Kong: Skull Island has attracted yet another batch of excellent actors to the drawing board with Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly and Tom Wilkinson in talks to join Legendary’s primordial monster flick. The film recently picked up Brie Larson and Straight Outta Compton star Corey Hawkins to join Tom Hiddleston, but still needs to fill the roles vacated by J.K. Simmons and Michael Keaton early last month.

While losing Simmons and Keaton to scheduling conflicts was certainly a blow, the production is rebounding fabulously, looking at Jackson to fill the role Simmons left behind. Just a shot in the dark -- I’m guessing there’s an attitude and vocality to that character. Per Deadline, Legendary has a small list of actors to replace Keaton, with Reilly holding down the top spot, but no official offer has gone out at this point.

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Jordan Vogt-Roberts is on board to direct the film from a script by John Gatins and Max Borenstein with an eye for a late 2015//early 2016 production start date. The project is still pretty mysterious at this point, but plans to "“fully immerse audiences in the mysterious and dangerous home of the iconic ape as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.” When Simmons was still attached to the project, he commented that the film takes place in 1971 Detroit, so seemingly we're in for something a little different from the traditional 1930s yarn.


If they can lock down a cast in time to start production by the end of the year, Universal Pictures plans to open Kong: Skull Island on March 10, 2017.