Peter Jackson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Peter Jackson ONZ KNZM
Jackson at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Peter Robert Jackson (1961-10-31) 31 October 1961 (age 63) Wellington, New Zealand
Occupation	Director producer writer
Years active	1976–present
Partner(s)	Fran Walsh (1987–present)
Children	2

Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a famous filmmaker from New Zealand. He is best known for directing, writing, and producing the exciting Lord of the Rings movies (2001–2003) and Hobbit movies (2012–2014). Both trilogies are based on the amazing books by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Peter Jackson has also made other well-known films. These include the drama Heavenly Creatures (1994), the horror comedy The Frighteners (1996), and the epic monster movie King Kong (2005). He also directed the powerful World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) and the music documentary The Beatles: Get Back (2021). Peter Jackson is one of the highest-earning film directors ever. His movies have made over $6.5 billion around the world.

Jackson started his career with fun horror comedies like Bad Taste (1987) and Meet the Feebles (1989). He then made the zombie comedy Braindead (1992). He became widely known in the film industry after being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Heavenly Creatures. He shared this nomination with his partner, Fran Walsh.

Peter Jackson has won many awards for his work. He received three Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). These awards included Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. He has also won three BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Saturn Awards.

His film company is called WingNut Films. He often works with co-writers and producers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. In 2002, Jackson was honored as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He was later made a Knight in 2010 by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand. In December 2014, Peter Jackson received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Film Dreams

Peter Jackson was born on October 31, 1961, in Wellington, New Zealand. He grew up in a place called Pukerua Bay. His parents, Joan and William "Bill" Jackson, were immigrants from England.

As a child, Peter loved movies. He especially enjoyed films by Ray Harryhausen, who was famous for special effects. He also found inspiration in TV shows like Thunderbirds and Monty Python's Flying Circus. When a family friend gave them a Super 8 camera, Peter started making short films with his friends.

Jackson always said King Kong was his favorite movie. When he was about nine, he tried to remake it using his own stop-motion models. He also made a World War II movie called The Dwarf Patrol. Another film he made was a James Bond spoof called Coldfinger. A 20-minute short film called The Valley even won him a special prize.

Peter went to Kāpiti College. He wasn't interested in sports but was known for always wearing a duffel coat. He didn't go to film school. Instead, he learned about editing, special effects, and makeup by trying things out himself. As a teenager, he discovered the books of J. R. R. Tolkien after watching an animated Lord of the Rings movie.

When he was 16, Jackson left school. He started working full-time as a photo-engraver for a newspaper in Wellington. He lived at home for seven years to save money for film equipment. After two years of work, he bought a 16 mm camera. This camera helped him start filming what would become Bad Taste.

What Inspired Peter Jackson

Jackson has often talked about the films that influenced him. His love for King Kong is well-known. He says it was the movie that inspired him early in his life. He even tried to remake it when he was nine years old.

At a Comic-Con event in 2009, Jackson mentioned that certain films gave him a "kick." He spoke about Martin Scorsese's crime films Goodfellas and Casino. He admired how Scorsese "fearlessly rockets his camera around." Jackson also said the 1970 film Waterloo inspired him when he was young. Other filmmakers and artists who influenced him include George A. Romero, Steven Spielberg, Sam Raimi, and special effects artist Ray Harryhausen.

Peter Jackson's Film Career

Early Horror Comedies

Jackson's first full-length movie was Bad Taste. This comedy took years to make. Many of his friends acted and worked on it for free. They usually filmed on weekends because Jackson worked full-time. Bad Taste is about aliens who come to Earth to turn humans into food. Jackson played two characters in the film, even fighting himself in one scene. The film was finished with help from the New Zealand Film Commission. Bad Taste was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987.

Around this time, Jackson started writing many film scripts. He worked with Stephen Sinclair, Fran Walsh, and Danny Mulheron. Fran Walsh later became his life partner. Some scripts from this time, like a sequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street, were never made. The zombie film Braindead was rewritten many times.

Jackson's next film was Meet the Feebles (1989). He co-wrote it with Sinclair, Walsh, and Mulheron. It started with a very small budget and went over schedule. Jackson described it as having "very black, very satirical, very savage" humor.

