Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, and Tom Wilkinson might visit Kong: Skull Island

By B.G. Henne | August 6, 2015 | 9:36pm

Aux Features Film

Michael Keaton and and J.K. Simmons both recently announced that they were no longer heading to Kong: Skull Island, possibly because they heard it was shooting on location at an actual skull island. Aside from depriving movie audiences of the delightful pairing of Keaton’s weirdness with Simmons’ signature jet-fuel rage, their departure left a giant-gorilla-sized hole in the cast list. Now, according to Deadline, Tom Wilkinson, John C. Reilly, and Samuel L. Jackson are in talks to round out the cast. Jackson, who is adept at summoning his own rage demon, is rumored to be eyeing the role vacated by Simmons, while Reilly is atop a list of dudes deemed weird enough to fill Keaton’s shoes. Tom Wilkinson’s role is unspecified.

Meanwhile, Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson are still on board to visit an island that is either made of skulls, shaped like a skull, or looks like a skull when approached by sea—so that they can go check out reports of an enormous silverback gorilla, because their characters make terrible decisions. Jordan Vogt-Roberts is also still directing, with a release date set for March 10, 2017.