Famed film producer and Wellington icon Sir Peter Jackson has revealed plans for a revamp of the highly popular Aussie movie The Castle, it was announced by sources close to the Oscar-winner today.

Released in 1997, The Castle tells the story of the fictional Kerrigan family who live in a run-down bungalow sited next to Melbourne’s airport. When their dream home is threatened by planned airport extensions, the Kerrigans refuse to leave and pull out all the stops to stop progress in its tracks.

While details are sketchy, as storyboards often are, several minor changes to the plot will have to be made, according to a spokesperson for Sir Peter, in order to accommodate both the Wellington setting and the director’s desire to put his own stamp on everything.

“One major difference is that the re-versioning will be more autobiographical than other Jackson films,” the spokesperson said. “Sir Peter’s script has his own simple family home – the entire Miramar Peninsula – under threat by a planned redevelopment that will turn half an acre of scrub with a few derelict boat sheds into a block of flats and a superette, just 10 kilometres from his back door, which is over a hill, through a wide expanse of razor wire and behind a large wall.”

Parts of the script’s first draft have been leaked already through the media, along with casting details. Wellington’s mayor, Justin Lester, is expected to play a large part, and legendary CGI actor Andy Serkis is rumoured to be considering the role of the pool room.

The original version of The Castle was filmed over an 11-day period, approximately half the time it will take to watch Sir Peter’s director’s cut of the remake. The budget is expected to be similar to that of the original, due largely to the fact that crews were paid properly back then.

Shooting is expected to commence in a few months, unless common sense prevails.