Peter Jackson to focus on smaller films; won’t rule out Middle-Earth return

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

It's once more unto the breach for Peter Jackson and his latest Middle-Earth saga THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES opening tomorrow. The filmmaker has certainly left a mark in the world of cinema and many are wondering what he will focus on next. It turns out he's ready to turn his attention to small budget movies while at the same time, not ruling out a return to Middle-Earth someday.

Variety did a piece on Jackson where he revealed that he and his wife/writing partner Fran Walsh are working on adapting several true stories about his native New Zealand that will be "similar in tone and scope" to his 1994 murder tale HEAVENLY CREATURES. He said “we really feel a bigger urge now to not continue with another Hollywood blockbuster for a while, but to go back and tell some New Zealand stories.” Creatures is one of my favorite movies and it's exciting to hear that after all this time Jackson still has a creative urge for the smaller films.

Kate Winslet in HEAVENLY CREATURES.

Of course this doesn't mean that Jackson will be leaving all that fancy technology behind; he's apparently “toying with virtual reality” and “studying entertainment opportunities” in the emerging technology:

"We’re right on the cusp of a major upheaval of the entertainment world once that technology really kicks in,” he says. Jackson will devote a year or two on the project, but he’s not sure if the best fit will be for films or videogames.

While Jackson says in the article that they "need to experiment to survive", I wouldn't say that particular technology is going to change the world of film. I personally can't predict that audiences are going to want more gimmicks and or ways to view a movie; what I do hope for is that we reach a point where put more focus back on the quality of filmmaking.

In regards to Jackson returning to Middle-Earth one day, Jackson doesn't dismiss another adventure:

If I had to start tomorrow, I would say no, because I definitely would appreciate a break to clear my head and get my little New Zealand stories done, which is where my passion and my heart is heading now. But ask me in two or three years, and I’d probably say yes. It would be hard to see another filmmaker go into this world, because I certainly have an emotional ownership of it.

It would be strange to see another director take on that world; it does feel like Jackson’s story now. While I don’t think THE HOBBIT series will be held to high praise decades from now, I can certainly see his LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy enduring a legacy well after we’re all gone. It's great to hear that Jackson is returning to the lower budget side of filmmaking, I can’t wait to see what he has for us next; maybe he will get to that TINTIN sequel?

Are you optimistic about Jackson returning to smaller budget movies?