Peter Jackson, the legendary Lord of the Rings director, is taking his world-building skills from fantasy to science. The 63-year-old Oscar winner is teaming up with Colossal Biosciences and New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre to bring back the extinct moa — a giant, flightless bird that vanished about 600 years ago. According to AP News, Jackson is backing the bold resurrection project with $15 million.
Out of the nine known moa species, the South Island Giant Moa reigned supreme — weighing up to 400 pounds and stretching nearly 12 feet tall. Scientists say it was the tallest bird to ever roam the planet.
“When you grow up in New Zealand, you grow up knowing about the moa,” Peter Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s just something that’s in our DNA.”
Jackson and his longtime partner, Fran Walsh, had already invested $10 million into Colossal last year — but with one condition: the moa had to be added to the company’s de-extinction list. “We made a condition of our investment that all of our dollars go into the moa project,” Jackson explained. “So we were able to not just invest in Colossal, but also bring our bones to the table, as it were.”
And yes, he meant that literally.
The couple — together since 1987 and parents to two kids — have spent years collecting moa bones. “We’ve collected about 400 moa bones,” Jackson shared, noting they’re now being used for DNA sampling.
It didn’t take long for the internet to catch fire after the moa announcement dropped.
“Absolutely love what you all are doing. Incredible,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“The moa would be awesome to see again, but I would love for the Steller’s Sea Cow to return,” another chimed in.
“Damn, we really are just bringing back animals now—this shit is awesome,” a third added.
“Dude, that’s a big a** freaky emu,” someone joked.
And another praised the effort, saying, “Colossal Biosciences is leading the way with groundbreaking science and conservation, making the future look more like… the past. Bravo!”
Seeing a towering 12-foot moa strolling through a wildlife preserve might still be a few years off, but Colossal Biosciences is already making waves in the world of de-extinction. Earlier this year, the company grabbed headlines after unveiling its first genetically engineered dire wolves — actual living pups with DNA tweaked from gray wolves to reflect traits of their ancient, extinct relatives.
“We are an evolutionary force at this point,” Colossal’s chief science officer Beth Shapiro told TIME. “We are deciding what the future of these species will be.”
