---
name: "Michael J. Horton"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-horton"
fi1m_id: "michael-horton"
imdb_id: "nm0395579"
tmdb_id: 1376
wikidata_id: "Q81963"
roles: ["Editor"]
born: "1 January 2000"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-26T01:11:08.078280+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."
---

# Michael J. Horton

## Identity

Michael J. Horton

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-horton
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-horton
- **IMDb ID:** nm0395579
- **TMDB ID:** 1376
- **Wikidata ID:** Q81963
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Horton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q81963, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0395579/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1376

Editor. Born 1 January 2000 in Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand.

## Details

- **Work:** Editor
- **Born:** 1 January 2000, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
- **Active:** 1983–2002
- **Also known as:** Michael Horton, Mike Horton
- **Frequently works with:** [Anzac Wallace](https://film.one/person/anzac-wallace.md), [Bruno Lawrence](https://film.one/person/bruno-lawrence.md), [Geoff Murphy](https://film.one/person/geoff-murphy.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 76 (2), 1990s 82 (1), 2000s 85 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 82 to 75 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Adventure 2, Action 1, Fantasy 1, History 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $935m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Horton, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q81963, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0395579/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1376

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Once Were Warriors*](https://film.one/film/once-were-warriors.md) (82), [*The Quiet Earth*](https://film.one/film/the-quiet-earth.md) (78)
- **Disney+:** [*The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md) (85)

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

## Biography

Michael J. Horton is a New Zealand film editor. He began working as an editor at the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation in the mid-1960s and later collaborated extensively with director Geoff Murphy on films including *Goodbye Pork Pie* (1981), *Smash Palace* (1981) and *Utu* (1983).

Horton edited several landmark New Zealand features, among them *The Quiet Earth* (1985), *The End of the Golden Weather* (1991), *Once Were Warriors* (1994) and its sequel *What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?* (1999). He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing for *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002). He has also edited *Forgotten Silver* (1995) and *Forgive Us All* (2025).

Horton has won New Zealand Film Awards for his editing on *The Quiet Earth*, *The End of the Golden Weather* and *Once Were Warriors*.

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

## On Fi1m (4)

- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002), Fi1m 85, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md)
- *Once Were Warriors* (1994), Fi1m 82, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/once-were-warriors.md)
- *The Quiet Earth* (1985), Fi1m 78, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-quiet-earth.md)
- *Utu* (1983), Fi1m 74, Editor — [page](https://film.one/film/utu.md)

## Complete filmography (36)

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

- *Forgive Us All* (2025), Editor
- *Mahana* (2016), Editor
- *A Bend in the Road* (2012), Editor
- *Weekend Graffiti* (2012), Editor
- *Separation City* (2009), Editor
- *Dead Man's Bounty* (2006), Editor
- *Spooked* (2004), Editor
- *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers* (2002), Editor — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-two-towers.md)
- *The Lunatics' Ball* (1999), Editor
- *What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?* (1999), Editor
- *Saving Grace* (1998), Editor
- *Forgotten Silver* (1997), Editor
- *Time is a Spider* (1997), Producer
- *Flight of the Albatross* (1996), Editor
- *Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill* (1995), Editor
- *Once Were Warriors* (1994), Editor — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/once-were-warriors.md)
- *The End of the Golden Weather* (1991), Editor
- *Zandalee* (1991), Editor
- *A Soldier's Tale* (1988), Editor
- *Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale* (1986), Editor
- *Sylvia* (1986), Editor
- *Hot Target* (1985), Editor
- *The Quiet Earth* (1985), Editor — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-quiet-earth.md)
- *Dangerous Orphans* (1985), Editor
- *Heart of the Stag* (1984), Editor
- *Nate and Hayes* (1983), Second Unit Director
- *Utu* (1983), Editor — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/utu.md)
- *Carry Me Back* (1982), Editor
- *Battletruck* (1982), Editor
- *Smash Palace* (1981), Editor
- *Goodbye Pork Pie* (1981), Editor
- *Nutcase* (1980), Editor
- *Beyond Reasonable Doubt* (1980), Editor
- *Middle Age Spread* (1979), Editor
- *Surf Sail* (1978), Editor
- *Dagg Day Afternoon* (1977), Editor

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2003: Best Film Editing (nominated), for *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*

*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/michael-horton