Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey

by Brian Sibley

Once, Peter Jackson was a name unknown to all but a small band of loyal fans and fellow filmmakers. Now, he is the newest member of Hollywood's elite fellowship, with his name on the most successful movie trilogy of all time. Written with Jackson's full participation, this extensive biography, illustrated with never-before-seen photos from Jackson's personal collection, tells the inside story of how a New Zealander became Hollywood's hottest property?from the early cult classics, through Academy Award-winning success with Kate Winslet's Heavenly Creatures , the abandoned King Kong remake, and the filming of The Lord of the Rings? a project which was abandoned two years into pre-production, rejected by most of the other studios, and then picked up by New Line Cinema in the biggest gamble in film history. Drawing upon interviews with 50 of Peter Jackson's colleagues and contemporaries, author Brian Sibley paints a portrait of a true auteur, a man gifted with single-minded determination and an artist's vision. Jackson himself is both revealing and insightful about his entire filmmaking life, from his first childhood steps filming in Super 8 to the grand realisation of his life's King Kong . Together, these joint narratives provide a truly unique and compelling insight into one of the finest cinematic minds at work today.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, Autobiography

592 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Brian Sibley is an English writer, broadcaster, and award-winning dramatist.

The author of over 100 hours of radio drama and hundreds of documentaries and features for the BBC, he is best known for his acclaimed 1981 radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, co-written with Michael Bakewell, as well as dramatizations of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast novels, and Richard Adams’s Watership Down.

Sibley has also written numerous original plays for radio, presented popular BBC programmes including Kaleidoscope and Talking Pictures, and produced documentaries on figures ranging from Lewis Carroll and Ray Bradbury to Julie Andrews and Walt Disney.

His contributions to broadcasting have earned him accolades such as the Sony Radio Award and the BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Adaptation.

In print, Sibley is the author of many acclaimed film “making of” books, including Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy, and Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker’s Journey, as well as companion volumes for The Hobbit films, The Golden Compass, and Disney classics. His literary works range from Shadowlands to children’s books like The Frightful Food Feud and Osric the Extraordinary Owl, with stories appearing in official Winnie-the-Pooh collections.

A noted Disney historian, Sibley has contributed essays to The Walt Disney Film Archives and recorded DVD commentaries for classic films. He is the editor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fall of Númenor, winner of the Tolkien Society’s Best Book award in 2023.

Sibley has served as President and Chair of The Lewis Carroll Society and is an honorary member of The Magic Circle, the Tolkien Society, and The Children’s Books History Society.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this absolutely fascinating. From Peter Jackson's childhood, all the way through to the early stages of The Lovely Bones (a film I personally really enjoyed and connected with) , I found every page of this book interesting, informative and readable. There are lots of photos which is great, especially when discussing film. The book is well written and very enjoyable. I'm very pleased to have stumbled across this.

[Charlotte Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biography, and autobiography for that matter, is a genre that I have not often ventured into but in this case, I am so glad I picked this up. The Lord of the Rings film trilogy have long been some of my favourite films and Peter Jackson has always been a fascinating director. This book explores Peter's life, concentrating mostly on his film-making path and how he came to be where he is today, and includes many direct quotes from various interviews conducted by Sibley himself.

The book ends in between King Kong and The Lovely Bones but the level of detail that is described with regards to The Lord of the Rings, as well as his earlier films, is intriguing and something that I would recommend to any LotR fan or anyone who is interested in film or creative industries in general.

I have never been so gripped by what is essentially the story of a person's life; I knew the outcome, I knew that The Lord of the Rings and King Kong were eventually made and to great success, but somehow I was, at points, on the edge of my seat and completely invested in the story that Sibley set out.

The only downfall I think some people could perceive in this book is that it is a little preachy in that it does portray Peter Jackson as a perfect director and film-lover, but I can not dispute anything that was said within these pages and I wholly admire the inspiration that is Peter Jackson. This has spurred me on to definitely read more The Lord of the Rings related non-fiction this year and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

[Peter Millett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring book for all budding writers. The first half is all about overcoming gigantic odds, lack of artistic support, lack of funding - and ridiculous interference from inefficient governing bodies. How he ever got his career off the ground I will never know. Pete's Mission Impossible assignment was achieved - but only just. My favourite celeb bio of all time. Great for movie fans too.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, quick and easy to read even for someone who has never seen the majority of Jackson's work. However, it quickly becomes tiring how much reference is made to Lord of the Rings in the chapters dealing with Jackson's earlier films – he would later film scene X there, he would later work with person X (or person X's relation) on Rings...

