Kong: Skull Island - The Official Movie Novelization

MonsterVerse #1

by Tim Lebbon

In March 2017, the producers of Godzilla transport audiences to the birthplace of one of the most powerful monster myths of all in KONG: SKULL ISLAND, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures.
When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly star in a thrilling and original new adventure that reveals the untold story of how Kong became King.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Adventure, Fiction, Horror, Film, Action

375 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 14, 2017

About the author

I love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.

I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.

I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.

I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.

A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.

I'd love to hear from you!

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to see the movie!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, Its always interesting to read these move novelisations because they waver between interesting in their own right and interesting only in what they reveal about the movie's production itself. In some cases, they can add to the mythos and characters, but often lack polish because they're usually based on an earlier version of the script than the final movie was. Sometimes they even include extra bits here and there. Overall, this one is a mostly successful adaptation of the source material and will be of interest for those who looking for any new material for this newly-christened Monsterverse that Legendary is putting together, but is probably not of too much use for anyone else, who are better served seeing the movie proper. That said, there are some cool added bits with new monster encounters and slight changes to ones glimpsed in the film, and there is a much greater focus on the Weaver and Conrad characters than the film had time to present. Ultimately though, only check it out if your level of hype is through the roof. The writing and story changes waver mostly to the average with a few clear highlights (more Gunpei!). A solid read.

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this novel. The writing is superb, and the whole thing just flows so well.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, with plenty of action.

[the tony. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better movie novelizations I have read, maybe my favorite. It wasn’t a short book but it was a quick read. I enjoyed the survival aspect, the antagonists/protagonist and story line. Simple but effective. If you have found a decent a Predator or Alien book that you liked then you would like this book as well.

[Ursula Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast Paced, Action Packed Novelization of the Film

I've read several books by Tim Lennon, primarily in the Alien universe. His books are action packed and he knows how to tell a story. He handles the novelization of the film well and I'm glad he was chosen instead of Alan Dean Foster as his film novelization tend to be dull with no insight into the characters. This book is fast paced like the film, but I felt like I got a chance to know more about the characters. Whether you have seen the film or not, this is a great read.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kong: Skull Island by Tim Lebbon is a solid novelization that takes the bombastic energy of the movie and layers it with additional depth, making it a surprisingly engaging read. If you loved the 2017 film for its spectacle, monsters, and chaotic energy, the book does a great job of amplifying those aspects while adding some much-needed character development and extra monster moments.

The story follows a team of scientists, soldiers, and adventurers in the 1970s as they venture to Skull Island under the guise of a geological survey, only to discover a world of colossal dangers including Kong, the king of the island. The book sticks closely to the film’s plot but expands on the motivations, personalities, and backstories of the characters. This extra detail helps the ensemble cast feel more fleshed out, giving their deaths (and there are a lot of them) more emotional weight than in the movie. For example, Cole’s death is reworked to have a greater impact, and Conrad and Weaver’s dynamic gets a bit more romantic tension, which some readers might enjoy or roll their eyes at.

Lebbon also dives into the horror elements of Skull Island, ramping up the gore and making the monster battles even more visceral. Kong is awe-inspiring as always, but the novel gives him more emotional depth, showing his protective nature and his pain as the last of his kind. The Skullcrawlers are just as terrifying, but Lebbon adds new creatures to the mix, like a giant snake and a squid-like monster, which create fresh, high-stakes encounters for the characters. These additions aren’t strictly necessary to the story but are a treat for monster fans.

The writing is vivid and cinematic, capturing the chaos of the battles and the eerie beauty of the island. However, Lebbon’s prose can occasionally stumble, with moments where the descriptions feel a bit clunky or overly dramatic. The pacing mirrors the movie fast and action-packed but the added detail gives you a reason to slow down and savor the story. Some readers might find the level of gore off-putting, as it’s dialed up compared to the movie, but it fits the brutal tone of the island’s ecosystem.

One of the best things about the book is how it strengthens the world-building. Monarch’s early days as a kaiju-investigating agency feel more grounded, and the natives of Skull Island are given a bit more context, though some plot elements involving them (like the sacred object theft subplot) feel unnecessary. Overall, the book enriches the movie’s universe, making a rewatch of the film more rewarding.

