Peter Jackson: "I Wanted a Comic King Kong"  4/9/06

Director Peter Jackson almost made blockbuster remake King Kong a comedy - but studio bosses snubbed the idea and shelved the project.

The movie, which finally got made last year (05) after nine years gathering dust, was originally planned to be more farcical than frightening.

However, Jackson insists he's glad he was forced to re-work his ideas, because a funny giant ape movie may not have been so successful.

Jackson says, "Our 1996 draft was written as a very Hollywoody sort of tongue-in-cheek adventure story, full of gags and one-liners.

"In the end it probably turned out for the best."