Return of the king
Sir Peter Jackson brings Lord of the Rings buzz back to Wellywood
Stars and architects of Middle Earth are lauding the return of the Lord of the Rings franchise to Wellington, saying it is the injection the local film industry desperately needs.
Warner Brothers announced yesterday two new Rings films were on the way. The first of the two, with a working title Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will be directed by Andy Serkis.
Serkis, who played Gollum in the original films, will also act in the films.
Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings film editor Jamie Selkirk was thrilled by the news and, while he won’t be involved in production, he expected shooting would begin soon given the anticipated release date of 2026.
“There’s going to be a fair bit of work happening pretty fast. They’re going to be creating quite a lot of Gollum and that means a lot of visual effects. And it takes months to do that,” Selkirk told The Post.
Selkirk won the Academy Award in 2004 for his editing on LOTR: Return of the King. “It’s awesome. What better thing for Wellington.”
He expected the motion capture for Gollum will be done in Wētā’s Miramar studios.
Mark Westerby, head of attractions at Screen Wellington, confirmed the heart of production would be the capital, which was great news for all those who work in the industry, or aspire to, and the city as whole. “I expect it will be fairly big budget and take a lot of resource.
“In an industry that’s full of uncertainty – it’s great to have some certainty with offers of employment.”
Sir Peter Jackson, who directed the original trilogy and the Hobbit films, will return as a producer alongside Dame Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens who will write the screenplay.
Veteran actor Mark Hadlow, who played dwarf Dori and a troll, in The Hobbit series, said the news had “set the bushfire alight”.
“We need a huge shot in the arm. I can’t think of anything more spectacular for the New Zealand film industry than to get a Peter Jackson film in New Zealand.”
With Jackson’s involvement, Hadlow believed the film would resurrect the industry “like a phoenix rising from the ashes”.
Asked if he would audition, Hadlow said he’d do anything.
“I would love to be a tree in the background ... I’d be Andy Serkis’ luggage carrier, or bring him cups of Kenya Bold tea, if he’s going to drink Kenya Bold like Peter did.”
Kiwi screen producer John Barnett said crucially it was important brand building for New Zealand. “It’s a great opportunity in terms of the employment that will take place, but more importantly ... it’s making something that had its genesis here.”
Asked if he thought the films would attract as much hype as the original franchise, Barnett was unequivocal.
“If you look at the box office for big sequels for the Avatars or Dune the answer is yes, people are drawn to those, and they have a much longer life.”
Actor Jed Brophy, who played six different characters in the Rings and Hobbit films, said he “couldn’t be more excited”.
“Those of us lucky enough to work on Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, were blessed to work on something so profoundly important to literature and cinema. “Congrats to Andy and Peter, Fran and Philippa for bringing these stories back to New Zealand. We are the IP that does it better than anyone.”
Selkirk had great confidence in the trio to craft an original Middle Earth screenplay, and said he’d love to see Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn make a comeback.
“Even the Hobbits may turn up. It’s very hard to know because it’s a whole new script. I'm sure Peter, Fran and Philippa will do a good job of the script,” Selkirk said.
For any aspiring actors hoping to be cast, Jed Brophy had some advice: “Make sure you have good headshots. If you get an audition be prepared: it’s an opportunity that only comes around once in a decade.”
The Hobbit and Rings franchises made a combined US$6 billion (NZ$10b) at the box office.