Summary of this article
Peter Jackson received the Honorary Palme d'Or from Elijah Wood during the opening ceremony of the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival.
Wood recalled meeting Peter for the first time when he was 18 years old.
Jackson also recalled how Cannes saved his The Lord of the Rings franchise.
Cannes Film Festival 2026 kicked off on Tuesday (May 12) with a jury press conference, film screenings and stunning red-carpet appearances. On the opening day of the prestigious film festival, filmmaker Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d’Or inside the Palais’ Grand Lumiére Theatre.
Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in Jackson’s blockbuster Lord of the Rings series, presented him the coveted trophy, with the latter saying that he is not really a “Palme kinda guy” but the Cannes Film Festival made him one.
Peter Jackson honoured with Palme d’Or
Wood recalled meeting Peter for the first time when he was 18 years old. “He had come to Los Angeles with Fran Walsh for an ambitious new project. He had seen a VHS tape I’d made with friends in the woods of Griffith Park, and now they wanted to meet the young man who had sent it. I walked into Victoria Burrows’ casting office and there they were, Pete and Fran, together as they’d been for almost every day since they first met sometime in the late ’80s,” he said.
“And when, a little while later, the call came that I was going to be Frodo Baggins, I sat down on the floor of my bedroom and I understood with the whole of my being that my life had just been divided into before and after. And I know I’m far from the only person who has had their life changed by Peter Jackson,” Wood added.
Peter Jackson's acceptance speech at Cannes
Jackson accepted the award from Wood with a hug, commenting that he’s “grown a little bit of facial hair” since their first meeting. “If someone does a remake of Gone With the Wind, it could be your role,” Jackson jokingly said.
He then recalled how Cannes saved his The Lord of the Rings franchise.
“Thank you for this very unexpected and miraculous award. A Palme d’Or is never something I never ever thought I would win, ever. So this is an absolutely stunning surprise and an incredible honour. I’ve only been to Cannes twice before, but the two times that I’ve come have been absolutely milestones in my career,” said the filmmaker.
