The three films were shot simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand from 11 October 1999 until 22 December 2000, with pick-up shots done from 2001 to 2004. It was one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken, with a budget of $281 million. The first film in the series premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 10 December 2001; the second film premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on 5 December 2002; the third film premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington on 1 December 2003. An extended edition of each film was released on home video a year after its theatrical release.
Introduction
The Lord of the Rings (film series)
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Introduction
2001 10 December 2001. 2001 2001
what is the total length of the lord of the rings movies
user
Two hours each trilogy
assistant
what is it's story about?
user
It follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron.
assistant
when was the first movie in the series released?
user
Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Fellowship eventually splits up and Frodo continues the quest with his loyal companion Sam and the treacherous Gollum. Meanwhile, Aragorn, heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, along with Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Merry, Pippin and the wizard Gandalf, unite to rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth in the War of the Ring in order to aid Frodo by distracting Sauron's attention.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Introduction
"" was released in theatres worldwide on 19 December 2001. Faced with a production budget of $93 million, the first film earned a worldwide gross of $871,530,324. As in the rest of the series, "The Fellowship of the Ring" had a large ensemble cast, introducing Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis. The first film's plot follows Frodo Baggins (Wood) and the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring as they begin their journey to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron once and for all.
List of accolades received by The Lord of the Rings film series | "The Fellowship of the Ring"
"The Lord of the Rings" is a film series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson. The films, subtitled "", "", and "", were released serially worldwide between December 2001 and December 2003. They are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel, "The Lord of the Rings", adapted for the screen by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. Set in Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the plot follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins and his fellow members of the Fellowship of the Ring as they embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, which will rid Middle-earth of the Dark Lord Sauron.
List of accolades received by The Lord of the Rings film series | Introduction
"The Lord of the Rings" film series consists of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson and based on the eponymous novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are subtitled "" (2001), "" (2002) and "" (2003). The trilogy was a joint New Zealand-American venture, produced and distributed by New Line Cinema with the co-production of WingNut Films. Development of the films began in August 1997. All three films were shot simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand from October 1999 until December 2000, with pick-up shots done from 2001 to 2004. "The Fellowship of the Ring" was released on 19 December 2001, "The Two Towers" was released on 18 December 2002 and "The Return of the King" was released on 17 December 2003, each to enormous commercial success and critical acclaim.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Introduction
Warner Bros. (the rights holder to the post-1973 Rankin-Bass library and the pre-1990 Saul Zaentz theatrical library) first released the film on DVD in September 2001, one of which being through the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment label. While the VHS version ends with the narrator saying "Here ends the first part of the history of the War of the Ring.", the DVD version has an alternate narration: "The forces of darkness were driven forever from the face of Middle-Earth by the valiant friends of Frodo. As their gallant battle ended, so, too, ends the first great tale of "The Lord of the Rings"." Later, "The Lord of the Rings" was released in a deluxe edition on Blu-ray and DVD on 6 April 2010.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Legacy
It was preceded by "" (2001) and "" (2002). Continuing the plot of "The Two Towers", Frodo, Sam and Gollum are making their final way toward Mount Doom in Mordor in order to destroy the One Ring, unaware of Gollum's true intentions, while Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the rest are joining forces together against Sauron and his legions in Minas Tirith. "The Return of the King" was financed and distributed by American studio New Line Cinema, but filmed and edited entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand, concurrently with the other two parts of the trilogy. It premiered on 1 December 2003 at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington and was theatrically released on 17 December 2003 in the United States, and on 18 December 2003 in New Zealand.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Introduction
In 2002, following the success of Jackson's movies, the BBC reissued the series in three sets corresponding to the three original volumes ("The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King"). This version omitted the original episode divisions, and included a new opening and closing monologues for the first two sets, and an opening monologue only for the last, written by Sibley and performed by Ian Holm as Frodo Baggins. Frodo's monologues deal with his efforts to write his historical account of the War of the Ring in the Red Book, as well as his own personal reflections and musings on the story's events.
