King Kong is an American media franchise featuring the character King Kong. It was created by Merian C. Cooper. Owned by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. (owners of the 1933 film) and now owned by Warner Bros. (owners of the 2017 film), Universal Pictures (owners of the 2005 film) with more recent films being licensed to Legendary Pictures (owners of the 2017 and 2021 films) for production with Warner Bros. Pictures handling distribution. Films featuring Kong over the years are currently owned by various studios, including Toho (for Godzilla vs. Kong and King Kong Escapes) Paramount Pictures (for King Kong), Universal Pictures (for King Kong), and Warner Bros. Pictures (for Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong) The film franchise consists of 12 films, 7 american films produced by RKO, Warner Bros., Legendary, Paramount Pictures, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and Universal Pictures, 2 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju films produced by Toho, and the 1st 3 direct-to-video animated films produced by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, BKN International and TF1 (for fanmade King Kong films). The first film King Kong (1933) was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack and released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1933 and became an classic of the genre. Toho was later inspired to make the original Godzilla (1954) after the commercial success of the 1952 re-release of King Kong (1933) and the success of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). The success of King Kong would go on to inspire other monster films worldwide. The popularity of the films has led to the franchise expanding to other media, such as King Kong television, music, literature and Godzilla video games. King Kong has been one of the most recognizable symbols in American pop culture worldwide and remains a well-known facet of Cinema of the U.S.American films. The character of King Kong has become one of the world's most famous movie icons, having inspired a number of sequels, remakes, spin-offs, imitators, parodies, cartoons, books, King Kong comic, video games, theme park rides, and a King Kong soundtrack (2013) stage play. His role in the different narratives varies, ranging from a rampaging monster to a tragic antihero. Following the release of the original film, a sequel was produced that same year with Son of Kong, featuring Little Kong. In the 1960s, Toho produced King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), pitting a larger Kong against Toho's own Godzilla, and King Kong