Sir Peter Jackson says disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein organised a smear campaign that caused him to blacklist actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino.

The acclaimed director, speaking with stuff.co.nz for the first time since a wave of sexual assault claims against Weinstein, said he had "no direct experience or knowledge of the sexual allegations", but had already made his own decision to never work with the producer ever again.

Jackson made early pitches for both The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings to the Weinstein-led Miramax studio in the late 1990s, and said that he expressed an interest in working with Judd and Sorvino.

Both have since come out against Weinstein, alleging he sexually harassed them.

Jackson said Miramax told him the actresses "were a nightmare to work with" and to avoid them "at all costs."

"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."

He said Weinstein and his brother behaved "like second-rate Mafia bullies" when they were controlling the Lord of the Rings, before New Line took over production.

"They weren't the type of guys I wanted to work with - so I haven't"

Jackson's next film, Mortal Engines, which he is producing and writing, is set for a release in December of next year.