Heavenly Creatures and Forgotten Silver

In 1994, Jackson released Heavenly Creatures. This film was a big change in his style and tone. It was based on a real-life murder case from the 1950s. Two teenage girls murdered one of their mothers. Fran Walsh convinced Jackson that this story would make a good movie. Jackson said the film "only got made" because of her excitement for the topic. The film became famous, and the real-life Juliet Hulme was found to be writing books under the name Anne Perry. Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet played the two girls. Heavenly Creatures was highly praised. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. It also made it onto many "top ten" lists for the year.

The next year, Jackson co-directed Forgotten Silver (1995) with Costa Botes. This was a mockumentary, which is a fake documentary. It told the story of a made-up New Zealand film pioneer named Colin McKenzie. He supposedly invented color film and "talkies" (movies with sound). Many viewers believed the story, even though it became more and more unbelievable. This showed how good Jackson and Botes were at playing on New Zealand's idea of being a nation of forgotten innovators.

Hollywood, Weta, and Film Challenges

The success of Heavenly Creatures helped Jackson make his first big Hollywood film, The Frighteners, in 1996. It starred Michael J. Fox. Jackson was allowed to film this comedy/horror movie entirely in New Zealand, even though it was set in North America. This time was important for Jackson and Weta Workshop. Weta is a special effects company that grew quickly during this period. It started doing digital and physical effects, makeup, and costumes.

The Frighteners did not do well at the box office. Film critic Roger Ebert said it looked "more like a demo reel than a movie." In 1997, Jackson tried to sue a magazine for saying his film was "built from the rubble of other people's movies." The case was not continued. Around this time, Universal Studios stopped Jackson's plan to remake King Kong. This was partly because other giant monster movies, Mighty Joe Young and Godzilla, were already being made.

This period was not easy for Jackson. There was also tension between him and the New Zealand Film Commission. Jackson claimed the Commission thought about firing him from Meet the Feebles. However, the Commission later helped fund his next three films. In 1997, Jackson wrote a long criticism of the Commission. He said their decisions were inconsistent and made by inexperienced people. A shorter version of his criticism was published in Metro magazine.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Peter Jackson at the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on 1 December 2003 at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington.

Jackson got the rights to film Tolkien's epic story in 1997. He first worked with Miramax Films to make two movies. But he was later pressured to make it into one film. Finally, he made a deal with New Line Cinema, which wanted a trilogy.

Filming for the trilogy lasted from October 11, 1999, to December 22, 2000. They filmed in many beautiful locations across New Zealand. With extra time for special effects and more filming before each movie's release, the series became a huge success. Jackson's popularity soared.

The Return of the King received amazing reviews. It won all eleven Academy Awards it was nominated for. These included Best Picture and Best Director. It was the first fantasy film to win Best Picture. Jackson's mother, Joan, passed away three days before the first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, was released. There was a special showing of the film after her funeral.

King Kong Remake

Universal Studios hired Jackson again to remake the 1933 classic King Kong. The film was released on December 14, 2005. It received great reviews and made about US$562 million worldwide. Jackson also worked with game designer Michel Ancel to create a video game based on the film. The game was released on November 21, 2005, and was also very successful.

Crossing the Line Short Film

In 2007, Jackson directed a short film called Crossing the Line. He made it to test a new digital cinema camera. The film is set during World War I and was shot in just two days. "Crossing the Line" was shown at a big industry event called NAB 2007.

The Lovely Bones Drama

Jackson finished a movie based on Alice Sebold's popular book, The Lovely Bones. It was released in the United States on December 11, 2009. Jackson said this film was a nice break from his bigger, epic movies. The story has fantasy elements and themes of murder, similar to Heavenly Creatures. The film received mixed reviews and did not make a lot of money at the box office. However, Stanley Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role.

Tintin Adventures

Jackson at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con

Jackson was one of three producers for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. This animated film was directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2011. Before he started working on The Hobbit, Jackson helped Spielberg direct the film. Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis were chosen for roles because they had worked with Peter Jackson on King Kong and The Lord of the Rings. Spielberg chose to work with Jackson because of his work on the Lord of the Rings series. He knew Jackson's company Weta Digital could make his vision come true. The film received good reviews and made $374 million.

