---
name: "Grant Major"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/grant-major"
fi1m_id: "grant-major"
imdb_id: "nm0538194"
tmdb_id: 1314
wikidata_id: "Q1543185"
roles: ["Production designer"]
born: "1 January 1955"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_over: 12
updated: "2026-10-22T02:09:42.329173+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Grant Major

## Identity

Grant Major

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/grant-major
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** grant-major
- **IMDb ID:** nm0538194
- **TMDB ID:** 1314
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1543185
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Major, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1543185, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0538194/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1314

Production designer. Born 1 January 1955 in Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand.

## Details

- **Work:** Production designer
- **Born:** 1 January 1955, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand
- **Active:** 1990–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Fran Walsh](https://film.one/person/fran-walsh.md), [Peter Jackson](https://film.one/person/peter-jackson.md), [Philippa Boyens](https://film.one/person/philippa-boyens.md), [Andy Serkis](https://film.one/person/andy-serkis.md), [Barrie M. Osborne](https://film.one/person/barrie-m-osborne.md), [Elijah Wood](https://film.one/person/elijah-wood.md), [Ian McKellen](https://film.one/person/ian-mckellen.md), [Sean Astin](https://film.one/person/sean-astin.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 4 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 86 (2), 2000s 86 (4), 2010s 46 (3), 2020s 63 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 68 across 12 titles
- **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 5 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 7, Adventure 7, Fantasy 7, Drama 4, Family 2, Science Fiction 2
- **Screen time:** 28 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $5,713m across 10 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Major, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1543185, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0538194/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1314

## Coming up

- *A Minecraft Movie Squared* (2027-07-22), Production Design

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king.md) (88), [*The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md) (85), [*Mulan*](https://film.one/film/mulan-2020.md) (54), [*X-Men: Apocalypse*](https://film.one/film/x-men-apocalypse.md) (48)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.md) (90), [*The Meg*](https://film.one/film/the-meg.md) (49)
- **Netflix:** [*The Power of the Dog*](https://film.one/film/the-power-of-the-dog.md) (84), [*King Kong*](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md) (81)
- **The Criterion Channel:** [*An Angel at My Table*](https://film.one/film/an-angel-at-my-table.md) (87)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Walking with Dinosaurs*](https://film.one/film/walking-with-dinosaurs.md) (42)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Grant Major is a New Zealand production designer. Born in Palmerston North in 1955, he began his career in set design at Television New Zealand and the BBC before moving into feature films.

He is best known for his work on Peter Jackson’s *The Lord of the Rings* trilogy, for which he shared an Academy Award for Best Art Direction on *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003). Other credits include *King Kong* (2005), *The Power of the Dog* (2021), *Mulan* (2020) and *The Meg* (2018). He received the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for services to film.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, nzonscreen.com.*

## On Fi1m (12)

- *A Minecraft Movie* (2025), Fi1m 52, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/a-minecraft-movie.md)
- *The Power of the Dog* (2021), Fi1m 84, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-power-of-the-dog.md)
- *Mulan* (2020), Fi1m 54, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/mulan-2020.md)
- *The Meg* (2018), Fi1m 49, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-meg.md)
- *X-Men: Apocalypse* (2016), Fi1m 48, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/x-men-apocalypse.md)
- *Walking with Dinosaurs* (2013), Fi1m 42, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/walking-with-dinosaurs.md)
- *King Kong* (2005), Fi1m 81, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003), Fi1m 88, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002), Fi1m 85, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (2001), Fi1m 90, Production Design, Production design — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.md)
- *Heavenly Creatures* (1994), Fi1m 84, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/heavenly-creatures.md)
- *An Angel at My Table* (1990), Fi1m 87, Production design, Production Design — [page](https://film.one/film/an-angel-at-my-table.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *A Minecraft Movie Squared* (2027), Production Design
- *East of Eden* (2026), series, Production Design — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/tv/east-of-eden.md)
- *A Minecraft Movie* (2025), Production Design — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/a-minecraft-movie.md)
- *Cowboy Bebop* (2021), series, Production Design
- *The Power of the Dog* (2021), Production Design — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-power-of-the-dog.md)
- *Mulan* (2020), Production Design — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/mulan-2020.md)
- *The Meg* (2018), Production Design — Fi1m 49, [page](https://film.one/film/the-meg.md)
- *X-Men: Apocalypse* (2016), Production Design — Fi1m 48, [page](https://film.one/film/x-men-apocalypse.md)
- *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny* (2016), Production Design
- *The Dead Lands* (2014), Production Design
- *Walking with Dinosaurs* (2013), Production Design — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/walking-with-dinosaurs.md)
- *Beyond The Edge* (2013), Production Design
- *The Secret Garden* (2012), as Art Direction
- *Emperor* (2012), Production Design
- *Mr. Pip* (2012), Production Design
- *Green Lantern* (2011), Production Design
- *The Vintner's Luck* (2009), Production Design
- *The Ruins* (2008), Production Design
- *Dead Letters* (2006), Production Design
- *King Kong* (2005), Production Design — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/king-kong-2005.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King* (2003), Production Design — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king.md)
- *Whale Rider* (2003), Production Design
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002), Production Design — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md)
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (2001), Production Design — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.md)
- *Aberration* (1998), Production Design
- *Memory & Desire* (1998), Production Design
- *The Ugly* (1997), Production Design
- *A Woman's Heart* (1997), Production Design
- *The Frighteners* (1996), Production Design
- *A Game With No Rules* (1994), Production Design
- *Heavenly Creatures* (1994), Production Design — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/heavenly-creatures.md)
- *Hercules and the Lost Kingdom* (1994), as Art Direction
- *Hercules and the Amazon Women* (1994), as Art Direction
- *Jack Be Nimble* (1993), Production Design
- *The Grasscutter* (1990), as Art Direction
- *An Angel at My Table* (1990), Production Design — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/an-angel-at-my-table.md)
- *Kitchen Sink* (1989), as Art Direction
- *The Invisible Man* (1984), series, as Art Direction

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 4 nominated

- 2022: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Power of the Dog*
- 2006: Best Production Design (nominated), for *King Kong*
- 2004: Best Production Design (won), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*
- 2003: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*
- 2002: Best Production Design (nominated), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring*

### Other awards — 2 won

- honorary doctor of Auckland University of Technology 2004: honorary doctor of Auckland University of Technology (won)
- Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit 2004: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/grant-major