Philippa Boyens, MNZM, is a New Zealand screenwriter and producer who co-wrote the screenplay for Peter Jackson's films The Lord of the Rings series, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, and the three-part film The Hobbit, all with Jackson and Fran Walsh.
She, Jackson and Walsh won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004. She was also co-producer in every one of Jackson's films since King Kong, and in District 9. Prior to screenwriting, Boyens worked in theater as a playwright, teacher, producer and editor. She also spent time as director of the New Zealand Writers Guild.
Boyens was a part-time student at the University of Auckland, graduating with a BA in English and History in 1994. She received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the university in 2006.
She has three children, daughter Phoebe Gittins and son Calum Gittins (both with actor Paul Gittins), and a second son, Isaac Miller. Phoebe appeared as a Hobbit in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, one of George Harvey's victims in The Lovely Bones, and a wench in the Prancing Pony in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug; Calum appeared as Haleth in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.; and Isaac appeared as a young Hobbit in a flashback of the Old Took's party in the extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Work on Lord of the Rings
Boyens first became a Tolkien fan as a child. When she came on board to help the writing team on The Lord of the Rings, she had already read the book seven times.
Filmography
Writer
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | screenplay |
2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | |
2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | |
2005 | King Kong | |
2009 | The Lovely Bones | |
2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | |
2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | |
2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies |
Producer
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2005 | King Kong | Co-producer |
2009 | District 9 | |
The Lovely Bones | ||
2012 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | |
2013 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | |
2014 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies |
Soundtrack
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Writer "The Edge of Night", "The Green Dragon" |