Despite the recognition, Jackson has never had a film compete in the festival’s official selection. His relationship with Cannes, however, stretches back decades. In 1988, he brought his debut feature Bad Taste to the festival’s Marché du Film, where the ultra-low-budget splatter horror secured international distribution. Years later, in 2001, he returned to Cannes to showcase 26 minutes of promotional footage from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, a move that reportedly convinced sceptical distributors of the project’s potential.
Jackson’s ambitious adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy went on to become a global phenomenon. The three films collectively grossed around $3 billion worldwide and won 17 Academy Awards. The final instalment, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, alone secured 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. His subsequent prequel trilogy based on The Hobbit also performed strongly at the box office, earning nearly $3 billion globally despite receiving little awards recognition.
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