Who owns King Kong IP?

King Kong is an American media franchise featuring the character King Kong. It was created by Merian C. Cooper. Owned by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

How did Universal lose the rights to King Kong?

RKO, Universal, and Cooper's son were all met with the decision that King Kong was in the public domain since his creator failed to renew the copyright on the 1933 film's novelization.

Is King Kong a Disney film?

King Kong is a 1993 American animated monster muscial adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. Based on Merian C. Cooper's original 1933 film of the same name, it is the fourth film of the Disney Renaissance Era and a 60^th anniversary commemoration of King Kong.

Does WB own Godzilla?

Warner Bros. currently holds the rights to the original 1933 King Kong and its sequel, and is the distributor and co-producer of Legendary Pictures' MonsterVerse franchise of Godzilla and King Kong films.

Can anyone make a King Kong movie?

This goes back to the Dino De Laurentiis days of King Kong in 1976, where the rules are that Universal owns the merchandising rights to King Kong, so technically anyone could make a King Kong movie, but if they wanted any sort of merch or publicity it needs to go through Universal, which would include shirts, toys, ...

No More Monkeying Around: The Legal History of King Kong

Is King Kong still public domain?

During the battles, Universal discovered that the copyright of the Lovelace novelization had expired without renewal, thus making the King Kong story a public domain one.

Who owns the rights to MonsterVerse?

The MonsterVerse is an American multimedia franchise and shared fictional universe featuring Godzilla, King Kong, and other monster characters owned and created by Toho Co., Ltd. The franchise is produced by Legendary Pictures and co-produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Who has Godzilla rights?

The American company UPA contracted with Toho to distribute its monster movies of the time, and UPA continues to hold the license today for the Godzilla films of the 1960s and 1970s. Sony currently holds some of those rights, as well as the rights to every Godzilla film produced from 1991 onward.

Is WB losing Godzilla?

Warner Bros losing company behind Dune & Godzilla vs Kong to rival studio. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. is reportedly losing Legendary Entertainment, who has developed the Dune movies as well as Godzilla and King Kong movies.

Is King Kong a part of Marvel?

A mini-story (called "Kong Joins the Circus") which was based on the King Kong from The King Kong Show was published in the one-shot comic America's Best TV Comics by Marvel Comics in 1967. In Japan, the cartoon version of King Kong appeared in a comic strip in issue No.

How tall is Godzilla?

Size. In Godzilla (2014), Godzilla is 355 feet (108 meters) tall. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), his height is increased to 394 feet (120 meters) tall.

Why can't Kong be called King Kong?

Throughout the MonsterVerse, Kong is never referred to as "King Kong," which might confuse some people. This discombobulation stems from a misconception about the creature's name and his "rank," which is something he shares with other kaiju.

Will Universal lose rights to Hulk?

While Disney and Marvel hold rights to develop movies starring The Hulk, Universal and Marvel reached an agreement in June 2008 to distribute “The Incredible Hulk.” The Security and Exchange Commission filing from 2008 allows Universal to hold Hulk movie rights for 15 years, which would expire June 2023.

Did Donkey Kong get sued?

was a 1983 legal case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's video game Donkey Kong was a trademark infringement of King Kong, the plot and characters of which Universal claimed as their own.

Will Universal lose the rights to Marvel?

The agreement is perpetual as long as Universal continues to pay Disney, who bought Marvel in 2009 for $4 billion.

Does Marvel have rights to Godzilla?

Marvel no longer has the licensing rights to use the Godzilla name due to the license elapsing, as it was licensed out to Dark Horse Comics, and later IDW Publishing. In the comics, Godzilla's spines never light up when unleashing his atomic breath, as in the original films.

Why Godzilla 1998 is not Godzilla?

" This incarnation of TriStar's Godzilla was named "Zilla". This decision was made because they also felt that Emmerich's film had taken the "God" out of "Godzilla" by portraying the character as a mere animal.

Does Godzilla have any allies?

Godzilla sometimes has allies, such as Rodan, Mothra and Anguirus, and offspring, such as Minilla and Godzilla Junior.

Is Godzilla still popular in Japan?

──Today, Godzilla is popular not only in Japan, but throughout the world. What, exactly, is the allure? Kaida: A big reason Godzilla has stayed popular for such a long time is most likely because the very first production, Godzilla (1954) was such high-quality entertainment.

Why is Godzilla not possible?

And according to him, a creature like Godzilla could never exist in real life for multiple reasons. First, he would be brain-dead long before he ever reached a city because his heart simply isn't large and powerful enough to pump blood to his head.

Who is Kong's father MonsterVerse?

Kong's Father was a gigantic prehistoric ape that was one of the last two surviving members of the Titanus Kong superspecies when the Iwi arrived on Skull Island.

What is the next MonsterVerse movie in 2023?

Toho, the company behind the creation of Godzilla, has announced a new film starring the King of Monsters set to release on November 3, 2023. The announcement was a part of Godzilla Day 2022, and the official Godzilla Twitter account shared a logo for the new movie. Takashi Yamazaki will direct the new Godzilla.