Kong: Skull Island is a fun, blood-pumping read that adds depth to the film’s story while keeping the blockbuster thrills intact. Perfect for fans of giant monsters, high-stakes survival, and a bit of grisly action. Just don’t expect Shakespeare it’s all about the spectacle, and Lebbon delivers.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've seen the film, this novelisation isn't mind blowing or derivative. However if you've seen the film, enjoyed it, but wished you'd had longer in characters' heads to explore their motivations, then this book goes some way towards that goal. Insight into the backstories of Weaver and Conrad in particular are (unsurprisingly) a feature of the novelisation, and help to answer a few more niggling doubts I had about their characterisation during the film. Look, at the end of the day, the writing isn't amazing, but it's perfectly passable and readable and compelling, especially during the action scenes which can be hard to translate from a very visual medium to a page. Overall, though my experience of them is limited, I'd say it's a pretty solid novelisation, and worth a (quick) read if you enjoyed the film itself.

[William Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book, Kong skull island, Tim Lebbon tells the story is After the end of Vietnam war a team of experts are gathered by a government agency called Monarch, their assignment is simple to embark on a scientific expedition and map out a uncharted island, it would be a straightforward mission of discovery becomes a explosive war between both monster and man as they disturb Kong and awaken the titanic forces of nature. This book has some funny parts and others are dark, given that it points us back to the Vietnam War and how soldiers were secretly hired by the government to explore the new, mysterious island. Some scenes of the book have a sad tone as some characters (soldiers) die, so brace yourself!

[KEVIN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its usually the case that when a film is based on a book then the book is better than the movie. When a book is based on a film the movie is better. Well the Skull Island book doesn't buck that trend but it is a good read.

[CrossingJordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5

[Andrew Sydlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember having ever read a movie novelization before, but being a big kaiju fan who is excited about Legendary's Monsterverse, I wanted to read the novelizations of Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. These films admittedly don't do the best job of characterization, and the action is so quick that it can be hard to follow. I thought that reading the novelizations might give me a better sense of both, and this is definitely true with this entry.

The novel switches between the points of view of various characters: Randa, the Monarch scientist played by John Goodman in the film, desperate to prove the existence of the giant monsters he's speculated about but never seen; Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), the hardened Vietnam colonel who swears vengeance against Kong; Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), the Special Forces op who is an expert in tracking and rescue in inhospitable environments; Weaver (Brie Larson), the war photographer who develops a connection with Kong; and Mills (Jason Mitchell), one of Packard's soldiers, whose character I don't even remember from the movie. Each of them has their own relationship to the island and Kong, ranging from fascination to awe and respect to hatred and hostility. The book gives a better sense of their personalities and motivations than the film, though they're still fairly archetypal.

What I really appreciated about the book is the way it constructs the mysteriousness, magic, and dangerousness of the island. Kong isn't even necessarily the centerpiece as much as he is in the film, though certainly his role is prominent in creating that aura of wonder. And the Skull Crawlers felt so much more evil and threatening in the novel than the film. Their design is fine, but I was a little underwhelmed by them as opponents for Kong. However, in the novel, Lebbon does such a good job of describing their alien appearance and characters' horrified reactions to them, and I feel that upon rewatch of the film, it will allow me to see them in a new light. I suppose that's the highest complement I can pay to a book like this. It's light entertainment for sure, but satisfying enough for a fan of this stuff. Hoping the Godzilla novelizations are as good, though they are written by different authors. I'd rate this 3 & 1/2 out of 5, or 7/10.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read plenty of move tie-ins in my life. Most of them are pretty generic, a simple re-telling of the movie. The good ones will give you more insight into the protagonist's viewpoint. This book is one of the best movie tie-ins I have ever read. The story is a bit of a slow boiler. The first hundred pages or so deal with the setting up of the expedition to Skull Island and introduce a slew of characters to get to know. Lebbon handles this with aplomb, bringing life to each character and giving us plenty of information about each person's nature without overloading. Once the action starts Lebbon really hits overdrive. The initial encounter with Kong is vividly told, the writing adding extra zip to the action sequence. From that point on the story zips along at a frenetic pace. Everything is handled well and with great clarity. I don't think I have ever given a movie tie-in book a 5 star rating before, but this book is that good! This is my first Tim Lebbon book and I have just become a fan!

