Philippa Boyens

Philippa Jane Boyensis a New Zealand screenwriter who co-wrote the screenplay for The Lord of the Rings series, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, and the three-part film series The Hobbit.

Born in 1962, Boyens is the daughter of John Fraser Boyens and Jane Moana Menhennet. She was educated at Massey High School, and was later a part-time student at the University of Auckland, graduating with a BA in English and history in 1994. After that Boyens joined a theatre company and her wages were paid by the government in a PEP scheme.

Boyens received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University and Auckland in 2006.

Boyens co-wrote the screenplay for Peter Jackson's films The Lord of the Rings series, King Kong, The Lovely Bones, and the three-part film The Hobbit, all with Jackson and Fran Walsh.

Boyens, Jackson, and Walsh won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004. She was co-producer on every one of Jackson's films since King Kong, and on District 9. Prior to screen-writing, Boyens worked in theatre as a playwright, teacher, producer, and editor.

Boyens was director of the New Zealand Writers Guild for a time.