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, albeit very detailed, account of Jackson's career. Much like 'Empire of Dreams' about George Lucas career struggles and how he repeatedly nearly didn't make it, this biography is about how the best film adaptation in cinema history very nearly wasn't made, and how a stellar career started with a particularly commercially-minded visionary who refused to be forced to think inside the square. The LOTR coverage is less than half the book, and the films that precede it are just as interesting in their approaches.

[Raphael Bernardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I wanted to figure out how a guy in New Zealand with almost no filmmaking resources came to make big budget movies, an effects company on the same lines as ILM and turn New Zealand into a filmmaking hub. I was somehow surprised when the beginning of this book read like 'Rebel without a crew' in that he does so much with so little. I was surprised when I found most of the filmmakers he came across early on didn't think he was that talented, they saw him as an ordinary guy. They didn't see too much with his early movies. Also, this should maybe be Peter and Fran because she's like part of him. Weta, they didn't about in detail except of Peter getting projects for Weta and vague stuff. The story of how he and crew members mortgaged their houses to make Weta wasn't here either.

Generally probably the best Peter Jackson book out there. Sibley will say what happened and Peter will give his word on it every so often. It was refreshing to read. Also, this is of the few books I read where I'd look at the page and I'd be ten or twenty pages past where I thought I was. The last chapter on King Kong I didn't care about at all. But yeah, good book.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started off pretty dismal and gushing (what is with all the exclamation marks? I nearly choked on them!) but gradually became much more exciting and balanced.

It does what it implies on the cover - offers some new insights and information that won't have been glimpsed in the extensive 'making of' documentaries. This was certainly a refreshing relief for an uber-fan like me who has watched pretty much all of them and thought I knew all there was to know about PJ and LOTR.

[Bubba]

Entertaining, lots of photos, worth the read for any Jackson fan

I really enjoyed this. It provides a good history and background of Peter Jackson's roots and how he didn't cut any corners on his path to success. This book is a good account of the hard work and determination he put in to make the, arguably, most epic fantasy film(s) of all time.

Does not cover the Hobbit films.

[Kyle Starr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little long in the tooth for Lord of the Rings fans, but likely a treat for Peter Jackson fans. (There is a difference!)

However, for a Lord of the Rings fan, the sections about the films are worth well worth the read. So many great tidbits and insights that around business and creative decisions, logistics, trials, tribulations, and trivia not present in the Extended Edition's extras are satisfying. These sections are an essential read for all Lord of the Rings fans.

[Narelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into one of my favourite directors. Whether making low-budget splatter films or the amazing Lord of the Rings trilogy, he endows each film with many layers. This book helps to give us a deeper look at what makes him tick as a film-maker.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to read about this great film-maker's life.

[Gary Pointon · Rating 3 out of 5]

But tiring to get through to the end but the politics side of his story alone puts into perspective what a monumental achievement the LOTR series was.

[Θανάσης · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a huge fan of Peter Jackson, since i think '96 or '97 when i first saw "Meet the Feebles". I bought this book, mainly because i wanted to have an "inside look" of his first three movies(and my favourites). This book surpassed my expectations. I enjoyed it from start to finish and i believe is a "must read" for any fan of Jackson. The best part is that i found out through it's pages, that he is a down to earth guy, loyal and he is first of all a fan(of movies). And you don't find out about this from his own words. That would be lame. Every single person that got interviewed for this book says the same thing. I always appreciate someone who is "one of us" with no drama, no superiority issues etc.
Just read it. I loved it..

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting insight into Peter, I found the information about his early life fascinating!

[Max Rohde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the film industry in this book.

[Chris Tottenham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man from Wellington who hated sport suddenly becomes one of the world's best directors. Dedicated to his craft and never gave up.

[Barno · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's not easy to be a movie director as you can learn from this huge book .