Film-maker Jackson's story to be told in biography

Peter Jackson's biography will be published simultaneously in NZ, Australia and UK. Jim Tannick / Getty Images

The story of how a boy from Pukerua Bay, north of Wellington, beat Hollywood at its own game is to be told in an authorised biography of New Zealand film-maker Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey will be published by HarperCollins New Zealand on November 10, just in time for the Christmas market.

Following numerous approaches, Jackson chose to work on the biography with Brian Sibley, a writer and the producer of the acclaimed BBC radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings.

The biography, written over several years, tells the story of Jackson's life through his own words, as well as drawing on the memories of friends, family and associates.

The book encompasses the making of Jackson's early movies from Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles and Brain Dead to Heavenly Creatures, a first abandoned ire-make and The Frighteners.

It also tells the story of the blockbusters, including how The Lord of the Rings was abandoned two years into pre-production, rejected by most studios then picked up by New Line Cinema in what was the biggest gamble in film history. It was followed by King Kong.

Jackson's current project, The Lovely Bones, also gets a mention.

The book, the only authorised biography of the film-maker, will be published simultaneously in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.

There was no comment on whether a movie was planned.

- NZPA