News for Feb. 19, 2006

Peter Jackson Talks Games

2/19/06, 2:01 pm EST - Xoanon

Oscar-winning writer, director, and producer Peter Jackson has already left an indelible mark on Hollywood with his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, which stands out as one of the best marriages between cutting-edge special effects and J.R.R. Tolkien's rich narrative. Jackson's most recent project, the big screen re-make of King Kong, resulted in another successful melding of entertainment -- this time between the linear film and the video game that bears Jackson's name in the title. Not since Enter the Matrix has there been such collaboration between a Hollywood director and a video game based on his creation. Like the Wachowskis, Jackson has been a gamer all of his life, so he brings gaming sensibilities to the table in his interactive collaborations. Jackson hand-picked Rayman creator Michel Ancel to spearhead the King Kong game because he had been impressed with his critically acclaimed, but commercially unrecognized adventure game, Beyond Good and Evil, several years ago. [More]