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Peter Jackson 'seriously considered' hypnotherapy to forget ever working on Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson 'seriously considered' hypnotherapy to forget ever working on Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson may have spent six years of his life creating The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, but he would've flushed it all away for a chance to see it with fresh eyes.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, the Oscar-winning director reveals he even consulted British mentalist Derren Brown to perform the old "you're getting sleepy" on him.

Lord of the Rings: Fellowships of the Ring (2001) Orlando Bloom as Legolas and Director Peter Jackson BTS
Lord of the Rings: Fellowships of the Ring (2001) Orlando Bloom as Legolas and Director Peter Jackson BTS

Pierre Vinet/New Line

"When we did the Lord of the Rings movies, I always felt I was the unlucky person who never got to see [them] as a coming-out-of-the-blue film," Jackson said. "By the time they were screening, I was immersed in it for five or six years. It was such a loss for me not be able to see them like everyone else. I actually did seriously consider going to some hypnotherapy guy to hypnotize me to make me forget about the films and the work I had done over the last six or seven years so I could sit and enjoy them. I didn't follow through with it, but I did talk to Derren Brown about that and he thought he could do it."

Putting aside the very tantalizing fact that there's apparently someone out there who can mind-wipe six or seven years of your life, that's kinda hurtful to all the people, elves, and hobbits Jackson worked with during that better part of a decade. But once a fanboy always a fanboy — the draw and awe of seeing one of the greatest cinematic epics for the first time is understandable.

Released between 2001 and 2003, the LOTR trilogy grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide, won 17 out of 30 Academy Awards, and just last year The Fellowship of the Ring was chosen for inclusion in the National Film Registry.

But don't cry for Peter Jackson, Middle-earth. He's at least got the new Amazon Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which he was conveniently left out of during the production process.

"I'll be watching it," Jackson said of the billion-dollar series. "I'm not the sort of guy who wishes ill will. Filmmaking is hard enough. If somebody makes a good film or TV show, it's something to celebrate. The one thing I am looking forward to is actually seeing it as a perfectly neutral viewer."

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres Sept. 2 on Amazon Prime Video.

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