Peter Jackson is a filmmaker that has proven himself quite adept at making fantasy epics. His “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies have proven that the director is not scared of tackling big-screen epics. And when you talk about the films that seem to dominate the box office in 2019, superhero epics, Jackson would logically be one of the guys you’d probably think would be perfectly suited for the job. But alas, it doesn’t appear that the ‘Rings’ filmmaker is going to tackle a superhero film anytime soon. In fact, he’s already turned down the opportunity…twice.
In a new interview with Empire, Jackson talked about the possibility of working on a superhero film. And in explaining why he isn’t interested, the director revealed that he’d already been offered the chance to direct a superhero film, “Aquaman.” He turned it down. Twice.
READ MORE: Peter Jackson To Direct A New Beatles Doc About The ‘Let It Be’ Recording Sessions
“[WB Executive Kevin Tsujihara] said, ‘Are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ‘No.’ Six months later: ‘Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ’No, Kevin, I already told you this’,” Jackson said. “I’m not a superhero guy. I read ‘Tintin’… Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for.”
And recently, those things that Jackson has shown a deep passion for include his documentary, “They Shall Not Grow Old.” Jackson also was heavily involved in last year’s major box office disaster “The Mortal Engines,” though he only wrote and produced that film.
READ MORE: Ouch! Peter Jackson’s WWI Documentary Has Outgrossed ‘Mortal Engines’ At The Box Office
Plus, we know that “Aquaman” seemed to survive, or thrive, just fine without Jackson at the helm. With director James Wan, the superhero epic, which definitely shares some DNA with ‘Rings,’ went on to gross more than $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office last year.
As for when fans might see the ‘Rings’ helmer step behind the camera for a new narrative feature, don’t hold your breath.
He revealed, “I don’t really anticipate making another theatrical film for a year or two.”
