Godzilla x Kong director reveals unexpected new inspiration

For the character of King Kong, Adam Wingard was inspired by a Michael Mann film.

The imminent release of Godzilla x Kong: The New Kingdom will tell us if this fifth opus of the Monsterverse will make as much noise as the previous one, or even as Godzilla: Minus One of Takashi Yamazaki, crowned with the prize for Best Visual Effects at the last Oscars ceremony. While waiting to discover the film, its director, Adam Wingardopens up on his creative process, and in particular on how he designed the character of King Kong which, like that of kaijuis based on an entire heritage:

“In the iconography around the character of King Kong, there is something that resonates with peoplehe tells the magazine SFX. It is a bit of a representation of our primary instincts and our vulnerabilities as humans. King Kong is truly the last male hero of cinema. We just don't make them like that anymore.”

Dantesque trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Kingdom

Wingard goes on to reveal that one of his inspirations for King Kong he found in Michael Mann. But then, what character of the director of Sixth Sense and of Heat inspired the character of titan? To find out, we have to go back through Mann's filmography to one of his first feature films: The solitary.

Released in 1981, this film follows Franck, a seasoned bandit, who signs on for one last shot. His dream ? Stop everything to start a family. And it's James Caan who plays the main role. At the time, the film was presented in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival.

But what is the connection between the gorilla of the SF saga and this thief character? Adam Wingard explains:

“In that perspective, one of my biggest influences is one of my favorite films, The solitary by Michael Mann. James Caan's performance is one of the best I've ever seen. In my opinion, it is the most masculine interpretation in the history of cinema. We see his chest, his hairy arms, and everything else. He's a real badass. He does not accept provocation from anyone. He's good at what he does, but in the end, what really defines him, what really makes him masculine, is this sensitivity that he also shows. He wants to have a child, and it’s his relationship with the woman that we really remember.”

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A nuanced description that the director applies to his character:

“King Kong is similar. He is masculine because he is also a sensitive guy. The whole film revolves around his solitude and his quest for others. We played with this aspect in the last opus, with his relationship with the little girl, Jia. What makes the macho character of King Kong so interesting is this sensitivity that he can demonstrate. There are lots of interesting things to explore around this character.”

This isn't the first surprising influence revealed by Adam Wingard. Last month, in an interview with Empire, he assured that the relationship between the two monsters was inspired by The lethal Weapon : “I think we've created a dysfunctional relationship dynamic in the vein of a buddy cop moviee. “My influences are always anchored in the 80s, and the 80s were privileged in this matter!”

Godzilla x Kong: The New Kingdom will be released in cinemas on April 3.