Peter Jackson, Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones (Matt Mueller / DreamWorks/Paramount)
New Zealand-born Peter Jackson has become Sir Peter Jackson in his native country.
Jackson is now a knight as a result of his "services to film." Among the films he's provided services for are the horror-comedy Braindead (1992); Heavenly Creatures (1994), Kate Winslet's feature-film debut; the 2005 King Kong remake, starring Naomi Watts; and the adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Jackson's latest, The Lovely Bones, starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, and Susan Sarandon, was one of the most anticipated films of 2009. However, it's been generally panned by film critics and has failed to get much awards season buzz. Jackson was also credited as producer of Neill Blomkamp's sleeper hit District 9.
And finally, Jackson's Wellington-based Weta Workshop and Weta Digital production facilities provided the special effects for James Cameron's 3D box-office sensation Avatar, while his Park Road Post Production boasts one of the world's fastest super computers.
Jackson and Guillermo del Toro are currently working on a two-movie prequel to the Lord of the Rings movies, The Hobbit. Filming is due to begin in New Zealand in early 2010. According to reports, Ian McKellen (another knight) should reprise his role as Gandalf.
New Zealand knights and dames are sanctioned by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who happens to be New Zealand's official head of state to this day.