Sir Peter Jackson ( born October 31 , 1961 , Pukerua Bay , New Zealand ) is a movie director . He is most widely known for directing the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . Sir Peter Robert Jackson , KNZM ( born 31 October 1961 ) is a New Zealand film director , producer , actor , and screenwriter , known for his Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien .