Latest news with #PeterJackson
Scoop
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Behind The Scenes: NZ On Screen Lifts The Curtain On Kiwi Film And TV
NZ On Screen is thrilled to announce the launch of the Behind the Scenes Collection — revealing the magic, misfires and mahi behind some of Aotearoa's most iconic screen productions. Spanning more than 50 titles, the collection features rare interviews, on-set footage and documentaries that go inside some of our biggest productions and smallest control rooms. It's a love letter to the makers: the carpenters, costume designers, DOPs, producers, foley artists — and everyone in between. As Toa Fraser says in his backgrounder for the collection, 'We are a motley bunch, it's true. We eat at weird times of the day and night. We wear funny clothes. We work hard, crazy hours, and to many people on the outside (civilians) it's perhaps difficult to understand why we do what we do. Maybe this collection will help.' Among the highlights are candid accounts from the early days of independent filmmaking in Aotearoa. Merata Mita confronts censorship and hostility in Patu!, Peter Jackson launches his DIY gore-fest Bad Taste with weekend warriors and homemade rigs, and Geoff Murphy choreographs land wars in Utu. There's also footage from the set of Vigil, Vincent Ward's gothic rural drama, and Sleeping Dogs, the political thriller that lit the fuse on modern New Zealand cinema. Elsewhere, filmmakers stretch the limits of style and technology. Peter Jackson's early puppet satire Meet the Feebles bursts into chaotic life in a behind-the-scenes look at its anarchic production, while The Making of Footrot Flats reveals the team effort behind New Zealand's first animated feature. From Len Lye to Gollum traces a long, inventive history of Kiwi animation, and The Edge – The Birth of Wētā captures a young Jackson and crew on the cusp of global success. Other titles pull back the curtain on films that made a powerful impact — through box office success, critical acclaim or festival recognition. There are reflections from the cast and crew of Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider, and interviews with Roger Donaldson and Anthony Hopkins on the set of The World's Fastest Indian. A behind-the-scenes look at The Price of Milk explores Harry Sinclair's improvisational approach to his award-winning rural romance starring Karl Urban and Danielle Cormack. And 50 Ways of Filming Fabulous offers a heartfelt look at making a queer coming-of-age story in rural Central Otago — complete with weather issues and the logistical hurdles of shooting sensitive scenes with child actors. Television fans aren't left out. S hortland Street: Inside an Icon looks back on 25 years of Ferndale drama, while Mataku: Hei Muri Te Mata explores the creation of Māori supernatural stories for the small screen. Vintage snapshots of the TV industry include a 1985 day-in-the-life at TVNZ (Network New Zealand) and a behind-the-scenes dive into Country GP from beloved kids' show Spot On. And for something more recent, the Wellington Paranormal Bloopers capture the fun — and chaos — behind the spooky laughs. The collection also reveals the more personal side of production — stories rooted in real lives and relationships. Gaylene Preston revisits her father's wartime experiences in Home by Christmas, and explores Sonja Davies' political legacy in Bread and Roses. A behind-the-scenes look at Perfect Strangers captures a stripped-back West Coast thriller anchored by its two leads, while Toa Fraser reflects on turning childhood memories into a lively, intergenerational celebration in No. 2. Two written backgrounders accompany the collection: director Toa Fraser pays tribute to the camaraderie and craft of life on set, while legendary production designer Rob Gillies charts the screen industry's evolution from garage-band ingenuity to large-scale professionalism. Also included is a gallery of behind the scenes photos from productions including Scarfies, Bad Taste, Meet The Feebles and more. Whether you're a film buff, a student of the craft, or just in it for the bloopers — The Behind the Scenes Collection is a celebration of the creativity (and chaos) that has defined New Zealand's screen culture.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Behind The Scenes: NZ On Screen Lifts The Curtain On Kiwi Film And TV
NZ On Screen is thrilled to announce the launch of the Behind the Scenes Collection — revealing the magic, misfires and mahi behind some of Aotearoa's most iconic screen productions. Spanning more than 50 titles, the collection features rare interviews, on-set footage and documentaries that go inside some of our biggest productions and smallest control rooms. It's a love letter to the makers: the carpenters, costume designers, DOPs, producers, foley artists — and everyone in between. As Toa Fraser says in his backgrounder for the collection, 'We are a motley bunch, it's true. We eat at weird times of the day and night. We wear funny clothes. We work hard, crazy hours, and to many people on the outside (civilians) it's perhaps difficult to understand why we do what we do. Maybe this collection will help.' Among the highlights are candid accounts from the early days of independent filmmaking in Aotearoa. Merata Mita confronts censorship and hostility in Patu!, Peter Jackson launches his DIY gore-fest Bad Taste with weekend warriors and homemade rigs, and Geoff Murphy choreographs land wars in Utu. There's also footage from the set of Vigil, Vincent Ward's gothic rural drama, and Sleeping Dogs, the political thriller that lit the fuse on modern New Zealand cinema. Elsewhere, filmmakers stretch the limits of style and technology. Peter Jackson's early puppet satire Meet the Feebles bursts into chaotic life in a behind-the-scenes look at its anarchic production, while The Making of Footrot Flats reveals the team effort behind New Zealand's first animated feature. From Len Lye to Gollum traces a long, inventive history of Kiwi animation, and The Edge – The Birth of Wētā captures a young Jackson and crew on the cusp of global success. Other titles pull back the curtain on films that made a powerful impact — through box office success, critical acclaim or festival recognition. There are reflections from the cast and crew of Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider, and interviews with Roger