The Return of the King wins top Golden Globes

BEVERLY HILLS, California - Epic fantasy film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won four Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, including best film drama, giving it a huge boost on the road to Hollywood's highest honours, the Oscars.

Rings earned Golden Globe awards for New Zealand's Peter Jackson for best director and claimed trophies for best original film score and favourite song with Into the West, making it a winner in each group in which it was nominated.

The Golden Globe Awards, which are given out by 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are one of the most watched award shows in entertainment, and winners here often go on to earn Oscars, the US film industry's top honours, handed out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on February 29.

Return of the King's co-producer and co-owner of Weta Workshops Jamie Selkirk was singled out by Jackson in his acceptance speech.

Selkirk said the Globes awards were "absolutely awesome".

"We always look forward to these particular awards because they are definitely a forerunner to the Oscars," he said.

"We were hoping to pick up one or two but to actually get four out of four, that's pretty awesome.

"Its really exciting for Peter and all the other producers involved. It was a wonderful effort and well rewarded for six year's of Peter's life, the crew and all the New Zealanders involved."

Selkirk said the award was a recognition for Return of the King because the film was the best of the three and Jackson's favourite.

"It was really the awards being given possibly for both -- for return of the King, which was obviously outstanding and the recognition of three outstanding movies in a row," he said.

At the ceremony, Jackson said the films spoke for themselves.

"They're probably about the most complicated film productions that anyone's ever tried to do, I would imagine," he said.

"I want to accept this award and pay tribute to Professor (JRR) Tolkien for his incredible book," said Jackson, who also apologised for his slightly unkempt appearance among the star-studded, designer-dress wearing audience.

"I think I dropped the standard on the red carpet coming in," he said. "I didn't realise that seven years on this movie would end up turning me into a hobbit."

"To all of the actors, our magical cast, you just gave so much to the movies and equally importantly you made it so much fun to work on."

Peter Jackson's success at today's awards in Los Angeles has unleashed a torrent of praise for the director and his film in New Zealand.

As the awards were being announced, Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Judith Tizard was offering New Zealand's warm congratulations to the cast and crew of the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King's cast and crew.

"The worldwide success of the film trilogy is the mark of a visionary director," Ms Tizard said.

"Peter's imagination and dedication and the support of his incredible team have resulted in the largest film production in history.

"New Zealand film and filmmakers are firmly in the global spotlight at the moment with Whale Rider also deservedly winning accolades," she said.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said she was thrilled with the latest success for Peter Jackson and everyone else associated with the films.

"Four awards at the Golden Globes are a marvellous tribute to Peter Jackson and his team, and demonstrates yet again that New Zealand film makers are absolutely world class," Ms Clark said.

New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Ruth Harley said Jackson's success at the Golden Globes was "sensational".

"One of the things that's sensational about it is that although there isn't a necessary correlation, there is quite a high correlation between the Golden Globes and the Oscars," she said.

"There are two things about that -- it'll be good for business which is sensational already, and secondly it will be as enormous thrill and accolade for everyone on the production.

"You might think that they've got everything already but they will seriously want those Oscars."

Ms Harley said she would be very confident that Jackson would get Oscar nominations tomorrow and that she would be in Los Angeles at the American Film Market on the night of the Oscars barracking for him.

Film New Zealand acting chief executive Louise Baker said Jackson's success had put the New Zealand film industry on the world map.

"Jackson knew how to tap into the local infrastructure," she said.

"What Lord of the Rings has managed to do is prove to the rest of Hollywood that there is a film industry here and an infrastructure.

"Especially on the art department side of things there is a big capability."

Ms Baker said she would also be in Los Angeles on the night of the Oscar awards.

According to the weekend's United States box office figures, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King slipped two places to No 5, taking US$6.9 million ($10.39 million) for the weekend, and US$337.8 million after seven weeks.

- NZPA and REUTERS

List of Golden Globe winnners

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings