Like many directors, Peter Jackson isn’t just a movie-maker. The man behind The Lord Of The Rings, King Kong, and a whole bunch of splatty Kiwi horrors is a movie mega-fan, someone who grew up in thrall to the big screen and the adventures, terrors, and brand new worlds it conjured. And like the dragon Smaug, Jackson has his own stash of gold – a collection of some of Hollywood’s most prized items and artefacts, a personal vault filled with models, monsters, memorabilia, and more spanning decades of cinema.
When Empire went to Wellington, New Zealand to celebrate the filmmaker for Empire 30, we were granted access to his collection, getting up close and personal with the props, models, manuscripts and more that the director counts among his prized possessions. In the summer 2019 issue of Empire – on shelves from Thursday 16 May and available to order online here – you’ll find a guided tour by Jackson of his personal favourites. Take a look below for a taste of the treasures that can be found in the vault.
Peter Jackson photographed by Dean Mackenzie
Prop images: Chris Moss
You Only Live Twice original manuscripts
2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000
Terminator: Salvation T-600 endoskeleton
Terminator 2 Arnie model
Mighty Joe Young animatronic gorilla
The Nightmare Before Christmas sketches
The Corpse Bride models
Alien head models
Aliens Alien Queen model
Alien 3 puppet
Planet Of The Apes prosthetics
Bad Taste props
Jason And The Argonauts skeleton warrior models
Read Empire’s full Peter Jackson celebration in the Spider-Man: Far From Home issue, where the filmmaker gives an exclusive new career-spanning interview, answers reader questions in The People Vs. Peter Jackson, and reveals more about his personal memorabilia collection.
On sale Thursday 16 May, or purchase a copy online here{