Peter Jackson is opening up about artificial intelligence in Hollywood, motion capture performances, and why he decided not to direct the next Lord of the Rings film. Speaking during a Cannes Film Festival masterclass after receiving an honorary Palme d’Or, the legendary filmmaker shared surprisingly relaxed views on AI being used in movies, calling it simply another filmmaking tool. “I don’t dislike it at all,” Jackson said while discussing AI in cinema. “To me, it’s just a special effect.”
The Oscar-winning director admitted AI could become dangerous in larger ways, joking that it might “destroy the world,” but clarified that he does not see a problem with the technology being used responsibly in filmmaking.
Jackson said the real issue begins when actors’ likenesses are stolen or recreated without permission.
“If you’re doing an AI duplicate of somebody, as long as you’ve licensed the rights off the person, I don’t see the issue,” he explained. “It’s when people’s likenesses get stolen and usurped.”
The Lord of the Rings filmmaker also spoke passionately about motion capture acting and why he believes Andy Serkis was unfairly overlooked during awards season for his iconic portrayal of Gollum.
According to Jackson, the ongoing stigma around digital performances has made it nearly impossible for actors playing CGI-enhanced characters to receive proper recognition.
“A Gollum-type character has no hope for winning awards,” Jackson said. “Which is unfair, especially in Andy Serkis’ case where it’s a human-generated performance 100 percent of the way.”
Serkis famously used performance capture technology to bring Gollum to life in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, a role now considered one of the most groundbreaking performances in modern fantasy cinema.
Jackson also teased the upcoming Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum, which Serkis will direct and star in himself.
The filmmaker revealed he intentionally stepped away from directing duties because he believed Serkis understood the character better than anyone else.
“The film is about Gollum’s psychology and addiction,” Jackson explained. “Andy knows this guy better than anybody.”
He added that letting Serkis direct felt like the most exciting version of the movie possible.
During the Cannes event, Jackson was presented with the honorary Palme d’Or by Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the original trilogy.
Wood praised Jackson for changing filmmaking forever with Lord of the Rings, while Jackson reflected on how risky the trilogy once seemed before footage from The Fellowship of the Ring received a massive reaction at Cannes back in 2001.
“That reception changed the perception of the film,” Jackson said, recalling how many believed adapting Tolkien’s world would fail before audiences finally saw what he was building.