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Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts Isn’t Happy HBO is Airing the Airplane Edit of ‘Kong: Skull Island’

And it turns out Vogt-Roberts isn't the only director who has had this issue with HBO.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts Calls Out HBO Airplane Edit of Kong: Skull Island
"Kong: Skull Island"

If you happen to catch “Kong: Skull Island” on HBO or stream it on HBO GO, you may notice something very distracting taking place: The aspect ratio changes to a letterbox format at various times throughout the movie. Sometimes the changes occur within edits in a single scene or set piece, resulting in a very unusual viewing experience. It turns out HBO is airing the airplane edit for “Kong: Skull Island” instead of the theatrical cut.

Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts took to Twitter to ask HBO why they were not airing or streaming the original edit of “Kong: Skull Island.” Filmmakers often have to provide an airplane edit of a movie so that their films can properly be shown on such small screens. Vogt-Roberts says he switched to a letterbox format for some shots on the airplane edit so that it could maintain the same scope and size as the original but on a smaller screen.

Peter Atencio, the director of the Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key-starring comedy “Keanu,” responded to Vogt-Roberts and revealed he faced a similar issue with HBO on his movie, one that has never been corrected. “HBO refuses to play anamorphic movies in the correct ratio unless they’re contractually obligated to,” he said. “Completely ridiculous that they don’t do it when even tv commercials are letterboxed these days.”

Both “Kong: Skull Island” and “Keanu” are available to stream on HBO GO and HBO Now.

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