In December 2011, Spielberg said a sequel was planned. This time, Spielberg would produce, and Jackson would direct. The script was expected to be ready by early 2012, with filming in summer 2012. The movie was aimed for release by Christmas 2014 or mid-2015. In February 2012, Spielberg confirmed a story outline for the sequel was done. In December 2012, Jackson said they planned to film in 2013 for a 2015 release. In March 2013, Spielberg said they hoped the film would come out around Christmas 2015. He added that they were combining two books that the original author, Herge, always intended to be combined.

In December 2014, Peter Jackson said the Tintin sequel would be made "at some point soon." However, he planned to direct two New Zealand films first. The next year, the screenwriter for the sequel, Anthony Horowitz, said he was no longer working on it. He wasn't sure if it was still being made. In June 2016, Spielberg confirmed the sequel was still in development.

The Hobbit Trilogy

Jackson's involvement in making a film version of The Hobbit had a long and complicated history. In November 2006, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh said Jackson would not direct the film. This was due to a legal dispute between his company, Wingnut Films, and New Line Cinema. New Line Cinema's head, Robert Shaye, even said Jackson "will never make any movie with New Line Cinema again." This led to calls for people to boycott New Line Cinema. By August 2007, Shaye was trying to fix their working relationship.

On December 18, 2007, it was announced that Jackson and New Line Cinema had agreed to make two prequel films based on The Hobbit. They would be released in 2012 and 2013. Jackson would be a writer and executive producer, with Guillermo del Toro directing.

In early 2010, del Toro left the project because of delays. A month later, Jackson was talking about directing The Hobbit again. On October 15, he was confirmed as the director. New Zealand was confirmed as the filming location a few weeks later.

Filming began on March 20, 2011. On July 30, 2012, Jackson announced that the two planned Hobbit movies would become a trilogy. He wrote that the third film would not just connect The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies. It would also expand the Hobbit story using extra material from the Lord of the Rings Appendices.

Documentaries and Beatles Projects

On October 16, 2018, Jackson's documentary about the First World War, They Shall Not Grow Old, premiered. The film was made using original footage from the Imperial War Museums' archives. Much of it had never been seen before. It also included interviews with soldiers who fought in the war. Most of the footage was colorized, converted to 3D, and improved with modern techniques. This showed details never seen before.

Before the screening, Jackson said the film was not a historical story. He said it was about the memories of the men who fought. He wanted to show their impressions of what it was like to be a soldier.

A critic from The Guardian praised the film. He said Jackson created a "visually staggering thought experiment." He said the film showed what it was like for ordinary British soldiers on the western front. The critic noted that the soldiers were brought back to life "like ghosts."

The film was shown on BBC Two on November 11, 2018. This was the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. It was praised for its restoration work and how it showed the war. A special TV episode about Peter Jackson making the film aired the next day.

In October 2016, Jackson announced that a film adaptation of the novel Mortal Engines would be his next project as producer and co-writer. He worked with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens again. The film was directed by his long-time collaborator Christian Rivers. It premiered on November 27, 2018, in London. It received negative reviews and did not do well at the box office.

On January 30, 2019, Jackson announced his next directing project. It would be a documentary about the making of the Beatles' final album, Let It Be. This date was the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' last performance, their rooftop concert. Similar to They Shall Not Grow Old, this project used "55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio." These were the only recordings of the Beatles working in the studio. The documentary used special techniques to improve the footage. It aimed to show a new side of a time often remembered as difficult for the band. Most of the footage was originally recorded for the 1970 Let It Be documentary.

The project had the full support of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two living Beatles. It also had the support of John Lennon and George Harrison's widows, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. The film includes the full 42-minute last rooftop concert.

In March 2020, Walt Disney Studios announced they had bought the rights to Jackson's documentary. It was now called The Beatles: Get Back. It was released on Disney+ as a three-part series on November 25, 26, and 27, 2021. The documentary received great reviews. It won five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Documentary Series and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program for Jackson.