The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series) | Re-release in 2002
"The Fellowship of the Ring" was released on 12 November 2002, containing 30 minutes more footage, an Alan Lee painting of the Fellowship entering Moria, and the Moria Gate on the back of the sleeve; an Argonath-styled bookend was included with the Collector's Edition. "The Two Towers", released on 18 November 2003, contained 46 minutes extra footage and a Lee painting of Gandalf the White's entrance; the Collector's Edition contained a Sméagol statue, with a crueller-looking statue of his Gollum persona available by order for a limited time. "The Return of the King" was released on 14 December 2004, having 52 minutes more footage, a Lee painting of the Grey Havens and a model of Minas Tirith for the Collector's Edition, with Minas Morgul available by order for a limited time.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Home media
The three films were shot simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand from 11 October 1999 until 22 December 2000, with pick-up shots done from 2001 to 2004. It was one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken, with a budget of $281 million. The first film in the series premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 10 December 2001; the second film premiered at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on 5 December 2002; the third film premiered at the Embassy Theatre in Wellington on 1 December 2003. An extended edition of each film was released on home video a year after its theatrical release.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Introduction
"The Lord of the Rings" series was the first time whose three separate instalments were written and shot simultaneously (excluding pick up shoots). Jackson found "The Return of the King" the easiest of the films to make, because it contained the climax of the story. "The Return of the King" was originally the second of two planned films under Miramax from January 1997 to August 1998, and more or less in its finished structure as the first film was to end with "The Two Towers"' Battle of Helm's Deep. Filming took place under multiple units across New Zealand, between 11 October 1999 and 22 December 2000, with pick up shoots for six weeks in 2003 before the film's release.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Production
Returning Themes for The One Ring Themes for Mordor Themes for The Shire Themes for the Elves Themes for the Dwarves Themes for Gondor Themes for the Monsters of Middle Earth Themes for Middle Earth
Music of The Lord of the Rings film series | First appearance in "The Return of the King"
He is accompanied by three hobbits, his cousins, Pippin (Dominic Guard), Merry (Simon Chandler), and his gardner Sam (Michael Scholes). After a narrow escape from the Ringwraiths, the hobbits eventually come to Bree, from which Aragorn (John Hurt) leads them to Rivendell. Frodo is stabbed atop Weathertop mountain by the chief of the Ringwraiths, and becomes sickened as the journey progresses. The Ringwraiths catch up with them shortly after they meet the elf Legolas (Anthony Daniels); and at a standoff at the ford of Rivendell, the Ringwraiths are swept away by the river. At Rivendell, Frodo is healed by Elrond (André Morell).
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Plot
He mysteriously vanishes for a while and then comes back, but we don't really know what goes on." Jackson was also interested in showing Gollum's journey to Mordor and Aragorn setting a watch on the Shire. After his hiring in 2008, del Toro confirmed the sequel would be about "trying to reconcile the facts of the first movie with a slightly different point of view. You would be able to see events that were not witnessed in the first." He also noted the story must be drawn from only what is mentioned in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", as they do not have the rights to "The Silmarillion" and "Unfinished Tales".
The Hobbit (film series) | From two to three films
A limited collector edition was created by Fantasy Records as a picture disc double LP featuring four scenes: The Hobbits leaving Hobbiton, The Ringwraiths at Bree, Gandalf and the Balrog, Journey with the Orcs. In 2001, the album was reissued on compact disc, with bonus tracks.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Music
New Line Cinema released the first part of director Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film series in 2001 as part of a trilogy and several actors and roles were introduced once again in a trilogy in "The Hobbit" film series. In 2017, Amazon co-operated with New Line to acquire the television rights to adapt a new prequel show set in a period glimpsed during a flashback in "The Lord of the Rings" films.
