‘Doctor Who’: Peter Jackson willing to direct episode for free

Just how big of a “Doctor Who” fan is Peter Jackson? Let’s just say that he is willing to do more than just step on board the BBC series to direct the episode: he’s actually willing to do so without really getting anything in return. The “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker is an enormous fan of the show, and also has various pieces of memorabilia that he has collected over the years.

Speaking in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, Jackson proclaimed that he actually spoke with executive producer Steven Moffat over the Christmas holiday to confirm his serious interest, and he also explained specifically all he would like to have in return for doing the show:

“They don’t even have to pay me … But I have got my eye on one of those nice new gold-colored Daleks. They must have a spare one.”

As for whether or not Moffat would be interested in having Jackson on, the obvious answer here has to be “yes,” right? While his movies have come under fire (especially “The Hobbit”) for being incredibly long and oftentimes uneventful, there’s no question that he is one of the biggest directors in the business. It is extra publicity for the show, and it is always nice to see what a fresh set of eyes to do with an established property. Plus, the good news about “Doctor Who” is that there are enough episodes in a season that even if for whatever reason Jackson’s episode comes out horrible, there will be plenty of other opportunities for others to make episodes that are more pleasing to fans at the end of the day.

What do you think: should Peter step into the director’s chair? One thing we can say is that he won’t be doing it at any point during season 7, which has already been completed. (You can read more about what is to come at the link here.)

Photo: BBC