Background and Production Kong: Skull Island is set in 1973 and follows a team of scientists, soldiers, and adventurers who travel to an uncharted Pacific island and confront enormous creatures, foremost among them Kong. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Jing Tian, and John C. Reilly. It situates Kong within a shared “MonsterVerse” intended to include other giant-monster films (notably 2014’s Godzilla and later 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong). The movie’s high production values—practical sets, extensive location shoots (Vietnam, Hawaii, Australia), and heavy use of CGI—were designed to deliver blockbuster spectacle.