Say Goodbye to Peter Jackson’s $207 Million Blank Check Blockbuster

Hollywood hadn't quite witnessed a success story like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy before. Shot back-to-back and released in three successive years, the Lord of the Rings movies emerged as landmark blockbusters and critical darlings. All three movies became instant classics, with the third installment grossing over $1 billion worldwide and winning in all 11 categories for which it was nominated at the Oscars. Needless to say, Jackson was given a blank check to do whatever he wanted to next, and he chose to spend it on his passion project, King Kong. The movie is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, but audiences in the U.K. have only until October 3 to check it out.