[TheGeeksAttic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kong Skull Island, a novelization review! The novelization was written by Tim Lebbon, the film was directed by Jordan Roberts.

SUMMARY: Bill Randel, an agent with Monarch, has reason to believe that an uncharted island in the Pacific is the key to proving his hollow earth theory. He also believes this Island is a hot-spot for incredible lifeforms to exist. Randel manages to persuade his military contact to gather a team of soldiers who just finished their fight in Vietnam, to assist in his exploration of Skull Island. A few other select individuals are brought on the team such as an British special forces guy and a photographer.

Once the team reaches the island, plans and lives quickly fall apart. Kong, a giant gorilla, tramples the uninvited guests in his territory. We follow the team, now on the run for their lives, desperately trying to reach the extraction zone.

CHARACTERS: I’d like to mention two characters. We do see them in the film quite a bit. However, we don’t actually get to know them due to the films poor character development. That’s where this book shines, the development of characters.

Bill Randel: In his youth, he was bullied and ridiculed for his wild and crazy theories. Even as an adult he’s looked at as a weirdo: the earth, hollow… it does sound crazy. Randel gets the opportunity to prove his theory as fact as he’s approved to go on the mission of a lifetime. Though he is thrilled in the results of his finds, he’s heart broken by all the lives lost on his mission.

James Conrad: Conrad was sought out for his impressive tracking/survivalist skills. He’s a former English special forces soldier who remains haunted by a failed mission from his past.. He likes to make a solid plan, not act on assumptions or make rash decisions. Conrad is definitely someone you’d want on your team.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed reading this novelization. It dove deep into characters and told a great story. In the film there’s a lot missing. The book fills in a lot of gaps and explores much more.
This book is better than the film. The only thing you can’t get in the book is the awesome visual effects. It’s too bad really, that the film didn’t go as deep into everything like the novelization.

I’ve heard that a film may be on the horizon, staring Kong and Godzilla! I haven’t read the novelization of Godzilla yet, but I’d like too. Most importantly, I hope the Kong/Godzilla story is as rich as this novelization.

Do I recommend you read Kong: Skull Island? Yes! Read this book before watching or rewatching the film.

[Ethan Nahté · Rating 5 out of 5]

The official novelization follows pretty close to the film, about 98% accurate, as if written based on the shooting script, or the last revision prior to the shooting script. I say this because many film novelizations obviously were written in the early stages of a greenlighted film and include many scenes and dialogue that never appear in the final film.

For those who have not seen the film and are familiar with the original, this is not the original story by Merian C. Cooper, who made the first film in 1933. King Kong featured Carl Denham and Anne Darrow as the main two characters in the original. This plays into the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong story related to the recently re-envisioned Monsterverse with the Godzilla films. The MUTO's (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) are ancient creatures existing since prehistoric times. They are being researched by a group called the Monarch organization believes in a "hollow earth" theory.

Despite the title, the book is also not related to the wonderfully illustrated story from Joe Devito and written by Devito and Joe Strickland entitled Kong: King of Skull Island.

Monarch hops a ride with a LandSat team at the end of the Vietnam War to go undercover to see if a MUTO exists on an island that is barely ever seen by satellites due to the continual storm system that hides Skull Island.

The pacing is great, the characters are pretty believable, and no one is trying to go out and be a super hero (despite three of the the actors in the film also portrayed Nick Fury, Captain Marvel, and Loki), although Col. Packard is a bit narrow-minded when it comes to Kong.

The story casts a light on the troubles humans bring wherever they go, and it makes the reader sympathize with Kong.

A must for any Kong or kaiju fan.

