Wellington (AFP) – Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson on Friday accused Harvey Weinstein of orchestrating a smear campaign decades ago against actresses who have since come forward to accuse the disgraced producer of sexual harassment.

Jackson worked with Weinstein and his brother Bob early in the development of “The Lord of the Rings”, saying the pair acted like “second-rate Mafia bullies”.

The New Zealand director said he had no direct knowledge of sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein but the producer pressured him not to hire Ashley Judd or Mira Sorvino.

Both actresses were among the first to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

Since late last year the number has swelled to more than 100, with allegations ranging from harassment to rape.

Jackson said in the late 1990s Judd and Sorvino were in the running for roles in his Tolkien blockbuster before Weinstein’s Miramax Films stepped in.

“I recall Miramax telling us they were a nightmare to work with and we should avoid them at all costs. This was probably in 1998,” he told Fairfax New Zealand.

“At the time, we had no reason to question what these guys were telling us — but in hindsight, I realise that this was very likely the Miramax smear campaign in full swing.

“I now suspect we were fed false information about both of these talented women — and as a direct result their names were removed from our casting list.”

Miramax pulled out of “Lord of the Rings”, which was taken over by New Line and released as a trilogy that went on to be a critical and commercial success, snaring multiple Academy Awards.

“My experience, when Miramax controlled the ‘Lord of the Rings’, was of Weinstein and his brother behaving like second-rate Mafia bullies,” said Jackson.

“They weren’t the type of guys I wanted to work with — so I haven’t. Movie-making is much more fun when you work with nice people.”

While Weinstein has denied allegations of non-consensual sex, the scandal has rocked Hollywood and led to accusations against numerous other powerful figures in the media and entertainment industries.