It says a lot about Peter Jackson - himself a trailblazing director with something of the look, physique and spirit of Orson Welles - that he's not only able to rationalise a seemingly odd choice but make it seem like the only appropriate decision. Watching him work also reveals a lot about him. With his long shorts, NHS-style specs and thick beard, he looks every bit the eccentric uncle, but make no mistake - this is a confident, incredibly well-organised man with a vision that's as assured as it is unshakeable. When Black and his co-stars Colin (son of Tom) Hanks and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) start shooting a short scene prior to the capture of Kong, there seems no reason why they won't soon be returning to their trailers. Two hours later, and with lunch imminent, the frazzled actors find themselves running over their lines for the umpteenth time. Peter Jackson, it appears, hasn't got what he wants, and he won't stop until he's satisfied.

This isn't to suggest that Jackson is some sort of old school directing ogre. While he certainly has a tough streak, his voice is seldom raised and his brow is rarely furrowed. And as the smile that often plays across his lips suggests, he likes a laugh. "I haven't thought about it," he chuckles when asked whether, like Cooper and Schoedsack before him, he plans to play one of the pilots who gun down Kong atop the Empire State Building. "Of course, we haven't filmed that sequence yet, but... hmmm, who knows." He thumbs his face fuzz with a stout thumb. "But then again, I would have to shave my beard off..."

Whatever the weight of expectation, Peter Jackson isn't feeling the pressure. Are the Gates Of Kong the doorway to further awards and riches? Standing before them with the man behind the monkey, it's hard to believe otherwise.

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