Christian Rivers is a New Zealand storyboard artist, visual effects supervisor, special effects technician, and director. He first met Peter Jackson as a 17-year-old,Pre-vizualisation: Making Words into Images The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Special Extended DVD Edition documentary and storyboarded all of Jackson's films since Braindead. He made his directing debut in the film adaptation of Mortal Engines, and is planning a remake of The Dam Busters, both produced by Peter Jackson.
Career Rivers started his career by storyboarding Peter Jackson's Braindead right after finishing his secondary education at St Augustine's College, Wanganui.Liz Wylie, "Whanganui Marist Brothers education celebrated with anniversaries this Labour Weekend", Whanganui Chronicle, 26 October 2019 (Retrieved 29 January 2026) He has since then continued to work for Jackson on storyboards, special effects, visual effects and splinter unit directing on The Hobbit trilogy. On King Kong, he directed the previz of the fight between King Kong and the three V-rexes. The sequence was used as the blueprint for the final version, giving Rivers a direction credit for the scene. For his work on King Kong, he won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Rivers went on directing his first short film, Feeder, and second unit directing on the 2016 remake of Pete's Dragon.
In December 2009, it was stated that the New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson intended to make a movie based on Mortal Engines. On 25 October 2016, Peter Jackson announced that WingNut Films has started work on producing a feature film to be directed by Christian Rivers. The script has been written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The movie was financed by MRC and Universal, and shooting on Mortal Engines got underway in March 2017 in New Zealand. Producers Zane Weiner and Amanda Walker, who both worked on The Hobbit, will be spearheading the NZ based team, along with Deborah Forte in the US.
The film premiered on 27 November 2018. It premiered worldwide on 14 December 2018, received generally mixed reviews and was a box office bomb.
Future projects
Work on a remake of The Dam Busters, produced by Peter Jackson and directed by first time director Christian Rivers, began in 2008. Jackson said in the mid-1990s that he became interested in remaking the 1955 film, but found that the rights had been bought by Mel Gibson. In 2004, Jackson was contacted by his agent, who said Gibson had dropped the rights. In December 2005, the rights were purchased by David Frost, from the Brickhill family.Conlon, Tara. "Frost clears Dam Busters for take-off." guardian.co.uk, 8 December 2005. Retrieved: 4 December 2009. Stephen Fry wrote the script.Oatts, Joanne. "Fry denies 'Doctor Who' rumours." Digital Spy, 15 March 2007. Retrieved: 21 March 2007.
In March 2007, it was announced it will be distributed by Universal Pictures, and StudioCanal."Who you gonna call? The Dam Busters." W Weta Holics. Retrieved: 21 March 2007. Filming was planned to commence in early 2009, on a budget of US$40 million,Cardy, Tom and Andrew Kelly. "Dambusters filming set for next year." The Dominion Post, 1 January 2008. Retrieved: 30 June 2008. although no project specific filming had begun by May 2009.Katterns, Tanya. "Takeoff Looms For Dam Film." The Dominion Post, 5 May 2009. Retrieved: 4 December 2009. The project was delayed because Jackson decided to make The Hobbit.
Weta Workshop was making the models and special effects for the film and had made 10 life size Lancaster bombers."Weta Workshop Vehicles." wetanz.com, 2008. Retrieved: 4 December 2009. Fry said Wing Commander Guy Gibson's dog "Nigger" will be called "Digger" in the remake so as to avoid controversy, despite the historical inaccuracy.Cardy, Tom. "Dambusters dog bone of contention." stuff.co.nz, 13 June 2011. Retrieved: 20 May 2013. Les Munro, a pilot in the strike team, joined the production crew in Masterton as technical advisor. Jackson was also to use newly declassified War Office documents to ensure the authenticity of the film.Bromhead, Peter. "Stars bow to hero of missions impossible." nzherald.co.nz, 11 October 2009. Retrieved: 4 December 2009.
After Munro died in August 2015, Phil Bonner of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre said he still thinks Jackson will eventually make the film, citing Jackson's passion for aviation. Jackson said, "There is only a limited span I can abide, of people driving me nuts asking me when I'm going to do that project. So I'll have to do it. I want to, actually, it's one of the truly great true stories of the Second World War, a wonderful, wonderful story.""The Dam Busters: Will Peter Jackson's remake of the iconic film ever get off the ground?", by Paul Gallagher, The Independent
Filmography
Braindead (1992) – Storyboard artist & Special effects technician Heavenly Creatures (1994) – Storyboard artist Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994) – Special effects technician, as Christian Rivers The Frighteners (1996) – Storyboard artist Contact (1997) – Digital artist The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Visual effects supervisor & Assistant art director, uncredited The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – Visual effects supervisor The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – Visual effects supervisor King Kong (2005) – Animation director & Visual effects supervisor The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) – Sculptor/Designer The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007) - Visual creative consultant Diagnosis: Death (2009) – Special effects technician & Visual effects supervisor The Lovely Bones (2009) – Visual effects supervisor The Warrior's Way (2010) – Visual effects supervisor The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) – Splinter unit director & Visual effects supervisor The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) – Splinter unit director The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) – Splinter unit director Feeder (Short film) (2015) – Director & Storyboard artist Pete's Dragon (2016) – Second unit director Mortal Engines (2018) – Director
References
External links