Although Peter Jackson and James Cameron are firm friends and close collaborators now, around two decades ago it was a very different story, as confirmed by Kate Winslet.

The actress has revealed that Jackson and screenwriter wife Fran Walsh came to visit her on the set of Cameron's Titanic for what was also perhaps a "cheeky" snoop around – before being promptly kicked out of the studio by security.

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"Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh were in LA at the time, and they said, 'Oh, we must come down and see you'," Winslet told Variety. "I took them on set on a Sunday afternoon.

"We got out back, and the security guard said, 'You can't be here.' Until that moment, it hadn't occurred to me. They were my friends."

Winslet realised that Jackson may have had an ulterior motive at the time, adding: "What's lovely now is that James Cameron and Peter Jackson have a lot to do with each other because of Weta and Avatar.

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"Of course you wanted to come visit! You're so cheeky. Duh."

Jackson's company Weta Digital made the CGI animation for Cameron's Avatar, and will be working on the upcoming four sequels.

Earlier this year, Jackson and Cameron founded the business PBT New Zealand together in Jackson's native country, although it's still not been confirmed what exactly the company has been set up for.

Meanwhile, it was recently announced that Winslet will be reuniting with Cameron to star in Avatar 2, with the Oscar-winning director telling Deadline: "Kate and I have been looking for something to do together for 20 years, since our collaboration on Titanic, which was one of the most rewarding of my career.

"I can't wait to see her bring the character of Ronal to life."

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Filming for the sequel to the 2009 blockbuster was expected to begin in April 2016, but it was announced in January 2017 that work on the motion capture would be starting in August 2017.

Zoe Saldana will reprise the role of the Na'vi princess Neytiri, and Sam Worthington will return as the human-turned-Na'vi Jake Sully. Sigourney Weaver and baddie Stephen Lang will also be back.

Meanwhile, Titanic celebrates its 20th anniversary in December, and we feel old.

preview for 'Titanic' video clip - I'm flying

From: Digital Spy
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Naomi Gordon

Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.