Despite never having a film selected for the Cannes Film Festival, the world’s greatest festival is awarding Peter Jackson an Honorary Palm d’Or. The New Zealand filmmaker will attend the 2026 festival’s opening ceremony on May 12. Earlier this week, the festival revealed that the entire 2026 lineup will be unveiled on April 9.
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In a statement, Jackson noted, “To be honoured with an Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes is one of the greatest privileges of my career. Cannes has been a meaningful part of my filmmaking journey. In 1988, I attended the Festival Marketplace with my first movie, ‘Bad Taste,’ then in 2001, we screened a preview sequence from ‘The Fellowship of the Ring,’ both of which were important milestones in my career. This festival has always celebrated bold, visionary cinema, and I’m incredibly grateful to the Festival de Cannes for being recognised among the filmmakers and the artists whose work continues to inspire me.”
Festival President Iris Knobloch added, “For its 79th year, the Festival welcomes and thanks a filmmaker of boundless creativity who has brought prestige to the heroic fantasy genre.”
Festival Director Thierry Frémaux noted that there is “clearly a before and an after Peter Jackson. Larger-than-life cinema is his trademark, and his all-encompassing art of entertainment is particularly ambitious. He has permanently transformed Hollywood cinema and its conception of the spectacle. But Peter Jackson is not only a great technician; he is above all a tremendous storyteller. And an unpredictable artist: what will his next universe be?”
Jackson is best known for writing and directing “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy that began with “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” in 2001. He won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, and Adapted Screenplay for the final film in the series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” in 2004. He came to international prominence with “Heavenly Creatures,” which had its international premiere at the 1994 Venice International Film Festival and saw him earn an Original Screenplay nomination.
Other notable narrative films on Jackson’s resume include “The Hobbit” trilogy, “King Kong,” “The Frighteners,” and “The Lovely Bones.” As a producer, he also shepherded “The Adventures of Tintin,” “District 9” and the documentary “West of Memphis.” His own documentaries include “They Shall Not Grow Old,” “The Beatles Get Back” docu-series, and “The Beatles Get Back – The Rooftop Concert.”
His next announced project is producing the 2027 New Line release, “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” which Andy Serkis is set to direct.
In 1993, Jackson co-founded the influential visual effects company WETA Digital alongside Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk. Now known as Weta FX, Jackson is a majority owner of the New Zealand institution whose credits include the “Avatar” films, “Stranger Things,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “The Jungle Book,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Last of Us,” and many, many more.
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival will be held from May 12 to 23. Look for complete coverage on the ground from The Playlist.
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