New Zealand movie magnate Peter Jackson is believed to have bought a $US17.35 million ($A17.74 million) penthouse in Manhattan.

Under the headline One Penthouse Duplex to Rule Them All, the New York Observer reported that the names of Jackson's staff appeared in records tracking the purchase.

"The filmmaker's executive assistant Matthew Dravitzki, his New Zealand-based attorney Michael Stephens and his Hollywood power lawyer Peter Nelson are all listed in city records on twin penthouse purchases in Tribeca," the newspaper said.

"It seems likely that Mr Jackson has some new New York real estate."

The two-unit, 10-bedroom, $US17.35 million penthouse duplex on Franklin Street was bought in two separate purchases, adding up to one of Tribeca's most expensive apartment deals.

Tribeca has become a trendy residential area and is home to many celebrities and the Tribeca Film Festival.

The penthouse buyer is listed anonymously but has Mr Stephens' New Zealand address.

Contractor Chris Clark, who owned the properties, said the buyer wanted the privacy of having the whole top floor.

The PropertyShark website put the units at a combined 745 square metres with another 371sq m of outdoor space, including a thickly-planted wraparound terrace.

Jackson directed the 2005 remake of King Kong, which is mostly set in New York. The irony is that the film was wholly made in New Zealand, and all of the scenes showing New York were filmed in the Wellington region.