 Peter Jackson (I) (qv) originally wanted to make this film  immediately after _Frighteners, The (1996/I)_ (qv). When Universal  saw that _Godzilla (1998)_ (qv) and _Mighty Joe Young (1998)_ (qv)  would be released the same year, they pulled the plug on the project  and Jackson moved on to  _Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)_ (qv),  using the ghost effects he developed for King Kong. After the  tremendous success of the trilogy, Jackson was finally able to make  the film.