by Matthew Molgaard

Created on: April 14, 2008

Peter Jackson was born in New Zealand in 1961. An only child, Jackson was given an 8mm camera at the age of 8, which he utilized to the fullest extreme imaginable. As a child Jackson made quite a few low budget independent films, and a few even earned him notice. "World War Two" was a short film made by Jackson during his teenage years; the film earned Peter some notoriety early on, as Jackson managed to incorporate some impressive special effects despite functioning on a non existent budget. Though the New Zealanders films have evolved into major motion pictures, the potential as a child, was always more than evident.

Today Peter Jackson is one of the most recognizable names in the industry. He made his professional film debut in 1976 with the sci-fi/horror film "The Valley". While "The Valley" was produced on a dismissible budget, Jackson worked his special effects magic, launching what would become an illustrious career. Throughout his career Jackson has opted to stick to the sci-fi, horror, and fantasy genre's, and the decision has paid major dividends.

Since his 1976 debut, Jackson has directed 12 films. Amongst these 12 films lie a few remarkable pieces of work. In 1994 Jackson's indie thriller "Heavenly Creatures" earned an Oscar nomination. In 1996 he directed and produced one of the better horror films of the decade, "Frighteners" starring Michael J. Fox. Since then Jackson has amassed an incredible list of blockbuster hits. All three "Lord Of The Rings" films were manned by Jackson, as was the tremendously successful "King Kong". Between the 'Lord' films, and "King Kong", Jackson's films have earned a staggering 20 Oscar awards.

While Jackson hasn't helmed a movie since 2005, fans need not wait long for his much anticipated return. Jackson has already inked a deal with Dreamworks to release "The Lovely Bones" in 2009. "The Lovely Bones" is a film adaptation of the 2002 novel of the same name, written by Alice Sebold. Jackson will co-write, co-produce and direct the film, which is slated to feature the acting talents of Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg.

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