“Kong: Skull Island,” an origin story about cinema’s most famous ape, will offer a fresh take on a familiar tale, star Tom Hiddleston promised.

For one thing, the original King Kong film’s period setting has been scrapped.
“It’s not set in the ’30s,” said Hiddleston at Wednesday’s premiere of “Crimson Peak.” “There’s no movie director with a map. There’s no out-of-work actress down on her luck. All of that stuff is respected, we’re just trying to do something new with the myth because Kong is an icon of movies. I think he’s someone people want to see again.”

He is particularly impressed by director Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ (“Kings of Summer”) vision for the picture, saying he has “come up with the most incredible, deeply imaginative context for [King Kong] to exist in.”

“Kong: Skull Island” co-stars Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. It hits theaters in 2017. The hope is that this film will lead into a monster mashup, with a “Godzilla vs King Kong” movie due in 2020.