"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy co-writer Philippa Boyens talked briefly to the Los Angeles Daily News about Universals' upcoming King Kong adaptation, to be directed by Peter Jackson and to star Naomi Watts.

She is again working with "LOTR" filmmaker Peter Jackson (they share "Return of the King" writing credits with Fran Walsh), penning his planned new version of "King Kong." The new "Kong" has "21 Grams" Oscar nominee Naomi Watts attached to star, and it's already set for an August production start.

"We're doing some work on it right now," says New Zealander Boyens, who adds that being back in the States - in L.A., to be exact - has helped her get into the American mind-set. "This is such an American story."

Stay tuned for lots more on the highly-anticipated project.

"The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson talked to the Chicago Sun-Times about why he would remake King Kong.

"I've loved 'King Kong' ever since I was a kid and it inspired me to make films. There's a generation of kids now who don't love old films with jerky special FX [effects] and the heightened acting styles of the '30s. That's why I wanted to do a new 'Kong,'" he says.

As for some insider know-how, Jackson says he will "approach 'Kong' in a very similar way to how I approached 'Lord of the Rings.' You take a property, whether it is an old film or a beloved old book, and you just simply have a vision for it in your mind. You can see the movie and get excited about it all over again."