his fullest. And Jeff Bridges is the desperate hero, Jack Prescott, who attempts to wrest the beautiful heroine from King Kong’s grasp. New York City trembles with each echoing footstep of the towering ape set loose in the streets!  Special Features: DISC 1: Theatrical Cut NEW Audio Commentary with film historian Ray Morton (author of KING KONG – THE HISTORY OF A MOVIE ICON) NEW Audio interview with special makeup effects wizard Rick Baker NEW Something’s Haywire – an interview with actor Jack O’Halloran NEW On the Top of the World – an interview with assistant director David McGiffert and production manager Brian Frankish NEW Maybe in their Wildest Dreams – an interview with sculptor Jack Varner NEW There’s A Fog Bank Out There – an interview with second unit director William Kronick NEW From Space to Apes – an interview with photographic effects assistant Barry Nolan NEW When the Monkey Dies, Everybody Cries – an interview with production assistants Jeffrey Chernov and Scott Thaler Audio: DTS-HD 5.1 and NEW restored theatrical DTS-HD 2.0 stereo track Theatrical Trailer TV Spots Radio Spots Still Galleries – posters, lobby cards, behind-the-scenes photos  DISC 2: Extended TV Broadcast Cut·         NEW 2K scan of the additional TV footage from the internegative·         KING KONG panel discussion from the Aero Theater (2016) About Shout! Factory Shout! Factory, LLC is a leading multi-platform media company devoted to film and TV distribution, development, and production, as well as the preservation and revitalization of the very best in pop-culture entertainment. Founded by Richard Foos, Bob Emmer, and Garson Foos in 2003, Shout! owns and manages a large portfolio of films, contemporary and classic TV series, animation, and documentaries. The company’s creative acquisition mandate has established it as a leading independent distributor, with partners and properties including GKIDS, Sesame Street, The Carol Burnett Show, The Johnny Carson Show, IFC Films, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, ITV Studios, Major League Baseball Productions, and many others. Shout! Factory Kids focuses on live-action and animated kids and family properties, and the company releases films and television shows in other genres under the Scream Factory and Shout Select imprints. Shout! develops, acquires and distributes new films via Shout! Studios, owns and operates libraries including Mystery Science Theater 3000 (in partnership with creator Joel Hodgson) and the Roger Corman New Horizon Pictures Library, and operates the acclaimed streaming service Shout! Factory TV. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.