The special "de-mixing" technology used in Get Back helped improve the sound quality of old audio. This technology was later used for Beatles records. Revolver: Special Edition, a 2022 reissue of the band's 1966 album Revolver, used this technology. A critic from The Guardian said the new version sounded "vibrant." This technology also led to the release of "Now and Then" on November 2, 2023. This was called "the last Beatles song." It used the technology to improve an old demo by Lennon and combine it with new music by McCartney and Starr. "Now and Then" was widely praised and won a Grammy Award.

Jackson personally directed the "Now and Then" music video. He used new footage of McCartney and Starr and restored old footage to show all four Beatles. He said he was "very reluctant" at first to direct the video. But McCartney, Starr, and Apple quickly sent him footage. He made the video thinking of it as a short film. The video received mixed reactions. People praised its emotional impact but had some concerns about including the deceased Harrison and Lennon in more recent footage.

New Lord of the Rings Movies

In May 2024, it was confirmed that Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens would produce a new Lord of the Rings film. Its working title is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The film is planned for release in 2027. Andy Serkis will direct it. This film is the first in a new series of Lord of the Rings live-action movies. In February 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery signed a deal to produce new Lord of the Rings films. In May 2024, it was reported that Wellington, New Zealand, would be the main place for making these new films.

Other Activities and Interests

Games

In 2006, Jackson announced a partnership with Microsoft Game Studios to make games. He and Microsoft formed a new studio called Wingnut Interactive. They planned to work with Bungie to create a new game in the Halo universe called Halo: Chronicles. However, in July 2009, Jackson announced that Halo: Chronicles was canceled. Microsoft confirmed the game was "on hold." As of August 2023, Wingnut Interactive has not released any games.

Helping Others

In 2006, Jackson gave NZ$500,000 to embryonic stem cell research. He also bought a church in Wellington for over $1 million, saving it from being torn down. He helps with 48HOURS, a New Zealand filmmaking competition, by choosing special "Wildcards" for the final round each year.

Jackson loves World War I aviation. He is the chairman of the 14–18 Aviation Heritage Trust. He helped create a 10-minute display called Over the Front for the Australian War Memorial in 2008. He also supported the defense fund for the West Memphis Three. In 2011, Jackson and Walsh bought the building for BATS Theatre in Wellington, helping to secure its future.

In 2012, Jackson supported the American Red Cross "Zombie Blood Drive." He joined other famous people and the cast of The Walking Dead to encourage blood donations.

Other Businesses and Hobbies

In 2009, Peter Jackson bought a Gulfstream G550 jet. He is one of the richest people in the entertainment industry, with an estimated net worth of over $1.5 billion. In early 2014, he replaced his jet with a newer Gulfstream G650. In April 2014, this aircraft was used in the search for MH370. The jet has since been sold.

Jackson owns a company called The Vintage Aviator. This company restores and builds World War I and World War II fighter planes. It is based in Wellington and Masterton. He is also the chairman of the Omaka Aviation Heritage Trust, which hosts an air show every two years.

He also owned a scale modelling company called Wingnut Wings. It specialized in World War I models. Wingnut Wings closed in March 2020, and its future is unknown.

In 2021, Jackson became a billionaire by selling his special effects company, WETA, to Unity Technologies. This company works with interactive 3D gaming. Peter Jackson also invested in Colossal Biosciences. This science company aims to bring back extinct animals, like the Woolly Mammoth.

Peter Jackson's Directing Style

Jackson is known for paying close attention to details. He often shoots scenes from many different angles. He also has a dark sense of humor and a playful side. One designer joked that the film itself was "kind of incidental."

Jackson was a perfectionist when filming Lord of the Rings. He asked for many takes of scenes, often saying, "one more for luck." He is also known for his "coverage," meaning he films a scene from as many angles as possible. This gives him more choices when editing. Jackson has sometimes spent days filming just one scene. This can be seen in his movies, where even simple conversations have many camera angles and close-ups. One of his common visual styles is using wide-angle lenses for close-ups of actors. He was also one of the first to use computer technology for digital special effects in Hollywood films.

Cameo Appearances

Peter Jackson often appears in his own films, usually in small, quick roles called cameos. This is similar to how director Alfred Hitchcock used to do it.

