Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson was born on the 31st of October 1961 in Wellington, New Zealand. He grew up in a suburb called Pukerua Bay with parents who had immigrated from England. His father worked as a wages clerk and his mother was a factory worker and housewife. A family friend gave him a Super 8 cine-camera when he was young enough to be considered a child. This gift sparked an obsession that would define his entire life. He began making short films with his friends using that camera. One early project was a World War II epic titled The Dwarf Patrol which featured pinholes poked into the film for gun shots. Another effort was a James Bond spoof named Coldfinger. A twenty-minute short called The Valley won him a special prize due to the specific shots he used. He also attempted to remake King Kong at age nine using stop-motion models. These childhood projects laid the foundation for a career built on trial and error rather than formal training.
Jackson's first feature film arrived in 1987 under the title Bad Taste. It was a haphazard fashion splatter comedy that took years to complete. Friends acted and worked on the production without pay while Jackson held down a full-time job as a photo-engraver for The Evening Post newspaper. Shooting occurred mostly on weekends during those seven years of employment. The story involved aliens turning humans into food. Jackson played two characters including a famous scene where he fought himself atop a cliff. Financial support finally came from the New Zealand Film Commission after Jim Booth became convinced of Jackson's talent. Booth later left the commission to become Jackson's producer. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987. His next release was Meet the Feebles in 1989 which went weeks over schedule despite a very low budget. Jackson described it as black, satirical, and savage humor that alienated many viewers. Braindead followed in 1992 as a zombie comedy. This period established his reputation for combining horror with comedy in what critics called splatter films.
The year 1994 marked a major shift in style and tone for Peter Jackson. He released Heavenly Creatures based on the real-life Parker-Hulme murder case from the 1950s. Two teenage girls murdered one of their mothers in this true crime story. Fran Walsh persuaded him that these events had the makings of a movie. Her enthusiasm ensured the project got made. Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet played the roles of Parker and Hulme respectively. The film received critical acclaim and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. It appeared on top ten lists for Time, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The New Zealand Herald. That same year he co-directed Forgotten Silver with Costa Botes. This mockumentary told the story of a fictitious New Zealand film pioneer named Colin McKenzie who supposedly invented color film. Viewers were outraged when they discovered McKenzie never existed. The success of Heavenly Creatures paved the way for his first big budget Hollywood film The Frighteners starring Michael J. Fox in 1996.
Jackson won the rights to film Tolkien's epic in 1997 after meeting producer Saul Zaentz. Principal photography extended from the 11th of October 1999 to the 22nd of December 2000. Filming took place across New Zealand locations. The trilogy included The Fellowship of the Ring released in 2001, The Two Towers in 2002, and The Return of the King in 2003. His mother Joan died three days before the release of the first movie. A special showing occurred after her funeral. The Return of the King received huge critical acclaim winning all eleven Academy Awards it was nominated for. It became the first fantasy film genre winner for Best Picture. Jackson also won awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The series sent his popularity soaring globally. He made over $6.5 billion worldwide with these films making him one of the highest-grossing directors ever. The production involved extensive post-production periods between each film's release.
Universal Studios signed Jackson for a second time to remake the 1933 classic King Kong. The film released on the 14th of December 2005 to critical acclaim. It grossed around US$562 million worldwide. He collaborated with game designer Michel Ancel from Ubisoft to make a video game adaptation which released on the 21st of November 2005. That game was both a critical and commercial success. Later he directed The Lovely Bones which adapted Alice Sebold's bestseller. It released in the United States on the 11th of December 2009. Stanley Tucci earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this role. The story combined fantasy aspects with themes of murder similar to Heavenly Creatures. Reviews were mixed and box office returns were middling. In 2012 Jackson returned to Tolkien's world with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. He announced on the 30th of July 2012 via Facebook that two planned movies would expand into a trilogy. The third film continued expanding the story using material found in Lord of the Rings Appendices. Production started on the 20th of March 2011.
On the 16th of October 2018, Jackson premiered They Shall Not Grow Old at the BFI London Film Festival. This documentary about World War I used original footage from Imperial War Museums archives. Much of it had been previously unseen alongside BBC interviews with servicemen who fought. Most footage was colorized, converted to 3D, and transformed with modern production techniques. The film presented detail never seen before. It aired on BBC Two on the 11th of November 2018 marking the hundredth anniversary of the Armistice. Critics praised its restoration work and immersive atmosphere. In January 2019 he announced his next project would be a documentary about the making of the Beatles' final album Let It Be. His team created around 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio. The documentary used techniques developed for They Shall Not Grow Old to transform old footage. It included the full 42-minute last rooftop concert. Disney+ released it as a three-part series on the 25th of November 26, and 27, 2021. The project won five Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
Jackson established WingNut Films as his production company while developing Weta Workshop. George Port started Weta as a one-man contribution during Heavenly Creatures. Jackson initiated growth incorporating digital effects, physical effects, make-up, and costumes. Richard Taylor became a key collaborator managing the first two areas. The company grew rapidly during this transition period. He also formed Wingnut Interactive with Microsoft Game Studios in September 2006. A collaboration called Halo: Chronicles was planned but cancelled by July 2009. As of August 2023 no games were released by that studio. In May 2024 Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed Jackson would produce a new Lord of the Rings film titled The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis directed from a screenplay written by Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou. Wellington serves as the production hub for these films. Jackson sold WETA to Unity Technologies in 2021 becoming a billionaire through that transaction.
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Common questions
When and where was Peter Jackson born?
Peter Jackson was born on the 31st of October 1961 in Wellington, New Zealand. He grew up in a suburb called Pukerua Bay with parents who had immigrated from England.
What were Peter Jackson's early film projects before his feature debut?
Peter Jackson made short films including The Dwarf Patrol, Coldfinger, and The Valley using a Super 8 cine-camera given to him as a child. He also attempted to remake King Kong at age nine using stop-motion models.
Which film marked a major shift in style for Peter Jackson in 1994?
The year 1994 marked a major shift in style and tone for Peter Jackson when he released Heavenly Creatures based on the real-life Parker-Hulme murder case from the 1950s. Fran Walsh persuaded him that these events had the makings of a movie.
How many Academy Awards did The Return of the King win for Peter Jackson?
The Return of the King received huge critical acclaim winning all eleven Academy Awards it was nominated for. It became the first fantasy film genre winner for Best Picture while Jackson won awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
When did They Shall Not Grow Old premiere and what techniques did it use?
On the 16th of October 2018, Jackson premiered They Shall Not Grow Old at the BFI London Film Festival. Much of the footage was colorized, converted to 3D, and transformed with modern production techniques.
What happened to Weta Workshop and WingNut Films under Peter Jackson's leadership?
Jackson established WingNut Films as his production company while developing Weta Workshop which grew rapidly during this transition period. He sold WETA to Unity Technologies in 2021 becoming a billionaire through that transaction.