A*P*E was conceived as a remarkably hurried attempt to ride the publicity surrounding Dino De Laurentiis’s expensive 1976 remake of King Kong. The South Korean-American production began in February 1976 under the blatantly opportunistic title The New King Kong, and even advertised itself that way in a teaser poster published in Boxoffice magazine. The resemblance was not limited to the marketing: the film featured a giant gorilla, an American actress, military intervention, urban destruction, and other story elements plainly derived from the King Kong formula. The production itself was made at astonishing speed—reportedly in only 14 days, with a total budget of approximately $23,000 and just $1,200 allotted to miniature buildings—making the attempt to exploit a major studio release especially conspicuous.
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AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1970s
RKO’s $1.5 Million Lawsuit Forced the Knockoff King Kong to Change Its Name
A*P*E / 1970s
A*P*E was conceived as a remarkably hurried attempt to ride the publicity surrounding Dino De Laurentiis’s expensive 1976 remake of King Kong. The South Korean-American production began in February 1976 under the blatantly opportunistic title The New King Kong, and even advertised itself that way in a teaser poster published in Boxoffice magazine. The resemblance was not limited to the marketing: the film featured a giant gorilla, an American actress, military intervention, urban destruction, and other story elements plainly derived from the King Kong formula. The production itself was made at astonishing speed—reportedly in only 14 days, with a total budget of approximately $23,000 and just $1,200 allotted to miniature buildings—making the attempt to exploit a major studio release especially conspicuous.
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