That man Peter Jackson again - and his remake of The Dam Busters classic...

Slimmer and minus the spectacles (he now wears contact lenses) Peter Jackson has begun his new project in his Wellington studio in New Zealand's lower North Island.

The original film portrayed the exploits of 617 Squadron and its 19 four engined Lancaster bombers during its months of training and the actual mission to blow up dams in Germany's Rhine area. It involved 133 people including the 19 pilots and crew, who successfully smashed the Moehne and Eder dams in Germany on May 16 1943. The resulting floods killed over 1200 people and destroyed many factories involved in the German war effort.

Kiwi Peter Jackson who is producing the $66 million remake of the classic 1954 British film, "The Dam Busters",is reportedly building 10 replicas of the Lancasters for the film. He is also expected to employ his considerable special effects skills for this film.

The last surviving pilot from the mission, 89 year old Les Munro from Tauranga, also in the North Island in New Zealand, was recently flown to Britain as a VIP guest for the 65th Anniverary celebrations of the "Dam Busters" mission. A feature of the celebration was a fly-past by one of the two remaining Lancaster bombers over Derwent Dam in Derbyshire where the team practiced dropping the special bombs to be used against the German dams.