Director/Producer/Writer Peter Jackson

The Hollywood Reporter has given out its own Producers of the Year Award to Peter Jackson, his lifelong partner Fran Walsh, and Carolynne Cunningham, for their work on District 9, which released earlier this year.

The Hollywood Reporter’s website includes an extended article detailing the story behind Jackson and his team’s efforts to first produce a film adaptation of the Halo videogame, and how that project turned into the independently financed District 9. The main reason why the Halo project was canned was because Jackson insisted that it be directed by first-time feature film director Neill Blomkamp, which then financiers Universal and 20th Century Fox were not comfortable with. The article then goes on to talk about Jackson’s involvements as director and producer for The Lovely Bones, set to release January 15.

In Other News…

Today NBC Universal inched closer towards being sold by General Electric (which holds an 80% stake in the company) to Comcast. The two came to an agreement on NBC Universal’s worth, which they estimate to be at around $30 billion. Under the deal that is being proposed, Comcast would buy a 51% share of GE’s stake.

However, Vivendi (who owns the remaining 20%) has the option of vetoing the deal if it wishes too. Also, the FCC withholds the right to undercut the deal under anti-trust grounds if it so chooses, so nothing appears set in stone.

Source: Variety