Sir Peter Jackson to sell Weta Digital tech division to US-based gaming company

by Craig Kapitan — 10 November 2021

Film-maker Sir Peter Jackson has agreed to sell Wellington-based Weta Digital’s tech division by the end of the year to a 3D game-development company based in the United States.

The deal is worth nearly NZ$2.3 billion.

US-based Unity Software has said it will use the purchase to “unlock the full potential of the metaverse” by “democratising” Weta Digital’s sophisticated visual effects tools, which it described as currently being “incredibly exclusive”. The goal, the company said, will be to make the tools available to creators and artists around the world.

In a statement released by Unity – whose technology is used in games such as Pokémon Go and Call of Duty: Mobile – Jackson touted the forthcoming sale as “nothing short of game-changing”.

“Weta Digital’s tools created unlimited possibilities for us to bring to life the worlds and creatures that originally lived in our imaginations,” he said. “Together, Unity and Weta Digital can create a pathway for any artist, from any industry, to be able to leverage these incredibly creative and powerful tools.

“Offering aspiring creatives access to Weta Digital’s technology will be nothing short of game-changing, and Unity is just the company to bring this vision to life.”

 

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