Philippa Boyens

Short Biography

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.Philippa Boyens Film/TV Producer - When screenwriter Philippa Boyens speaks publicly about the production of Peter Jackson's wildly successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, keen listeners will note that she continually reiterates the role that fate had in the project. Much the same could be said about Boyens' career as a screenwriter, given the fact that she had pretty much abandoned the craft following minor work as a script reader and editor. The New Zealand native was a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale from her early youth, so it didn't take long for her to warm to the idea of adapting the novels for the screen -- the tricky part was remaining faithful to the source material while crafting an entertaining trio of films that would hold audiences' attention despite their monstrous running times. Boyens worked closely with similar-minded Tolkien fanatics Jackson and Fran Walsh, and the trio strived for success by keeping the structure of the novel intact and offering the actors the opportunity to explore their characters so they would come alive onscreen. Though a nomination for Best Screenplay for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the first indicator that Boyens and her collaborators had done justice to the source material, the popularity of each film of the trilogy, combined with a Best Screenplay Oscar for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, seemed to be all the proof needed that Boyens had succeeded in her formidable endeavor. For a first-time screenwriter, Boyens' early success offered quite a start to her film career. Of course, in working together so closely on such a demanding project, Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens had formed quite a bond, and shortly after The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King hit theaters, it was announced that Boyens would once again be teaming with the pair to bring King Kong back to the big screen in 2005.