Philippa Boyens, MNZM, is a New Zealand screenwriter who co-wrote the screenplay for Peter Jackson's film series The Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, for which the trio won an Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004. Boyens worked with the same collaborators on the screenplay for Jackson's version of King Kong. Following that movie's completion, the trio once again worked together on The Lovely Bones, Jackson's film adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel of the same name, which was released in 2009. She is also collaborating with Jackson, Walsh and Guillermo del Toro on The Hobbit films which are scheduled for release in 2012 and 2013. Prior to turning to screenwriting with The Lord of the Rings, Boyens was a playwright.

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 sons Calum Gittins (both with actor Paul Gittins) and Isaac Miller. Calum starred as Haleth in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, who is well known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001 to 2003), adapted from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien.

He won international attention early in his career with his "splatstick" horror comedies beginning with Bad Taste (1987) before coming to mainstream prominence with Heavenly Creatures (1994), for which he shared an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay nomination with his wife, Fran Walsh. Jackson has been awarded three Academy Awards in his career, including the award for Best Director in 2003; he also won the BAFTA, Golden Globe and Saturn Award for Best Direction the same year.

His films also include Meet the Feebles (1989), Braindead (1992), Forgotten Silver (1995), The Frighteners (1996), King Kong (2005),The Lovely Bones (2009), and the upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequels The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2013). He is also the producer of District 9 (2009) and The Adventures of Tintin (2011).

Guillermo del Toro (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡiˈʎermo ðel ˈtoɾo]; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction, fantasy and war.

Del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He was raised in a strict Catholic household. Del Toro studied at the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Cinematográficos, in Guadalajara. He first got involved in filmmaking when he was about eight years old and studied special effects and make-up with SFX artist Dick Smith. Del Toro participated in the cult series La Hora Marcada with other renowned Mexican filmmakers such as Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuarón.

He spent ten years as a special effects make-up designer and formed his own company, Necropia. He also co-founded the Guadalajara International Film Festival. Later on in his directing career, he formed his own production company, the Tequila Gang.

Frances "Fran" Walsh, Lady Jackson, MNZM (born January 10, 1959) is a screenwriter, film producer and occasional musician. She is the wife of filmmaker Peter Jackson. They have two children: Billy and Katie.

Fran Walsh has contributed to all of Jackson's films apart from his first feature Bad Taste. She won three Academy Awards in 2003, for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Original Song, all for the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She has received a total of eight Oscar nominations.

Walsh was born into a family of Irish descent in Wellington, New Zealand, and attended Wellington Girls' College intent on becoming a fashion designer, but eventually became interested in music instead. Occasionally taking time off to perform in a punk band named The Wallsockets, she attended Victoria University of Wellington majoring in English literature and graduated in 1981. Walsh got her screen break writing material for Kiwi producer Grahame McLean on 1983 television film A Woman of Good Character/It's Lizzie to those Close. Later she wrote scripts for his TV show Worzel Gummidge Down Under.

Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett (/ˈblɑːntʃ.ət/; born 14 May 1969) is an Academy Award–winning Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Blanchett appeared as the elf queen Galadriel in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 to 2003. In 2004, Blanchett's portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator brought her numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Blanchett's other films include Babel (2006), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).

Blanchett's work has earned her several accolades, including a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTAs, and an Academy Award. Due to her success and character variety, critics have often called her "the new Meryl Streep" or "the Meryl Streep of the next generation".