LOS ANGELES —  Director Peter Jackson (search)'s first attempt to remake "King Kong" (search) featured an Empire State Building constructed out of cardboard and a Manhattan skyline painted on an old bedsheet.

It was an amateur effort, but Jackson was only 13 at the time. He has a bigger budget now, at 43.

Jackson, who directed "The Lord of the Rings" (search) trilogy, said remaking "King Kong" has been a lifelong obsession.

The $150 million remake now in production is a respectful tribute to the 1933 original.

Jackson approached Fay Wray, who played Ann in the first film, about making a cameo, but she died before it was possible.

"Obviously, there's a lot of criticism and apprehension about remaking any film, and it has the potential for pitfalls that are greater than 'The Lord of the Rings,'" he told the Los Angeles Times during a short break on the "King Kong" set. "But it's a dream come true. That's the reality of it."