Sir Peter Jackson remains silent on Harvey Weinstein
New Zealand director Sir Peter Jackson has refused to comment on disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein despite many other Hollywood figures with links to the producer speaking out.
The Weinstein-led studio Miramax distributed Jackson's big Hollywood break, 1994's Heavenly Creatures and Jackson and Weinstein also initially worked together on early plans for the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films.
Jackson, who is currently in France, was contacted several times via his Wingnut Films general manager Dominic Sheehan for his thoughts on the allegations of sexual assault against Weinstein, but would not give comment.
"Thanks for being in touch, but Peter has no comment," Sheehan responded via text message.
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The sexual allegations against Weinstein from over 40 women in Hollywood has brought a chorus of criticisms from male directors including Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, Mother! director Darren Aronofsky, Chasing Amy director Kevin Smith and Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino, and actors such as George Clooney, Colin Firth, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth.
Smith has said he will donate residuals from his two Weinstein-produced movies. On Twitter he wrote he was "ashamed" because Weinstein "financed the first 14 years of my life".
"Now I know while I was profiting, others were in terrible pain. It makes me feel ashamed," he wrote.
Kate Winslet has also spoken about her negative experience working with Weinstein on Heavenly Creatures.
Jackson has talked in the past about how he and Weinstein tried to develop The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Weinstein, who always had a reputation as a tough negotiator, demanded Jackson cut his planned two-part LoTR adaptation into one or hand over the rights to director John Madden.
In an interview with Indiewire in 2012, Jackson said Weinstein suggested they make two The Lord of the Rings movies first because the rights to The Hobbit were too difficult to access - they were part owned by MGM and the Saul Zaentz Company.
As it turned out, Lord of The Rings was owned entirely by Saul Zaentz, who was making The English Patient with Weinstein at the time.
Weinstein supported Jackson and Walsh at first, until a change of heart: "Harvey said to Fran and I, 'You've got to make one movie, or I'm going to take it away from you'," Jackson said to Indiewire.
They were granted four weeks to find a new studio to take on the two films. After meeting with nearly every Hollywood studio, and being consistently turned down, they came across New Line, who suggested they make three films.
Industry insiders said a beheaded orc character in one LoTR movie was made to look like Weinstein - an insider's dig at the difficult relationship between Jackson's crew and him.
A Deadline reporter at the 2001 premiere of The Fellowship of the Ring saw Weinstein leave "looking like his dog had been shot".
"I know he was hurt — I'm hurt, too — and we've had a pretty good relationship since," Weinstein said of Jackson at the Tribeca Film Festival.