Peter Jackson’s remake of “King Kong,” which opens next week, seems more or less assured to be an all-time box office smash. A matter of more suspense is what it may do for the careers of its stars, in particular its leading lady, Australian actress Naomi Watts, who could be catapulted into the stratospheric ranks of Hollywood’s leading ladies.

In the original 1933 film, King Kong whisked starlet Fay Wray to the top of the Empire State Building — and took the young actress’s career to new heights, too.

The role of Ann Darrow made Wray (who died last year) famous as a “scream queen.” So what’s to become of Ms. Watts?

More than a blonde in a blockbuster, she is well poised for a robust post-Kong career. Already she has many serious credits to her name; her work in smart, interesting films has required much more than beautiful screams — though she has delivered those, too.

In David Lynch’s dark thriller “Mulholland Drive,” Ms. Watts gave an intense performance as a bewildered amnesiac. She developed the haunted side of her abilities in “The Ring” and “The Ring 2.” Though her character in “Le Divorce” was straightforward (an American woman whose French husband is cheating on her), she played it with magnetic charm. More compelling was her affair with Mark Ruffalo in “We Don’t Live Here Anymore.”

After she starred in the original “King Kong,” Wray felt typecast; she retired from acting in 1942. She later returned to the big screen, but in much lesser roles. Ms. Watts can go beyond the damsel-in-distress role without upsetting her public. And she’s certainly expected to.