Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson has undergone surgery for a perforated ulcer in his native New Zealand.
Publicist Melissa Booth said Sir Peter was admitted to Wellington Hospital the night before suffering from severe stomach pains and is now recovering from surgery.
She said that Sir Peter was resting comfortably and is expected to make a full recovery.
Sir Peter's illness will delay the start of filming for The Hobbit, the two-part prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movies are based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.