Peter Jackson has provided an interesting update on his future, as fans are waiting for the director’s first movie since 2014. Jackson is most famous for his work on the Lord of the Rings franchise, having directed the original trilogy and all three Hobbit movies in the 2010s. His next chapter is completely unexpected.

In an interview with Screen Rant, Jackson revealed that he’s currently working on three different scripts for upcoming projects, although he didn’t go into too much detail about what these projects might be. Apart from The Hunt for Gollum, a continuation of the Lord of the Rings franchise directed by Andy Serkis, Jackson’s scripts are being kept secret.

Jackson was talking alongside Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm and Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis about the company’s ongoing efforts to bring the Giant Moa back from extinction. Jackson is a major investor in Colossal, but he only got involved on the condition that the bio-science company would shift attention to the Moa.

ScreenRant: Peter, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you about your future in film. We haven’t seen you direct a feature since 2014. Is Colossal your prerogative now? Are you retired?

Peter Jackson: No, no. I’m certainly not retired. We are currently working on three different screenplays. I’m at the moment writing three different scripts.

We are producing and have been writing The Hunt for Gollum, which Andy Serkis is going to direct next year. I’ve enjoyed working on documentaries, whether they show I’ve grown old or not, and obviously the Get Back The Beatles project. I’ve enjoyed doing various things with The Beatles, which is great, and that’ll probably carry on.

But to me, de-extincting the Moa would be just as exciting, if not more exciting, than any film I could possibly make. I’ve made a lot of movies, but to see the Giant Moa brought back would be a level of excitement that I think would supersede anything at this point in time.

What This Means For Peter Jackson’s Future

Jackson Isn’t Retired, Which Can Only Be Good News

Even though Jackson hasn’t directed a movie since 2014’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, it would be wrong to suggest he hasn’t been keeping himself busy. Of course, his documentary about The Beatles is his most recent high-profile success, using similar techniques to his critically-acclaimed First World War documentary They Shall Not Grow Old.

Jackson also wrote and produced 2018’s young adult novel adaptation, Mortal Engines, but a return to the director’s chair is still an exciting project. After such a long break, it’s hard to predict what a new Peter Jackson movie will look like. He certainly has the freedom to pick and choose his projects, whether he decides to return to Middle-earth or not.

Our Take On Peter Jackson’s Career Update

Jackson Might Not Be Directing Again Any Time Soon

While Jackson is open about the fact that he’s working on three different scripts, his fans should still prepare themselves for a lengthy wait before any concrete updates about him directing another movie. There’s a chance that all three of these scripts could be pᴀssed on to other directors, like how Serkis is helming The Hunt for Gollum.

Jackson’s dedication to Colossal Biosciences seems to be taking up more of his time than many fans would have anticipated. The de-extinction process will obviously draw comparisons to Jurᴀssic Park, but Jackson seems serious about his plans to bring New Zealand’s iconic Moas back to life.

Jackson is right to suggest that such a scientific breakthrough would be more impressive than any new movie, and it would also represent a more seismic cultural contribution, given the bird’s near-legendary status in New Zealand. Hopefully, Jackson can balance this pᴀssion project with filmmaking in the next few years.

If Jackson were to start directing again, many fans would want to see him resurrecting the long-awaited sequel to Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin, which seems trapped in development hell. An original movie would also be exciting, since Jackson’s career has been categorized by franchises and adaptations for many years.