Everest conquerer Sir Edmund Hillary once credited a tour of Weta Workshop with restoring his confidence in New Zealand’s future, according to longtime friend Tom Scott. “He was a huge fan of Lord of the Rings,” says Scott. “He was a huge romantic, he loved the forces of good against the forces of evil. He took Richard Taylor and Peter Jackson aside and said `I’ve been a little despondent about the future of New Zealand, but today’s been an absolute tonic. You’ve made me confident in New Zealand’s future’.”

New Zealand is in mourning since the death of Sir Hillary early on Friday morning NZ time. A state funeral is planned on January 22. Read complete article on Stuff