Peter Jackson's Weta FX opens Vancouver studio
Monday, April 4, 2022 at 8:44PM Weta FX, the New Zealand-based visual effects house co-founded by Peter Jackson, is opening its second studio in Vancouver as part of plans to expand globally. Initially, 75 artists will fill the office, which opened its doors on Monday. The B.C. city office complements an existing corporate office in Los Angeles. Weta FX has worked on Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Warner Bros.' The Batman, Marvel's Moon Knight, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, and James Cameron's Avatar. The Canadian studio will be working on an Avatar sequel.
The expansion comes months after tech firm Unity acquired Jackson's Weta Digital company for US$1.625 billion (around CA$2.03 billion converted) in cash and stock in November 2021. Unity bought tech assets of Weta and now operates as Weta Digital. At the same time, Jackson's visual effects business remains separate under the Weta FX banner.