Movies

Peter Jackson Opens Up About the Personal Struggle That Kept Him Away From Filmmaking for Over a Decade

written by Leo Hartwell

January 21, 2026 5:08 am

Peter Jackson Opens Up About the Personal Struggle That Kept Him Away From Filmmaking for Over a Decade — Image credit: Legion-Media

Peter Jackson, the visionary director behind the Lord of the Rings saga, has finally revealed the devastating personal struggle that has kept him away from the director’s chair for over a decade.

If you’ve wondered why Peter Jackson’s been MIA from the big movie scene lately, you’re far from alone. The guy who basically turned Middle-earth into a second home for almost a decade kind of just... stopped making narrative films out of nowhere. Well, Jackson finally broke his silence on why, and honestly? It’s more heartbreaking and personal than I ever expected.

Peter Jackson’s Run: Blockbusters, Then Radio Silence

Just to recap, Jackson’s the guy behind those massive Lord of the Rings movies in the early 2000s and then circled back with The Hobbit trilogy in the 2010s. For a while there, you couldn’t swing a sword in Hollywood without hitting something he was producing, directing, or just plain influencing.

Here’s what his blockbuster run looks like:

'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (2001)
'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002)
'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)
'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012)
'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' (2013)
'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' (2014)

After that, though, Jackson shifted gears and only turned out documentaries—like the astonishing World War I project 'They Shall Not Grow Old' and the Beatles doc 'Get Back – The Rooftop Concert.' But as far as dramatic, narrative features? Nothing for over a decade.

What Happened?

Flash forward to now, and the Lord of the Rings movies are getting a limited theater re-release for the 25th anniversary of 'Fellowship of the Ring.' In a fresh introduction attached to 'Return of the King,' Jackson opened up about why he’s been away from the big-screen drama game. And spoiler: it’s pretty raw.

It all comes back to Andrew Lesnie, Jackson’s longtime cinematographer, who worked on all of the above epics. Lesnie passed away in 2015 at just 59, and apparently, this hit Jackson a lot harder than anyone realized.

"That was a terrible blow to me, losing Andrew. It wasn’t a conscious decision because after that I made a documentary using old footage, and then I made a documentary about The Beatles, using old footage they had shot, and looking back I realize that I’ve avoided doing drama films because I’d have to work with someone else who isn’t Andrew, and I think his death changed my creative path. The result is that for 11 or 12 years, I haven’t made a drama film because that would require me to build a relationship with another DP."

If you’re not in the trenches of film production, “DP” means “director of photography”—basically, the cinematographer who shapes the entire visual look of the movie. For Jackson, that was Lesnie. After losing him, the idea of building that partnership from scratch with somebody new just wasn’t in the cards, at least not right away. So rather than replace him, Jackson just kept his focus on documentaries, using existing footage and not needing to form that same kind of creative bond.

Is Jackson Done Making Films Forever?

Here’s the good news: He says he will be back. According to Jackson, 'that day is getting closer'—but he’s the first to admit, it’s taken him a long time to get there (understatement of the decade).

At the end of the day, it’s kind of refreshing to see someone this successful admit they just weren’t ready to move on from a loss like that. So, if you've missed seeing Peter Jackson’s name on something other than a Beatles doc, you’re not alone—and it sounds like things might finally be shifting.