Peter Jackson — remember him? It’s been 12 years since he last directed a narrative feature, not counting his passion-project documentaries like the stunning WWI archival film “They Shall Not Grow Old” (2019).
It’s just been announced that Jackson will receive an honorary Palme d’Or in recognition of his lifetime of work at this year’s 79th Cannes Film Festival.
Cannes announced the honor on Thursday, praising the New Zealand filmmaker for “a body of work that blends Hollywood blockbusters and films d’auteur with extraordinary artistic vision and technological audacity.”
“[There is] clearly a before and an after Peter Jackson,” added Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux. “Larger-than-life cinema is his trademark, and his all-encompassing art of entertainment is particularly ambitious. He has permanently transformed Hollywood cinema and its conception of the spectacle. But Peter Jackson is not only a great technician; he is above all a tremendous storyteller. And an unpredictable artist: what will his next universe be?”
The first three “Lord of the Rings” movies, directed by Jackson, were critically acclaimed and dominated the global box office. Each entry racked up Oscar nominations, culminating in a Best Picture win for 2003’s “The Return of the King.” Jackson later returned with “The Hobbit” trilogy—financially successful but far less beloved—which ultimately brought both the franchise and Jackson’s directorial output to a halt.
Though he hasn’t directed a feature film since 2014’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” Jackson recently told Screen Rant that he was developing three different screenplays. One project fans still hope to see revived is the long-delayed sequel to “The Adventures of Tintin,” once rumored to be Jackson’s next directorial outing after Spielberg’s 2011 installment.
Outside of Middle-earth, Jackson’s pre-hiatus filmography includes the criminally underrated “Heavenly Creatures,” “King Kong,” “The Lovely Bones,” “Bad Taste,” and “The Frighteners.”
So there's a script. That's something. It looks as though “The Movie Critic” really is dead and buried, and that this is a brand-new project, and title, but the premise is unknown.