Sir Peter Jackson is set to make a World War I documentary.

Sir Peter Jackson

Sir Peter Jackson

The 56-year-old filmmaker - who is best known for directing the 'The Lord of the Rings' movies - is going behind the camera again for a new BBC documentary about the war.

Unveiling the project, Jackson and his partners said: "I've always been fascinated by the First World War due to my own family history and the centenary felt like a unique opportunity to make a personal contribution to the commemoration.

"I wanted to find a way to bring new life to the stories of ordinary people living through extraordinary times.

"The film will be broadcast on BBC One following a UK wide premiere as part of the BFI London Film Festival in 2018.

"The BBC will accompany the film with a 'making-of' documentary with behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with Peter Jackson and an in-depth look at the creative and technical process behind the work."

The untitled documentary is set to use original, archive footage from London's Imperial War Museum, as well as archive and audio from the BBC.

In addition to this new documentary, Jackson is also adapting the sci-fi fantasy book 'Mortal Engines' by Philip Reeve.

The project has been in the works since 2009, and Universal Pictures have now revealed the hotly-anticipated motion picture is scheduled for release on December 14, 2018.

Jackson co-wrote the script for the movie, and his longtime collaborator Christian Rivers is set to helm the motion picture.

The 'Lord of the Rings' filmmaker said: "Christian is one of my closest collaborators. The combination of emotion and jaw-dropping visuals in 'Mortal Engines' makes this the perfect movie for his move into feature directing.

"What Christian intends to do with Philip Reeve's terrific story is going to result in an original and spectacular movie. I wish I could see it tomorrow."