For shots of Kong holding Jessica Lange, the filmmakers built giant hydraulic gorilla arms. The hands were six feet across, and the arms weighed 1,650 lbs. (750 kg.) each. They weren't ready until shooting was well underway. When they were finally built, Dino De Laurentiis was invited to the set to witness a test. He walked into the studio, and a giant arm extended in his direction. Then the middle finger slowly uncurled and extended itself. De Laurentiis broke up. So did the arm; it was frozen, finger up, for a week.
Universal had originally planned to make a more faithful remake of King Kong (1933) to be titled "The Legend of King Kong", which was going to be a period piece, set in the 1930s. However, they backed out when this modern remake was announced. It would also have been released in Sensurround.
Rick Baker created and wore four ape suits. A special undersuit with silicone-filled muscles realistically depicted the appropriate musculature beneath the fur. The hands used animatronic extensions, controlled by operators off-set, to give Kong appropriately gorilla-like long limbs.
The 40-foot Kong was constructed with a 3.5-ton aluminum frame, covered with rubber and 1,012 lbs. (460 kg.) of Argentinian horse tails, sewn into place individually. Its insides were comprised of 3,100 feet of hydraulic hose, and 4,500 feet of electrical wiring. It was controlled by 20 operators, and cost a total of $1.7 million.
Carlo Rambaldi's mechanical King Kong is the largest mechanical creature ever created, towering a little over 40 feet.