• In Bad Taste, he plays two characters, Derek and Robert, and even has them fight each other.
• In the mockumentary Forgotten Silver, he plays himself.
• In Meet the Feebles, Jackson appears as an audience member wearing an alien mask from Bad Taste.
• In Braindead, he is the mortician's assistant.
• In Heavenly Creatures, he is a tramp kissed by Juliet Hulme.
• In The Frighteners, Jackson is a biker bumped into by the main character.
• In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Jackson plays a carrot-eating citizen of Bree.
• In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, he plays a spear-throwing defender at Helm's Deep.
• In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, he is a boatswain on a pirate ship. He is briefly seen in the movie and is accidentally killed by Legolas in the extended version. An action figure of this character was even made!
• Also in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: during the scene in Shelob's Lair, Sam's hands (which are actually Jackson's hands) are seen wrapping Frodo in cobweb. This happened because the actor, Sean Astin, was temporarily away.
• In his 2005 King Kong, he appears as a gunner in a biplane attacking Kong in New York City. This was a nod to the original 1933 King Kong filmmaker, Merian C. Cooper, who also had a cameo.
• In The Lovely Bones, he appears as a customer in a camera store.
• In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Jackson plays one of the dwarves escaping from Erebor.
• In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, he plays the carrot-eating citizen of Bree again.
• At the end of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Jackson and Fran Walsh have cameos as portraits of Bilbo's parents, Bungo Baggins and Belladonna Took.

He has also made cameos in films he didn't direct. In the opening of Hot Fuzz (2007), he played a man dressed as Father Christmas who stabs the main character.

Jackson's son, Billy (born 1995), has appeared in almost all of his father's films since his birth. His daughter, Katie (born 1996), appears in many of them too. His partner Fran Walsh also has a short cameo in The Frighteners.

Other Appearances

Jackson had a cameo on the HBO show Entourage in an episode from August 5, 2007. He appeared as himself, offering a business idea to a character.

Jackson also appeared as himself in the 2013 Doctor Who 50th anniversary spoof, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, alongside Sir Ian McKellen.

In 2019, Jackson appeared as himself in the "Dogfight Derby" episode of Savage Builds. He also had a voice role as himself in a 2023 episode of The Simpsons.

Personal Life

Peter Jackson and his partner, Dame Fran Walsh, have two children. Fran Walsh is a New Zealand screenwriter, film producer, and lyricist. She has worked on all of Jackson's films since 1989. She has been a co-writer since Meet the Feebles and a producer since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. She won three Academy Awards in 2003 for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. These included Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Song. She has been nominated for seven Oscars in total.

Jackson loves aviation and owns a collection of over 40 working World War I-era warbird planes. These are kept at Hood Aerodrome near Masterton. He also owns the main car from the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He enjoys building scale models and used to own a company that made models of World War I aircraft.

The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre has an exhibition called "Knights of the Sky." It features Jackson's collection of WW1 aircraft and artifacts. The story of aviation in the Great War is brought to life with sets created by WingNut Films and Weta Workshop.

Awards and Honours

Major Awards and Nominations

Peter Jackson's films have been very successful at award shows since 1994's Heavenly Creatures. They have received many nominations and won several awards. The Frighteners is the only fictional film he directed since 1994 that was not nominated for an Academy Award.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most awarded film trilogies ever. It won more Academy Awards than Godfather Trilogy. The Return of the King (2003) won all 11 Oscars it was nominated for. These included Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Jackson's films have done very well in technical categories too. All three Lord of the Rings movies and King Kong won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in their years. In total, Jackson's directed films have won the most awards at three different Academy Award ceremonies.

Special Honours

In 2002, Jackson was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his contributions to film. In 2010, he was promoted to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM). He received his knighthood at a ceremony in Wellington on April 28, 2010.

In 2006, Jackson received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. This award was presented by Steven Spielberg.

In 2012, Jackson received New Zealand's highest civilian honor. He was awarded the Additional Member of the Order of New Zealand (ONZ) for his services to the country.

In 2016, Peter Jackson was added to the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Feature Films

Acting Roles

Short Films

Documentary Films

Television Work

Acting Roles

Music Video

See also

In Spanish: Peter Jackson para niños

• Peter Jackson's unrealized projects
• Cinema of New Zealand
• List of New Zealand film makers
• Park Road Post