Donaldson and Anthony Hopkins on the set of The World's Fastest Indian. A behind-the-scenes look at The Price of Milk explores Harry Sinclair's improvisational approach to his award-winning rural romance starring Karl Urban and Danielle Cormack. And 50 Ways of Filming Fabulous offers a heartfelt look at making a queer coming-of-age story in rural Central Otago — complete with weather issues and the logistical hurdles of shooting sensitive scenes with child actors. Television fans aren't left out. S hortland Street: Inside an Icon looks back on 25 years of Ferndale drama, while Mataku: Hei Muri Te Mata explores the creation of Māori supernatural stories for the small screen. Vintage snapshots of the TV industry include a 1985 day-in-the-life at TVNZ (Network New Zealand) and a behind-the-scenes dive into Country GP from beloved kids' show Spot On. And for something more recent, the Wellington Paranormal Bloopers capture the fun — and chaos — behind the spooky laughs. The collection also reveals the more personal side of production — stories rooted in real lives and relationships. Gaylene Preston revisits her father's wartime experiences in Home by Christmas, and explores Sonja Davies' political legacy in Bread and Roses. A behind-the-scenes look at Perfect Strangers captures a stripped-back West Coast thriller anchored by its two leads, while Toa Fraser reflects on turning childhood memories into a lively, intergenerational celebration in No. 2. Two written backgrounders accompany the collection: director Toa Fraser pays tribute to the camaraderie and craft of life on set, while legendary production designer Rob Gillies charts the screen industry's evolution from garage-band ingenuity to large-scale professionalism. Also included is a gallery of behind the scenes photos from productions including Scarfies, Bad Taste, Meet The Feebles and more. Whether you're a film buff, a student of the craft, or just in it for the bloopers — The Behind the Scenes Collection is a celebration of the creativity (and chaos) that has defined New Zealand's screen culture.
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
‘Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson on the storytelling potential of Colossal Biosciences
At first glance, the pairing of Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson and Colossal Biosciences founder and CEO Ben Lamm is a bit odd. When it's onstage at the world's largest gathering of brands and marketers, it gets even more confusing. But Jackson has been a major investor in Colossal since last year, and he and Lamm were at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity to talk to Chaka Sobhani, president and global chief creative officer at ad agency DDB Worldwide, for a conversation that aimed to find common ground in the creative challenge between Middle Earth and IRL. Colossal, of course, made headlines in April for revealing its first de-extinction project, reintroducing the world's first dire wolf in 10,000 years. After the stage presentation, Jackson told Fast Company that Colossal has significant storytelling potential, particularly in sparking interest and engagement on issues like environmental conservation. 'It's stimulating curiosity, that's the most important thing,' says Jackson. I grew up imagining all sorts of things, imagining flying cars, imagining a woolly mammoth. And the phones, social media, and everything else have the danger of deadening imagination. And so I think that this is an opportunity.' Jackson has had some significant input in how Colossal tells its stories. Lamm says that just before the dire wolf announcement, Jackson had a suggestion: 'He told me, 'When you announce this, you need to show the world the dire wolf howls, because it's the first time in 10,000 years anyone's ever heard that.' That just made it so much better.' Lamm says Jackson is an active investor. The director and his wife Fran Walsh invested $10 million into the company in October 2024. 'Peter gives us a lot of advice,' says Lamm. 'Peter connects us to a lot of people in the world, including George RR Martin. Even though he didn't make dire wolves, he made them famous. Peter actually wants to be involved. It's not about writing a check and then move on to the next deal. They're true partners.' Jackson believes the real power is in the company's potential impact on conservation. 'It's not just de-extinction, which is obviously exciting, but it's also conservation,' says Jackson. 'It's saving species that are really endangered now, and using the technology that these guys have developed to create a larger gene pool, for example, the white rhino. There's only two left.' The most common criticism Jackson hears about Colossal is that it should be spending its time and research on currently endangered species instead of de-extinction. 'Well, you can actually do both,' he says. Both Lamm and Jackson say the de-extinction projects are what get people excited and interested in everything else the company does. Come for the dire wolf, stay for the red wolf. In April, Lamm told the Most Innovative Companies podcast that Colossal had cloned four red wolves that will be able to join the 15 left on earth. 'The red wolf project, to me, is as magical as the dire wolf,' he said. Though sometimes even Jackson gets nervous. 'I was nervous about the woolly mouse,' he says. The company spent 2.5 years editing mammoth genes, then applied its work to mice rather than trying to create a creature that has been extinct for thousands of years. 'It's an important part of their research on the way to a mammoth, but I was saying, 'Do you really want to release it to the public?' Because it could play to people's idea of genetic engineering. It's like your Frankenstein. I was nervous about that.' Lamm says the point of the woolly mice was to transparently show the process toward a full woolly mammoth. It's not taking woolly mammoth genes with 200 million years of genetic divergence and ramming it into a mouse. This is part of a gradual road map. 'Peter brought his concerns to me, but we just feel that if we're doing radical things, we still need to be radically transparent,' says Lamm. 'To Peter's point, while some people could be like, 'Oh, why are they making woolly mice?' We thought it was important to educate the public on this is the process of science, and this is also how we ethically get to a mammoth.'
