Ubisoft picks up King Kong game rights

French publisher Ubisoft has officially announced that it has acquired the rights to develop a game based on Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson's forthcoming remake of the classic giant ape movie King Kong.

The game is schedule for release in time for the launch of the film on December 14th next year, and is being worked on by Rayman creator Michel Ancel and his team - last seen developing the critically acclaimed Beyond Good & Evil.

Ancel will be working directly with Ubisoft's Montreal development team - responsible for Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia - on the project, with input from Jackson's production company, Wingnut Films.

"Through this creative association, Ubisoft shows its growing dedication to bringing intense emotions inspired by the movie industry to interactive games," according to Serge Hascoet, Ubisoft's executive director of worldwide content strategy. "In the King Kong game, players will be able to experience all the power, drama and emotion of the film thanks to the interactive possibilities provided by the game."