Kong Fever Grips New York

A 20-foot model gorilla dominated Times Square in New York last night as Hollywood's finest turned out for the world premiere of King Kong.

Director Peter Jackson was joined by stars from his record-breaking 116m blockbuster, including Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis and Jamie Bell. And Jackson revealed that it wasn't the first time he'd tried to make the movie. "I actually tried to make it when I was 12," he told reporters. "I got my parents' home movie camera and tried to shoot some footage. That didn't work out, but here we are in 2005. We finally made it!"

The red carpet was graced by a host of film luminaries, including Will Ferrell, George Lucas, Lindsay Lohan, Glenn Close and Tim Robbins. Donald Trump and John McEnroe also braved the New York winter to check out what producers are hoping will be the biggest grossing movie of the year.

King Kong runs at just over three hours and opens in the UK on December 15.

JH