Last night, Warner Bros. debuteda new trailerfor the upcoming blockbusterKong: Skull Island, and it was a pretty sharp change in tone from the film’s teaser trailer. While audiences are certainly accustomed to dark and gritty blockbusters by now, and havePeter Jackson’s loving and classicalKing Kongremake still in their minds,Skull Islandputs a very different spin not just on theKing Kongstory but on the blockbuster genre in general. The film takes place in the 1970s, in the midst of the Vietnam War, and features a disparate group of people exploring Skull Island—fromSamuel L. Jackson’s military commander toBrie Larson’s photojournalist.
This new trailer is equal parts funny, strange, and scary, with directorJordan Vogt-Roberts—a newcomer to the studio system with only one Sundance indie under his belt (The Kings of Summer)—crafting an incredibly vibrant, diverse palette that’s not afraid to get showy.
It also might not surprise you to learn that Vogt-Roberts worked with cinematographerLarry Fongon this film, who also shotBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,300, andSuper 8. This seems like an excellent fit for Fong who honed his slow-motion skills working withZack Snyder, but who gets a chance to play around with color tones in a really interesting way withKong.
I’m not entirely sure if Vogt-Roberts’ vision forKong: Skull Islandwill pay off—it could be so diverse in tone that it fails to find its footing—but I’m certainly intrigued and excited by this most recent trailer. And in an effort to take a closer look at what we as audience members can expect, below we’ve included a bevy of screenshots from the trailer that allow us to soak in that sun-drenched aesthetic.
Check out the images below, and click for high-resolution. The film also starsTom Hiddleston,John Goodman,John C. Reilly,Tian Jing,Corey Hawkins,Jason Mitchell,John Ortiz,Thomas Mann,Shea Whigham,Toby Kebbell, andEugene Cordero.Kong: Skull Islandopens in theaters on July 19, 2025.
