| WingNut Films Productions Ltd. | |
| Type: | Public |
| Industry: | Motion picture |
| Location City: | Wellington |
| Location Country: | New Zealand |
WingNut Films Productions Ltd is a New Zealand production company based in Wellington, with other offices in Hollywood, United States, London, United Kingdom, and Melbourne, Australia; notably for producing and collaborating predominantly with filmmaker Peter Jackson, especially on The Lord of the Rings. WingNut Films also has produced at Pinewood Studios in England. Its US subsidiary is WingNut Films, Inc.
WingNut Films has been involved in nearly all of Peter Jackson's work. The company is known for being involved in Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series, based on the classic fantasy novel of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The third film in the series received eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. The company also became involved in The Hobbit after director Guillermo del Toro left the project.
Jackson's 1992 comedy horror film Braindead was subject to a lawsuit: In Bradley v WingNut Films Ltd [1993] 1 NZLR 415, it was alleged that Braindead had infringed the privacy of the plaintiffs by containing pictures of the plaintiff's family tombstone. After reviewing the New Zealand judicial authorities on privacy, Gallen J stated: "the present situation in New Zealand ... is that there are three strong statements in the High Court in favour of the existence of such a tort in this country and an acceptance by the Court of Appeal that the concept is at least arguable." This case became one of a series of cases which contributed to the introduction of tort invasions of privacy in New Zealand.[4]