Geoff Murphy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geoff Murphy ONZM
Murphy in 2013
Born	Geoffrey Peter Murphy (1938-10-12)12 October 1938 Wellington, New Zealand
Died	3 December 2018(2018-12-03) (aged 80) Wellington, New Zealand
Occupation	Film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active	1977–2018
Spouse(s)	Merata Mita

Geoffrey Peter Murphy (born October 12, 1938 – died December 3, 2018) was a famous filmmaker from New Zealand. He was a director, producer, and writer for movies.

Geoff Murphy was best known for his work during a special time for movies in New Zealand. This time, called a "renaissance," started in the late 1970s. His second big movie, Goodbye Pork Pie (1981), was the first New Zealand film to become very popular in its home country.

Later, Murphy directed several movies in Hollywood during the 1990s. He then came back to New Zealand. He worked as a second-unit director for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Besides filmmaking, Geoff Murphy was also a scriptwriter, special effects expert, schoolteacher, and trumpet player. He was married to Merata Mita, who was also a film director, actor, and writer.

Geoff Murphy's Early Life

Geoff Murphy grew up in a place called Highbury in Wellington, New Zealand. He went to St. Vincent de Paul School in Kelburn. After that, he attended St. Patrick's College, Wellington. Before becoming a filmmaker, he trained and worked as a schoolteacher.

What Was Blerta?

Geoff Murphy helped start a group called Blerta. This was a unique group of artists, musicians, and actors. In the early 1970s, Blerta traveled around New Zealand and Australia. They put on multi-media shows that combined music, theater, and visuals.

Later, Blerta even got to make their own TV series. This led to what many consider Murphy's first feature film, a 75-minute movie called Wild Man. Many people from Blerta worked on Geoff Murphy's movies. This included Bruno Lawrence, who was a drummer and a founder of Blerta. Bruno Lawrence starred in Murphy's films Utu and The Quiet Earth.

Geoff Murphy's First Big Movies

Geoff Murphy became well-known for his road trip movie Goodbye Pork Pie (1981). This film was a huge hit in New Zealand. It was the first New Zealand movie to attract a very large audience in its own country.

Goodbye Pork Pie was made with a small budget. The story followed three people traveling from the top of New Zealand's North Island to the bottom of the South Island. They became famous (or infamous) along their journey. Murphy directed the film and produced it with Nigel Hutchinson. After that, Murphy directed Utu (1983), a Western-style film about the Māori people. He also directed The Quiet Earth (1985), which was a science fiction movie about the last person on Earth.

Working in Hollywood

By the 1990s, Geoff Murphy started working outside New Zealand for about ten years. Most of this time was spent in the United States, working in Hollywood. During this period, he directed several big movies.

Some of his Hollywood films include Young Guns II and Freejack. Freejack starred famous actors like Emilio Estevez and musician Mick Jagger. He also directed Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, which was a sequel starring Steven Seagal. Under Siege 2 was his most successful film worldwide, earning over $100 million.

Returning to New Zealand Filmmaking

After his time in Hollywood, Geoff Murphy returned to New Zealand. He worked with famous director Peter Jackson on The Lord of the Rings movies. He was a second-unit director, helping to film many scenes.

Murphy also made a documentary film called Blerta Revisited. This film looked back at the history of the Blerta group. He also directed a thriller movie called Spooked, which starred Cliff Curtis. In the late 2000s, he directed a New Zealand TV comedy series called Welcome to Paradise. He also helped with a new, improved DVD release of Goodbye Pork Pie. He was also a second-unit director for the movie XXX: State of the Union.

In 2013, Geoff Murphy received a special honor. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards. In the same year, a restored and re-edited version of his film Utu was released. It was called Utu Redux.

In 2014, Murphy was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This award recognized his great contributions to film. In the same year, he received an honorary doctorate from Massey University. Geoff Murphy passed away on December 3, 2018.

Geoff Murphy's Filmography

Here is a list of movies and TV shows Geoff Murphy worked on:

• 1974 Uenuku (TV, 37min)
• 1977 Wild Man (75min)
• 1977 Dagg Day Afternoon (30min)
• 1981 Goodbye Pork Pie
• 1983 Utu
• 1985 The Quiet Earth
• 1988 Never Say Die
• 1989 Red King, White Knight
• 1990 Young Guns II
• 1992 Freejack
• 1993 Blind Side (HBO)
• 1994 The Last Outlaw
• 1995 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
• 1996 Don't Look Back
• 1997 The Magnificent Seven – TV pilot
• 1997 Dante's Peak – 2nd Unit Director
• 1999 Fortress 2
• 2000 Race Against Time
• 2001 Blerta Revisited (documentary)
• 2001 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – 2nd Unit Director
• 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2nd Unit Director
• 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2nd Unit Director
• 2004 Spooked
• 2005 XXX: State of the Union – 2nd Unit Director
• 2009 Tales of Mystery and Imagination

See also

In Spanish: Geoff Murphy para niños