January 2026

Lord of the Realm: Peter Jackson Talks to AC

This interview on the making of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring first appeared in American Cinematographer's December 2001 issue. For full access to our archive, which includes more than 105 years of essential motion-picture production coverage, become a subscriber today. Within the film industry, there’s a tendency to compare Peter Jackson to George Lucas. Both began as experimental filmmakers, both have created entire worlds populated with outrageous characters, both launched their own effects houses, and both have even made nostalgic films set in the ’50s about their respective countries. Of course, Jackson’s previous films aren’t what most people this side of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre would call family fare. His...more