One of New York's most famous visitors - he memorably climbed, and fell from, the Empire State Building in 1933 - returned to the city on Monday.

The world premiere of Peter Jackson's remake - starring Adrien Brody and Naomi Watts - prompted New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to declare Monday "King Kong Day".

Security around the giant ape was tight all day - but was Kong being guarded from the public, or the other way round?

Director Peter Jackson had complete creative control of the follow-up to his Lord of the Rings trilogy - he finished King Kong for a record $207m (�116m), $32m (�18m) over budget.

Naomi Watts plays the actress with whom King Kong becomes infatuated, previously played by Fay Wray in 1933 and Jessica Lange in a 1976 remake.

Jack Black appears alongside Watts as the movie producer aiming to exploit the discovery of the giant King Kong - the film's early reviews have been enthusiastic.