Peter Jackson had found his way to The Lord of the Rings later than most, but he was immediately drawn in by Middle-earth and the rich world that JRR Tolkien created. As an aspiring young filmmaker, Jackson was perhaps influenced by The Lord of the Rings when making his own amateur fantasy movies – but would not revisit Middle-earth until nearly 20 years later.
Peter Jackson: I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was 18. Loved the book. Thought it would make a great film. Assumed that somebody, one day, would make a live action film, and that I would get to go along and see it.
