Geoff Murphy was a successful New Zealand filmmaker best-known for his work during the renaissance of New Zealand cinema that began in the last half of the 1970s.

He directed a string of big-budget Hollywood features during the 1990s, before returning to New Zealand as second unit director on all three movies of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He has also worked as a scriptwriter, assistant director, special effects man, schoolteacher and trumpet player.