Philippa Boyens on AllMovie

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.