The land of Peter kson

HOLLYWOOD REEL

New Zealand's breathtaking and diverse landscape is drawing not only Indian filmmakers but major international film companies to its shores

This week, the world is once again seeing the giant ape King Kong climb up the Empire State Building. Set in the 1930s, the $207 million, King Kong is the story of a group of explorers and documentary filmmakers who travel to the mysterious Skull Island to investigate legends of King Kong the biggest gorilla in the world.

Once there, they discover that King Kong is a real creature, living in a massive jungle where creatures from prehistoric times have been protected and hidden for millions of years. They also underestimate how powerful this mythical creature may be in size and strength.

But instead of Hollywood, the film was shot in New Zealand.

In recent years, blockbusters Hollywood hits -- such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy that are among the top 10 grossing films of all time -- were made in New Zealand. The man behind this phenomenon is a five-and-a-half feet tall filmmaker Peter Jackson who in his native New Zealand is a national hero.

Jackson is one of the richest and most powerful people in the global movie business, having turned J.R.R. Tolkien's classic into a film franchise that has generated $4 billion in ticket sales, DVDs and merchandise.

In all Jackson, as director and producer of all the three Lord of the Rings films, has reaped more than $125 million from the three Rings films, an oeuvre that took eight years of his life to complete. He got a 7.5 per cent cut of the gross profits from DVD sales of the second Rings film and from theater sales for the third.

Today, at the airport in Wellington, a red carpet is lined with giant golden replicas of the 11 Oscars awarded to Lord of the Rings and a massive model of the film's eerie Golum character peers over the roof of the main terminal.

Jackson, was paid $20 million to direct King Kong, the highest salary ever paid in Hollywood to a film director in advance of production. He also will receive 20 per cent of the gross profits. It is a record-breaking deal for a director.

He now travels by a private jet, and is powerful enough to direct-dial anyone in the entertainment business and influential enough to change the course of movie history.

He has spent upwards of $50 million of his own money into building a studio empire in New Zealand, complete with giant sound stages, special-effects workshops and futuristic editing operations.

The purpose-built Park Road Post is in the Wellington suburb of Miramar and is the most advanced post-production film facility in the southern hemisphere. Jackson is also a part-owner of a digital-effects company -- Weta Ltd., which handled the brilliant pixilated stunts in the Rings series -- and a props design firm, Weta Workshop, which created the suits of armor and weaponry for Middle-earth.

On 14 December 2005, Wellingtonians will be able to see the stars at the Red Carpet Screening of Peter Jackson's new movie, King Kong. Attending the screening will be Peter Jackson, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody as well as Andy Serkis -- who performed the role of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and also performs as King Kong.

The world is eagerly watching the next move of Peter Jackson.