Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson plans to partner to bring prehistoric bird back from extinction

Colossal Biosciences, Director Peter Jackson, Laker’s Owner Mark Walter and Texas Serial Entrepreneur Ben Lamm are involved in the epic Moa Comeback.

Forget concussions or ACL tears. How about coming back from 600 years of extinction? Hollywood, sports leaders, and biotech just teamed up to bring the GOAT of flightless birds back to life. Literally.

Sports fans love a comeback. Jordan in ’95. Tiger at the Masters. Simone Biles at the Olympics. But none compare to this one:

• The South Island Giant Moa.
• Extinct for 600 years.
  
• Seven feet tall at the shoulders.
  
• Twelve feet tall with its neck outstretched.
  
• Faster than a human.
  
• Stronger than a linebacker.
  
• And possibly, about to walk the Earth again.
  

This is not a movie. (Though celebrity director Peter Jackson is involved.) It’s real — and it’s happening now.

Today, it was announced that the Moa is going to be brought back from extinction by Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based de-extinction company led by serial entrepreneur Ben Lamm, in collaboration with New Zealand’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. And if you’re wondering what this has to do with sports, Laker’s owner Mark Walter has long supported the Texas company and— this news might change the game entirely.

Imagine a 500-pound, dinosaur-looking bird that once dominated New Zealand’s ecosystem. It didn’t fly — it didn’t need to. It could sprint through brush, clear vegetation like a snowplow, and tower over nearly every predator in sight. Moa were the ultimate power forwards of the prehistoric world: built for endurance, brute force, and agility. They were endemic to New Zealand, wiped out around a few hundred years after humans arrived. Recent studies suggest they were hunted to extinction in less than a century.

Now, Colossal scientists are using DNA extracted from moa bones and feathers to rebuild the bird’s genome — a process known as de-extinction. Using CRISPR and advanced synthetic biology tools, Colossal is engineering a living moa, with plans to reintroduce it into protected wildlands.

Led by Colossal’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Beth Shapiro, one of the world’s top experts in ancient DNA, the team has already begun sequencing moa genomes and comparing them to living relatives like emus and tinamous

Colossal’s playbook includes:

• Genome editing (CRISPR),
  
• Interspecies surrogacy,
  
• Artificial incubation,
  
• And behavioral modeling.
  
• And, the company already has projects underway to bring back the woolly mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and dodo.
• In a feat of scientific excellence earlier this year, they brought back from extinction three dire wolf pups.
• The moa is the latest addition to its “species portfolio.”
  

Colossal CEO Ben Lamm told The Big Lead, “this is like building the ultimate athlete from ancient DNA — endurance, speed, strength. We’re not cloning; we’re rebuilding an extinct species based on what evolution left behind.”

Here's where it gets really interesting for the sports world. Colossal’s work could revolutionize how we understand:

• Endurance physiology: How did a 500-pound animal cover ground so efficiently?
  
• Bone density & muscle mass: What can the moa teach us about non-mammalian strength?
  
• Genetic adaptation: Could insights from extinct species be used to optimize recovery or resilience?
  
• In fact, Lamm hints that spin-off research on moa biomechanics could one day inform AI-modeled training, injury prevention, or even bio-inspired gear design.
  

In a year when LeBron is still dunking at 40 and AI is analyzing every swing of Shohei Ohtani’s bat, it turns out the biggest story in sports may not be those name brand celebrities but rather a prehistoric bird poised to make the most epic comeback in human history.

Peter Jackson made it possible. Mark Walter understood the vision and supported Colossal. Ben Lamm is making it real. And science? It’s no longer on the sidelines.