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Regulator takes High Court case against Paddy Power owner Flutter following dawn raids
The case follows searches by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) on a number of businesses in the betting industry last month. The agency said they were part of an ongoing criminal investigation into potential breaches of competition law. In the searches, which are commonly known as 'dawn raids', the CCPC was accompanied by gardaí from the National Economic Crime Bureau. The competition authority had not identified what companies were searched as part of the investigation, but it has already initiated High Court proceedings against Boylesports and has now done so against Flutter. A spokesperson for Flutter said: 'We are unable to comment on a live regulatory investigation. Flutter takes its legal responsibilities very seriously and is confident that its business practices are fully compliant with competition law.' It is understood that the case is procedural, with the CCPC needing to apply to the court this week to move its investigation onto the next stage, and to continue to hold the data that has been collected. Flutter, whose CEO is Peter Jackson, has offices in Clonskeagh but its headquarters are now in New York. It operates a number of brands other than Paddy Power, mostly notably Betfair and Tombola. The CCPC has the power to carry out unannounced searches on businesses with a warrant issued by the District Court. It searches for evidence where it has reason to believe that companies are not compliant with competition law. It is not known precisely what practices in the gambling industry the agency is investigating, but there has been speculation it could relate to alleged price fixing. Competition law forbids firms that hold a dominant position from engaging in abusive practices, such as predatory pricing or refusal to supply. A spokesperson for the CCPC said: 'The case relates to a statutory process initiated by the CCPC under section 33 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014. This is a procedural matter related to a criminal investigation under our competition law powers. "No further comment can be made at this point.' That section of competition law says the disclosure of information can be compelled, or possession of it taken, even if it is privileged legal information. The CCPC carried out no competition law searches between 2018 and 2022, but did several under consumer protection law. There were four 'dawn raids' in 2023, and a further four last year, as part of two separate cartel investigations.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Competition authority takes Flutter to court
The case follows searches by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) on a number of businesses in the betting industry last month. The agency said they were part of an ongoing criminal investigation into potential breaches of competition law. In the searches, which are commonly known as 'dawn raids', the CCPC was accompanied by gardai from the National Economic Crime Bureau. The competition authority had not identified what companies were searched as part of the investigation, but it has already initiated High Court proceedings against Boyle Sports and has now done so against Flutter. A spokesperson for Flutter said: 'We are unable to comment on a live regulatory investigation. Flutter takes its legal responsibilities very seriously and is confident that its business practices are fully compliant with competition law.' It is understood that the case is procedural, with the CCPC needing to apply to the court this week to move its investigation onto the next stage, and to continue to hold the data that has been collected. Flutter, whose CEO is Peter Jackson, has offices in Clonskeagh but its headquarters are now in New York. It operates a number of brands other than Paddy Power, mostly notably BetFair and Tombola. The CCPC has the power to carry out unannounced searches on businesses with a warrant issued by the District Court. It searches for evidence where it has reason to believe that companies are not compliant with competition law. It is not known precisely what practices in the gambling industry the agency is investigating, but there has been speculation it could relate to alleged price fixing. Competition law forbids firms that hold a dominant position from engaging in abusive practices, such as predatory pricing or refusal to supply. A spokesperson for the CCPC said: 'The case relates to a statutory process initiated by the CCPC under section 33 of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014. This is a procedural matter related to a criminal investigation under our competition law powers. No further comment can be made at this point.' That section of competition law says the disclosure of information can be compelled, or possession of it taken, even if it is privileged legal information. The CCPC carried out no competition law searches between 2018 and 2022, but did several under consumer protection law. There were four 'dawn raids' in 2023, and a further four last year, as part of two separate cartel investigations.
