Background and career
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, screen-writer, and producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) and the Hobbit trilogy (2012–2014), both of which are adapted from the novels of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. Jackson's other notable films include the comedy horror films Braindead (1992) and The Frighteners (1996), the drama Heavenly Creatures (1994), the monster remake King Kong (2005), and the World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old (2018). Jackson also directed and produced the documentary mini-series The Beatles: Get Back (2021). Jackson's films have grossed over $6.5 billion worldwide, making him the fifth-highest-grossing film director of all time.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s with comedy horror films like Bad Taste (1987) and Meet the Feebles (1989), followed in the 1990s with Braindead (1992) and The Frighteners (1996). He shared a nomination for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with his collaborator Fran Walsh for Heavenly Creatures, which brought him to mainstream prominence in the film industry. For The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Jackson won three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. His other accolades include three BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Saturn Awards among others.
Jackson established WingNut Films as his production company in 1987. In 1993, he co-founded the Wellington-based companies Weta Workshop (now Wētā Workshop), to handle special and physical effects, and Weta Digital (now Wētā FX), to focus on digital visual effects. In 2002, Jackson was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. He was later knighted as a Knight Companion of the order by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand, at a ceremony in Wellington in April 2010. Jackson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2014, and in May 2026, he was awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival in recognition of his lifetime contribution to cinema. He is one of the wealthiest New Zealanders, with an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion in 2026.