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Tim Lebbon brings us the novelization the film of Kong: Skull Island. Novelizations normally go off an early draft of the script and this one is no exception. As the story opens two pilots are dog fighting off the shore of an unknown island. Once they crash they continue to try and kill each other but one thing stops them and that is the sight of a giant gorilla looking down at the both of them. Thirty years later Rhonda, wants to go on an expedition to Skull Island knowing that the monsters that he had been talking about for years are real and this would prove his point. He convinces a senator that he had known since he was a kid to fund the voyage since NASA is also involved with a mapping expiation too. They piggy back on that but Rhonda also goes and gets a former British Captain to come along and be their guide. NASA brings in Weaver a photographer. But the last component is a group of helicopter pilots and their vessels to be their mussel. They don't really know what their getting into. Once they reach Skull Island it is said that a film crew had come to the same place in 1933 (the time of the original King Kong and it's Peter Jackson remake) and never left. As soon as they start dropping bombs to judge the land Kong appears and swats the helicopters like flies. I won't get into the rest of the story but this was a great novelization and makes me look forward to reading the novelization of Godzilla 2014. I highly recommend this book and film to all Kaiju and science fiction fans.

[Karen Kohoutek · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've been immersed in some Godzilla and Kong stuff, for obvious reasons, and I was delighted to see that the movie novelization genre is still around, despite the existence of DVDs, Blu-Ray, and streaming. When I was a kid, I loved movie novelizations, and decided to check a few of these out.

This was a pretty fun read. It's "Kong: Skull Island," a movie I love to death, and the screenplay is straightforwardly adapted. This is one of those times when you get a window into an earlier version of the story: there was a scene where Conrad fights a giant snake, and some menace by creatures in the river, that didn't make the cut. There was also some (completely unnecessary) light psychological motivation for both Conrad and Weaver that doesn't exist in the film. The biggest thing, though, was that almost none of Marlow's funny lines are here, although the conversational setups mostly are. After reading this, I found an interview with Jordan Vogt-Roberts, "Skull Island"'s director, confirming that John C. Reilly ad-libbed most of his dialogue. I did not realize that when watching it, but it's really obvious from the novelization how much Reilly personally added to the film.

If you, like me, are a fan of the new Monsterverse, so far these novelizations are an easy way to get more insight into the backstories and whatnot, and this one made for a pleasant weekend read.

[Abigael | A City Girl's Thoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kong: Skull Island may sound like a fun, action-packed, family film but Tim Lebbon weaves a deeper story of man's constant yearning to outdo and prove to each other who is worthy of respect. Bill Randa, a scientist who's looking to "make his mark," needs money to launch an investigation into giant creatures living on an uninhabited island formed by evolution that have never been seen by humans. His team, MONARCH, are interested in this type of research but need government funds and military personnel to launch an investigation.
" 'This is a satellite photo of an uncharted island in the South Pacific, east of Kiribati,' Randa said. "It has remained unexplored, and virtually unheard of, until now. Rumours of it persist through history...Spanish explorers called it Isla de Craneo. Skull Island. There are also writings referring to it as 'the island where God did not finish creation' ".
I haven't seen this movie but Lebbon gives us ample insight and detail into each character and their struggle to show the people they know how worthy they are. I'm glad Lebbon touches on the veterans' mental health, guiding us discreetly through their point of views and inner struggle to hold on to their sanity. I loved Conrad's and Weaver's insight, including Conrad's slow-burning attraction to Weaver. Their are six point of views but they all tied into the plot without confusion, so I didn't have to re-read certain parts to make sure I understood what's happening. Just like how book-to-movie/TV adaptions slightly differ, so does movie/TV-to-book adaptions.
Some other parts have been changed, but for me this was an entertaining end-of-summer read. My full review is up on my blog, if you want to check it out (link in bio)!

[Nicholas Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe a three and a half, rounded up to a four. When I first saw the movie, I was a bit disappointed in it--it felt like all bang with little emotional punch or interesting characters outside of Marlow in the end. Reading the book improves the movie experience (I rewatched the movie after finishing the novel)--the various characters who, in the movie, often feel hollow, are sketched in better and have deeper relationships and motivations. We also get additional action sequences and little tweaks here and there that sometimes improve the script, such as by excising some really lame jokes or improving Cole's sacrifice against the Skull Devil in the climactic fight. I enjoyed reading this book--it might be the best of the Monsterverse novelizations, though I really was impressed with the Godzilla King of the Monsters one as well--though the writing styles of each are quite different.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kong: Skull Island the film is an outrageously fun big budget monster movie. However, it's obvious from the editing that some potentially interesting material was omitted, particularly character backstory and motivations. I decided to read this book to see if there was more exposition.

