Mortal Engines
LONDON — Oscar winning filmmaker Peter Jackson is returning to the big screen with adventure fantasy a post-apolcalyptic tale of survival in his first feature film project since his awardwinning adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. The New Zealand-born director, known for his
and trilogies, produced and co-wrote the script for the film, based on the young adult book series by Philip Reeve. Oscar-winning visual effects artist Christian Rivers, who worked with Mr. Jackson on the Tolkien adaptations as well as 2005’s makes his directorial in the film, set hundreds of years after a catastrophic event wipes out civilizations. “Once was done, we were looking forward to getting this made,” Mr. Jackson told Reuters at the film’s premiere in London on Tuesday. “I didn’t want (Mr. Rivers) to make his first feature with somebody else... I wanted to be part of helping him get his feature film career off the ground... He’s done an amazing job.” In the film, humans live in gigantic moving cities which devour smaller towns. A group made up of an outlaw, outcast and mysterious woman lead a rebellion against one such predator city, London. “It was the fear of saying yes because I knew how much work it would be and it was also a fear of saying no, if I said no and someone else made it and it wasn’t any good, I’d be kicking myself,” Mr. Rivers said about directing
“It was a freight train, it was a big film that came in and I had to jump on and take the ride.” On top of his work in the art department, Mr. Rivers was a second unit director on the last two films, the last of which came out in 2014. Since then, Mr. Jackson directed World War One documentary
released this month. features a young cast led by Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar. actor Hugo Weaving also stars in the film. — and