Peter Jackson came to China to promote the final installment of the trilogy "The Hobbit." (Photo : Reuters)
"The Hobbit" director Peter Jackson, along with actor Richard Armitage and script co-writer Philippa Boyens, came to Beijing on Monday to promote the final installment of the the "Lord of the Rings" prequel "The Hobbit." The finale titled "The Battle of the Five Armies" concludes the highest grossing fantasy film.
During the press conference held in Beijing, Jackson admitted that before his J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation, he was a relatively unknown filmmaker who made four small films in New Zealand.
"Nobody really knew who I was, especially overseas," says Jackson.
He also said that he wanted to adapt the "Lord of the Rings," a classic novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. He admitted that if he can create a film version of the book, he will be a famous director. His wish came true when his films grossed $2.911 billion worldwide.
Jackson admitted that he wanted to make the adaptation as faithful as J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his books. And while doing it, he wanted to enjoy himself as much as he can. According to him, the two trilogies were a journey for him--the first to be a known director, the second to make films with as many experimentations as he can muster.
Jackson also said that he would prefer that the viewers see the films as one long epic, instead of installments. He encouraged the fans to buy the DVD of complete "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" set when it comes out later this year.
Jackson also stated that he admires the works of Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, actor-director Jiang Wen and Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat. He admitted that he would collaborate with the said actors and directors on his next film which have Chinese elements.
"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" will be shown in China theaters from Jan. 23, 2015. It has already grossed $800 million in other countries and the Chinese theater market will further increase its earnings.
The "Unexpected Journey" and "Desolation of Smaug," the first two installments of "The Hobbit," grossed a total of 778.6 million yuan in China.
