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Sir Peter Jackson - Source: ONE News -
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He may have won Oscars but filmmaker Peter Jackson says nothing
compares with his knighthood.
Sir Peter has been honoured for his hugely successful movies,
including The Lord of the Rings, King Kong and Heavenly
Creatures.
His 20-year Academy Award winning career is getting its greatest acclaim with the New Year Honour.
Jackson is out of the country at the moment, but in a statement says, "I didn't think anything would surpass the 2004 Academy Awards, but I was wrong. The feeling of gratitude and pride I have in accepting this honour from my home country is profound."
He has gone from the fresh-faced director of cult classic Bad Taste and splatter-fest Brain Dead to the bespectacled force behind Heavenly Creatures and what has to be his masterwork, so far at least, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
The final instalment of the trilogy won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and Jackson the nod for Best Director.
Special effects maestro Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop has been on board the Jackson express for years.
"Peter is a great visionary, he's a incredible New Zealander, a huge supporter of the film industry here, and most importantly he's just a very decent and humble human being," says Taylor.
Not just that, his movies are still one of the hottest tickets in town.
The Lovely Bones
Earlier this month Jackson was in Wellington for the premiere of his latest success, The Lovely Bones .
The Lovely Bones is based on Alice Sebold's book and started screening in New Zealand cinemas on Boxing Day, having received mixed reviews overseas.
Jackson is being credited with helping to put New Zealand tourism on the world stage. Former Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton says The Lord Of The Rings trilogy has done wonderful things for tourism.
He says the most important part of that was his insistence that the movies were filmed in New Zealand, which exposed the country to the world.
Hickton says showing off New Zealand's scenery fitted perfectly with Tourism New Zealand's 100% Pure campaign.
Jackson grew up making war movies in his parents' vegetable garden, dreaming of a career in special effects. As he says in his statement, he could never have imagined where his dreams could lead.
"His folks would be proud of him on this day," says Taylor.
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Post new commentvalidous said on 2010-01-01 @ 19:32 NZDT: Report abusive post
WELL DONE to Peter Jackson.... proud to be a kiwi