King Kong Director: Peter Jackson

PETER JACKSON (Director / Screenplay by / Produced by) made history with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously.

The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were nominated for and collected a slew of film awards from around the globe, including 17 Academy Awards, 12 British Academy of Film and Television Awards and four Golden Globes.

It was for The Return of the King that Jackson received his most impressive collection of awards. This included three Academy Awards® (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture), two Golden Globes (Best Director and Best Motion Picture-Drama), three BAFTAs (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film and Viewers), a Directors Guild Award, a Producers Guild Award and a New York Film Critics Circle Award.

Jackson previously received widespread acclaim for his 1994 feature Heavenly Creatures, which received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Screenplay. Other film credits include The Frighteners, starring Michael J. Fox; the adult puppet feature Meet the Feebles; and Braindead, which won 16 international science fiction awards, including the Saturn. Jackson also co-directed the television documentary Forgotten Silver, which also hit the film festival circuit.

Born in New Zealand on Halloween in 1961, Jackson began at an early age making movies with his parents' Super 8 camera. At 17 he left school and, after purchasing a 16mm camera, began shooting a science fiction comedy short-which, three years later, had grown into a 75-minute feature called Bad Taste.

Jackson works closely with partner Frances Walsh, with whom he shares his writing and producing credits, as well as a family. Jackson has a special interest in WWI memorabilia. He is also the proud owner of his own Sopwith Camel.

Peter Jackson Profile

--- Born: on 10/31/61 in New Zealand

--- Job Titles: Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Apprentice photo engraver

Family

--- Daughter: Kate Jackson.born c. 1996; mother, Frances Walsh

--- Father: William Jackson.appeared briefly in the park scene of "Heavenly Creatures" (1994)

--- Mother: Joan Jackson.appeared briefly in the park scene of "Heavenly Creatures" (1994)

--- Son: William Jackson.born c. 1995; mother, Frances Walsh

Significant Others

--- Companion: Frances Walsh. met c. 1987; wrote "Heavenly Creatures" (1994) with Jackson; worked with him in various capacities on his earlier films

Education

--- Kapiti College, Wellington, New Zealand

Milestones

--- Directing the remake of the 1930's classic "King kong" starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black and Adrien Brody (lensed 2005)

--- Will direct Alice Sebold's recent bestseller "The Lovely Bones" which tells the story of a murdered girl (lensed 2005)

1983 Bought a 16mm camera and decided to test it by making a 10-minute short science-fiction comedy film, "Roast of the Day"; some four years later, the result was Jackson's first feature, "Bad Taste"

1986 Received $5000 grant from the New Zealand Film Commission; quit working as an apprentice photo engraver

1988 Release of first completed feature film, "Bad Taste", which he also produced, starred in, wrote, photographed, edited and did makeup and special effects

1990 First of three consecutive collaborations with producer Jim Booth, "Meet the Feebles"; co-written with Fran Walsh and Stephen Sinclair

1993 Formed WETA, a special effects company

1993 Release of international breakthrough feature, "Dead Alive/Braindead"

1994 Last collaboration with producer Jim Booth, "Heavenly Creatures"; Booth died of cancer on January 4, 1994

1996 Helmed "The Frighteners", a serio-comedic picture starring Michael J Fox

1999 Directed the trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings"; shot back-to-back; scheduled to be released over a three-year period, "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001); "The Two Towers" (2002) and "The Return of the King" (2003)

2002 "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings" received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director; received a nomination by the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement

2003 "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director; received a nomination by the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement

2004 "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" took the Oscar in each category in which it had been nominated, eleven of them in total, thereby joining "Ben Hur" and "Titanic" with the most Oscars in the record books

Began making a feature-length vampire film with a Super 8mm camera when he was a teenager

Raised in Pukerua Bay, just outside of Wellington, New Zealand.

Notable Awards and Nominations:

Academy Awards:

- 2004 Best Director Award for Return of the King

- 2004 Best Picture Award for Return of the King

- 2004 Best Adapted Screenplay Award for Return of the King

- 2003 Best Picture Nomination for The Two Towers

- 2002 Best Director Nomination for Fellowship of the Ring

- 2002 Best Picture Nomination for Fellowship of the Ring

- 2002 Best Adapted Screenplay Nom. for Fellowship of the Ring

- 1995 Best Screenplay Nomination for Heavenly Creatures