Peter Jackson has spoken about what caused Mortal Engines to take 10 years to be made.

While Jackson isn’t directing Mortal Engines – that task falls to protégé Christian Rivers – the film is certainly near and dear to the writer/producer’s heart. Jackson has revealed that Mortal Engines has been in the works since 2008 but because the technology wasn’t ready, the film had to be put on hold.

Speaking to ScreenRant, Jackson said: “Certainly, digital CG people and digital doubles are the thing that has really clicked in the last few years. And I’m sure we’ll be seeing quite a bit of that in some of the people I’ve shot on this film. Because this movie is the sort of scale that you can’t really build sets. I mean, we’re building as many sets as we can and we’re building what we can but it’s just such a… you know, having a city that’s like a mile long on wheels and these massive… you just can’t build anything [like] that this size.”

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Jackson says the plan was originally to utilise miniatures to bring these worlds to life, much like he did when filming The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, he revealed that this just wasn’t a possibility in the end:

“With miniatures, it’s really… it’s almost to the point where miniatures are more expensive than doing things on a computer. Plus, you know, with a miniature, you have to decide on your shot. You know you… you know, obviously you’ve got the shot and there’s a miniature DP and you decide on what the camera move is, and you do it and that’s your shot. So, I think the flexibility and the discovery of how, you know… of how to cover some piece of action with a visual camera is a great tool.”

Are you excited for Mortal Engines? And do you think the film will ultimately be better off for going down the CG route instead of trying to make miniatures and practical effects work?

SEE ALSO: Peter Jackson-produced Mortal Engines gets a new trailer and images

Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved. Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns. Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar). Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.

Mortal Engines is set to hit cinemas on December 14th 2018 and sees Peter Jackson protege Christian Rivers directing a cast that includes Hera Hilmar (Da Vinci’s Demons), Stephen Lang (Avatar), Hugo Weaving (The Lord of the Rings), Robbie Sheehan (Fortitude), Ronan Raftery (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Leila George (Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?), Jihae (Mars), Colin Salmon (Limitless), Patrick Malahide (Game of Thrones) and Rege-Jean Page (Roots).