The novelization is decently-written, and generally follows the movie closely. One of my favorite things about the movie is that Conrad and Weaver had a non-romantic relationship. The book, on the other hand, stresses their attraction. While there is more development of the characters' psychologies, it's pretty heavy-handed and repetitive.

I didn't expect a great book, and that's exactly what I got.

[mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy the movie, you’ll enjoy the book.

I don’t really read novelizations as I never really cared for their existence. But oh man, did this novel change that. I absolutely fell in love with the movie again when I rewatched it last week and wanted a more in depth look at the characters and their thoughts (especially Conrad & Weaver’s) and this book did not disappoint at all. With a few added moments and a deeper look at everyone’s thoughts — seriously made me love Mills even more than I did and made me wish we saw more of Marlow & Gunpei in the movie (I’d read a whole book just about them) — it was incredible. Definitely a favorite. I want to reread this again and again. So good.

[Christopher Dodds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book as it was full of back story for the main characters of Conrad, Weaver and Marlowe the crashed pilot who landed on the island at the beginning of the book as well as for some of the soldiers under Packard's command also the man himself and the supporting characters were well fleshed out also.
The story was told really well with some additional arcs not in the movie, what would I would of liked more of was it could of focused a bit more on Kong than the human element because in the final fight sequence between Kong and the Skull Devil it seemed to be more on Conrad and the others than the fight itself. But overall an enjoyable book.

[Michael Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like to read the novelization of a film that I enjoyed so this was gonna be read at some point. I've been a fan of Tim Lebbon for a while, mainly due to his work in the Aliens franchise, so that was also a plus. This book was a decent read and had plenty of action. There were very few, minor differences in the book as compared to the film, as well as a few added scenes. If you enjoyed the movie and you just want to delve deeper into the minds of the characters, then you should definitely check this book out.

[crtlion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and entertaining novelization of a movie I enjoyed much more than I expected. Oddly, a number of details were very different or even opposite from how they were presented in the movie. Not enough to change the plot significantly, but they definitely present different interpretations of small plot points (bottle of sacred spring water, who threw the lighter, etc). Decently written action sequences and additional character backstory on a few of the main characters, like you would expect from such an adaptation.

[Mark R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2

Tim Lebbon is a good author and "Kong: Skull Island" is a solid adaptation of a visually-oriented film that couldn't always have been easy to put in book form. If you're a fan of the movie and enjoy a novelization like I do, this is worth reading.

You'll get in the heads of each character a bit more, while sticking to the story you know from the movie. The action scenes are well-described and give the reader a clear picture of what's going on, as the military and scientific teams descend upon Kong's home, Skull Island, and meet the giant ape and other large, menacing creatures.

[Bill Melater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you'd expect from an action/thriller novel and much more. The amount of insight and depth of the characters, including Kong, is what pushes this book to a five star rating.

Like the King Kong stories before, "Kong: Skull Island" makes you despise the human meddling with nature. Kong is the embodiment of Nature. He is the protector, the gatekeeper, and provider but will kick your butt if you cross that line!

[Corbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adds much needed character back story that the movie lacks. The writing is very well done; some thought provoking prose. If you liked the movie then you’ll really enjoy the book. It’s much more exciting. You get to know the characters and understand their motivation. There are some great added scenes which are exciting. It’s a big improvement over the movie.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not great literature, and it's not supposed to be. It's fast-paced, gives us some context and backstory for the characters that only a book can offer, and it's a good advertisement for the film (the only Monsterverse movie I haven't seen yet, oddly enough). King Kong is one of my favorite movie monsters, and this book (and presumably this movie) certainly did him justice.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't seen the movie yet but, since the book is adapted from the movie, I assume the book stands up well. I felt the characters were a bit one-dimensional and there were too many beast fights which probably look amazing on film but are just repetitive in writing. Altogether I enjoyed the book and I now want to see the movie.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading movie novelizations because it’s interesting to me the additional context & scenes you get that you might not see in a movie. I did love the other hints to the larger King Kong movie-verse. I loved this movie for the characters & their dynamics, and it was really cool to see more of Weaver & Conrad, as well as more about Marlow and his time on the island.