The Price is Right

New York Times feature addresses Peter Jackson’s record-breaking US$20 million salary for Universal’s King Kong remake, deciding he is more than worth the dollars. Jackson, with his collaborative team of Fran Walsh and Phillippa Boyens, provides the perfect package for today’s special effects laden blockbusters; by signing him to a project, a studio receives a tight-knit director/writer/producer unit, as well as one of the world’s leading effects houses (Weta Digital). “There aren’t that many directors to whom studios would pay that kind of money. There aren’t that many directors whose movies have stratospheric box office of $800 million to $900 million worldwide.” Jackson’s high-rolling stable-mates, as listed by the NYT, include Steven Spielberg, the Wachowski brothers (Matrix trilogy), Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), and George Lucas. An Observer feature identifies him as leader of the high-end Hollywood pack: “No director has masterminded three movies back to back like this, still less done so with such a giant commercial splash. The Wachowski brothers’ Matrix trilogy – or rather hit Matrix movie with two sequels – did well financially but disappointed critically. And the jury is out on George Lucas’s Star Wars prequels.”