Source: AAP via Yahoo Asia

New Zealand's Weta wizards added another Oscar to their collection at the 78th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, for best visual effects on the movie King Kong.

Weta Workshop boss Richard Taylor won, along with Weta Digital's Joe Letteri, Brian Van't Hul and Christian Rivers.
 
It is the fifth Oscar for Taylor.

Actor Ben Stiller presented the award, dressed in a green jumpsuit to mimic those worn by set crews and actors working on sets with visual effects.

In his acceptance speech, Letteri paid tribute to director Peter Jackson, and screenplay writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

"It's a thrill to create such a character as King Kong," he said.

The other nominees were The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and War of the Worlds.

Narnia was also produced in New Zealand.

Peter Jackson's $US207 million ($A280 million) blockbuster of King Kong earned five Oscar nominations for best achievement in makeup, art direction, achievement in sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects.

Taylor and Letteri also won a Bafta for special visual effects for King Kong, at the British equivalent of the Academy Awards in London last month.