King Kong Movies: Release Order
King Kong first conquered cinema in 1933 with revolutionary stop-motion effects that changed filmmaking forever. Since then, the mighty ape has appeared in multiple timelines and interpretations, from Japanese monster battles to Hollywood remakes and the modern MonsterVerse.
This list presents all live-action theatrical King Kong films chronologically by release date. The franchise includes the original RKO classics, campy Toho monster films from Japan, the 1970s-80s Dino De Laurentiis productions, Peter Jackson's epic 2005 remake, and the MonsterVerse films where Kong battles alongside Godzilla. Note that several direct-to-video animated films and the questionable 1976 parody Queen Kong are excluded from our list.
There are 5 other watch orders available - see the links up above.

King Kong
Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.

The Son of Kong
Beleaguered adventurer Carl Denham returns to the island where he found King Kong.

King Kong vs. Godzilla
The advertising director of Pacific Pharmaceuticals, frustrated with the low ratings of their sponsored TV program, seeks a more sensationalist approach. He orders his staff to Faro Island to capture King Kong for exploitation. As Godzilla re-emerges, a media frenzy generates with Pacific looking to capitalize off of the ultimate battle.

King Kong Escapes
An adaptation of the Rankin/Bass cartoon, "The King Kong Show". King Kong is brought in by the evil Dr. Who to dig for Element X in a mine when the robot Mechani-Kong is unable to do the task. This leads to the machine and the real Kong engaging in a tremendous battle atop Tokyo Tower.

King Kong
An oil company expedition disturbs the peace of a giant ape and brings him back to New York to exploit him.

King Kong Lives
After falling from the Twin Towers, Kong lies in a coma for ten years. When his heart begins to fail, scientists engineer an artificial heart, and a giant female ape is captured to serve as a source for a blood transfusion. When Kong awakens following his heart transplant, he senses the nearby presence of the female ape and the two escape to wreak havoc together.

King Kong
In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with the leading lady.

Kong: Skull Island
Explore the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.

Godzilla vs. Kong
In a time when monsters walk the Earth, humanity’s fight for its future sets Godzilla and Kong on a collision course that will see the two most powerful forces of nature on the planet collide in a spectacular battle for the ages.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Following their explosive showdown, Godzilla and Kong must reunite against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.
Related Film Series
Other Film Series
DC Extended Universe
DC's shared cinematic universe spanning a decade of interconnected superhero stories from Man of Steel to Aquaman.
Highlander
An immortal Scottish warrior battles through the centuries in this cult fantasy franchise about sword-wielding Immortals who can only die by beheading.
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
An interconnected superhero film franchise that began with Iron Man in 2008 and spans multiple phases building toward epic crossover events.
Mortal Kombat
A martial arts fantasy franchise based on the popular video game series about interdimensional fighting tournaments.
Pacific Rim
A sci-fi action series about humanity's war against giant interdimensional monsters using massive humanoid mechs called Jaegers.
Superman
The cinematic adventures of the Man of Steel spanning multiple decades, actors, and universes from the classic Christopher Reeve era to the modern DCEU.