Peter Jackson wants to direct an episode of 'Doctor Who'. . . but he'll only do it for a Dalek

Peter Jackson is one of the most successful filmmakers in the world, thanks to the Lord of the Rings trilogy and his newly-started Hobbit trilogy. But the works of J.R.R. Tolkien aren't the only major works of English fiction on which Jackson is hoping to leave his mark: the director has stated his intentions to helm an episode of the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who. 

Jackson is a big fan of the series; as you can see from the photo to the right, he's got a pretty substantial collection of Doctor Who-related props and memerobilia -- including two Daleks that were used in older seasons of the show. 

The director is such a big fan that he'll direct an episode for free. . . almost. 

“They don’t even have to pay me,” Jackson told Entertainment Weekly. “But I have got my eye on one of those nice new gold-colored Daleks. They must have a spare one (hint, hint).”

We imagine that one of these Dalek props would be far cheaper than actually paying Jackson's fee, which we imagine is quite enormous. 

Showrunner Steven Moffat had reportedly met with Jackson over the Christmas holiday to discuss the offer, though he was characteristically silent on whether or not he would take Jackson up on the offer: “We’re theoretically on board for anything [. . .] provided we’ve got a great story.”

You know, I've got a great idea -- provided that Jackson can take a few weeks off from helming the final two 'Hobbit' films, there is one episode that's got a reportedly great story: the 50th anniversary special. “[Moffat] has written a script [for the 50th anniversary special] that would make James Cameron weep," says Doctor Who producer Marcus Wilson. "It’s a story that sprawls through space and time. It will be a huge epic."

You know, there's a little trilogy of films out there that seem to tell me that Jackson's quite good at directing epics. Sure, "Angels Take Manhattan" director Nick Hurran is signed on to direct the special, but it should be a pretty expansive episode. There's room for two at the director's table, no? 

What do you think? 

Doctor Who will return March 30 with the midseries premiere episode "The Bells of Saint John" on BBC One in the UK and BBC America in the US.