Peter Jackson: 'Compass' benefactor or frightener?

By Borys Kit

Peter Jackson had a strong hand in the making -- and even unmaking -- of New Line's upcoming fantasy epic "The Golden Compass." When Chris Weitz first signed on to adapt and direct "Compass" in 2004, Jackson, coming off the success of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and in the middle of "King Kong," invited Weitz to his abode in New Zealand to offer advice.

"He had liked the books and knew I was going to direct them, and he knew that I didn't have any CGI experience," Weitz said at the afterparty for the movie's L.A. premiere at Palomino on Thursday. "He invited me to come to WETA and come see their facilities and to meet with the guys he's worked with for decades, from the propmakers and armorers to the guys who were doing motion caption ... and that's kindness that I'll always remember." But by the end of the year, Weitz dropped out, saying the challenges were more than he was prepared to undertake. Usually an excuse of this kind is Hollywood malarkey, but not only was this true, it was Jackson's random act of kindness that cause Weitz to flee. "Ironically, it was Peter Jackson's act of kindness that frightened me," Weitz said. "In four days you can learn how little you know about CGI and epic filmmaking. It was enough to terrify me and to think that my life as I know it will be over if I do this movie."

Anand Tucker came on board, then fell out due to creative differences, but Weitz stayed on as screenwriter. Working on the script let him turn in a draft that brought the project into a manageable place for him and to gain confidence. He also met his wife and, in his words, "had a home to come to," which also helped gain confidence. Making the movie was grueling for him -- "Now I really understand the summit (Jackson) had to climb because I only made one movie, and he made three at once," he said -- but he doesn't regret it. "I would have regretted it if I had turned it down twice, the opportunity to make a film of these great books," he said.