Peter Jackson Backs Moa De-Extinction Project

• Peter Jackson funds a $15M biotech project to genetically recreate New Zealand’s extinct moa bird, sparking scientific and ethical debate.

Peter Jackson, the celebrated director of The Lord of the Rings, is lending his name — and his considerable financial backing — to one of the most ambitious de-extinction projects in history. Beyond Middle-earth, Jackson harbors a deep fascination for the moa, a colossal, flightless bird native to New Zealand that went extinct around 600 years ago. The filmmaker reportedly owns one of the largest private collections of moa bones, and now he’s channeling that passion into a groundbreaking scientific collaboration.

This week, Texas-based biotech startup Colossal Biosciences announced its latest venture: an attempt to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the South Island giant moa, a species that once towered 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall. Backed by $15 million in funding from Jackson and his long-time partner Fran Walsh, the project also involves experts from the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.

In a statement, Jackson explained, “The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do. Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.”

From Extinction to Ambitious Engineering

Colossal Biosciences is no stranger to ambitious, and often controversial, de-extinction projects. The company has previously made headlines with plans to revive the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf. However, reviving a prehistoric bird presents a new set of challenges. While mammals can be cloned through IVF techniques, bird embryos develop inside eggs, making the process of genetic editing and embryo transfer far more complex.

Beth Shapiro, Colossal’s chief science officer, emphasized that the moa initiative remains in its earliest stages. The first step is to locate well-preserved moa bones that might yield usable DNA. These sequences will then be compared to those of living birds, like the tinamou and emu, which are among the moa’s closest modern relatives.

“We need to figure out what made the moa unique compared to other birds,” Shapiro explained. This is similar to Colossal’s earlier work comparing ancient dire wolf DNA with modern gray wolves before using CRISPR gene-editing technology to modify living cells. That experiment led to the birth of dire wolf-like pups with distinctive traits last year.

But birds bring a unique set of complications. Unlike mammals, there’s no existing method to implant a modified embryo into a surrogate egg-laying bird. “There’s lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome,” Shapiro admitted.

Cultural Guidance and Ethical Questions

This isn’t just a scientific experiment — it’s also a cultural journey. The project’s direction will be significantly influenced by Māori scholars and researchers at the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre, ensuring that indigenous knowledge and ethical considerations remain central. Kyle Davis, an archaeologist and moa bone expert, sees the project as an opportunity to reconnect with Māori traditions and mythology. He notes that ancient rock art in places like Pyramid Valley, one of the archaeological sites Jackson and Davis have explored together, depicts the moa as it once roamed New Zealand’s landscapes.

Meanwhile, conservation biologists remain skeptical. Stuart Pimm, an ecologist from Duke University, warns of the potential dangers of reintroducing a species into an environment it vanished from centuries ago. “Can you put a species back into the wild once you’ve exterminated it there?” Pimm asked, adding, “This will be an extremely dangerous animal.”

Even if a moa-like bird could be created, there would be critical questions about where it could live and how it would coexist within modern ecosystems. New Zealand’s environment has changed dramatically since the moa’s extinction, largely driven by human settlement and introduced predators.

A Collector’s Dream Turns Scientific Venture

Jackson’s moa fascination began as a personal hobby. Paul Scofield, senior curator of natural history at New Zealand’s Canterbury Museum and an adviser to the project, first encountered Jackson when the filmmaker sought help identifying bones in his growing collection. “He doesn’t just collect some moa bones — he has a comprehensive collection,” Scofield noted.

In New Zealand, moa bones can legally be bought and sold if discovered on private land, though it’s illegal to remove them from public conservation areas or export them. Jackson reportedly owns between 300 and 400 bones, representing a significant portion of the known moa remains in private hands.

A Broader Trend in De-Extinction Science

The moa revival project is part of a larger wave of de-extinction initiatives gaining momentum worldwide. In recent years, Colossal has attracted substantial attention — and controversy — with its high-profile attempts to resurrect prehistoric creatures like the woolly mammoth. Proponents argue these projects could help restore lost ecosystems or serve as “biological proxies” for extinct species. Critics, however, caution that such ventures divert resources and attention from conserving the species we still have.

Interestingly, New Zealand has long been a hotspot for lost species. Aside from the moa, the island nation was home to the Haast’s eagle, the largest known eagle species, which preyed primarily on moa. Some paleontologists argue that if moa ever did return, it might reignite discussions about reviving their ancient predator as well — a concept that sounds straight out of a Jurassic Park sequel.

While the moa project remains speculative and full of scientific and ethical challenges, it undeniably reignites public imagination about what’s possible when cutting-edge biotech meets ancient history.