Middle-earth in film | Introduction
The first scene filmed was the "Wooded Road" sequence in "The Fellowship of the Ring", where the Hobbits hide beneath a tree from a mounted Ringwraith. The focus was generally on "The Fellowship of the Ring" when the Hobbits try to reach Rivendell, such as a single night in Bree exteriors; this was done with the hopes that the four actors playing the hobbits would bond. Second units also shot the Ford of Bruinen chase and the deforestation of Isengard. Liv Tyler generally came to New Zealand for stunts, and spent five days on a barrel for Bruinen while riding double Jane Abbott got to ride on horseback.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Late 1999
"The Lord of the Rings" is set to be released on the streaming service Prime Video, and is expected to premiere in 2021.
The Lord of the Rings (TV series) | Release
The Lord of the Rings is a film series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson, based on the novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are subtitled "" (2001), "" (2002) and "" (2003). Produced and distributed by New Line Cinema with the co-production of WingNut Films, it is an international venture between New Zealand and the United States. The films feature an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis and Sean Bean.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Introduction
It is followed by "" (2002) and "" (2003). Set in Middle-earth, the story tells of the Dark Lord Sauron, who seeks the One Ring. The Ring has found its way to the young hobbit Frodo Baggins. The fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance as Frodo and eight companions (who form the Fellowship of the Ring) begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed. "The Fellowship of the Ring" was financed and distributed by American studio New Line Cinema, but filmed and edited entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand, concurrently with the other two parts of the trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Introduction
The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 animated dark fantasy adventure film directed by Ralph Bakshi. It is an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy epic "The Lord of the Rings", comprising "The Fellowship of the Ring" (1954) and the first half of "The Two Towers" (1954). Set in Middle-earth, the film follows a group of hobbits, elves, men, dwarves, and wizards who form a fellowship. They embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring made by the Dark Lord Sauron, and ensure his destruction. Ralph Bakshi encountered Tolkien's writing early in his career, and had made several attempts to produce "The Lord of the Rings" as an animated film before being given funding by producer Saul Zaentz and distributor United Artists.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Introduction
A preview of "" was inserted just before the end credits near the end of the film's theatrical run. A promotional trailer was later released, containing music re-scored from the film "Requiem for a Dream". "The Two Towers" was released 18 December 2002. It grossed $62 million in its first U.S. weekend and out-grossed its predecessor with $951.2 million worldwide. The promotional trailer for "" was debuted exclusively before the New Line Cinema film "Secondhand Lions" on 23 September 2003. Released 17 December 2003, its first U.S. weekend gross was $72.6 million, and became the second film, after "Titanic" (1997), to gross over $1 billion worldwide.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Box office
It premiered on 10 December 2001 at the Odeon Leicester Square in London and was theatrically released on 19 December 2001 in the United States, and on 20 December 2001 in New Zealand. The film was highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike, who considered it to be a landmark in filmmaking and an achievement in the fantasy film genre. It grossed $887.8 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2001 and the fifth highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Introduction
The trilogy's online promotional trailer was first released on 27 April 2000, and set a new record for download hits, registering 1.7 million hits in the first 24 hours of its release. The trailer used a selection from the soundtrack for "Braveheart" and "The Shawshank Redemption" among other cuts. In 2001, 24 minutes of footage from the series, primarily the Moria sequence, was shown at the 54th Cannes Film Festival, and was very well received. The showing also included an area designed to look like Middle-earth. "" was released 19 December 2001. It grossed $47.2 million in its U.S. opening weekend and made around $887.8 million worldwide.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Box office
This is a list of original characters of note found in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". (novels 1953-1955) (film series 2001-2003)
List of original characters in The Lord of the Rings film series | Introduction
It was preceded by "" (2001) and followed by "" (2003). Continuing the plot of "The Fellowship of the Ring", the film intercuts three storylines. Frodo and Sam continue their journey towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, meeting and joined by Gollum, the ring's former owner. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli come to the war-torn nation of Rohan and are reunited with the resurrected Gandalf, before fighting against the legions of the treacherous wizard Saruman at the Battle of Helm's Deep. Merry and Pippin escape capture, meet Treebeard the Ent, and help to plan an attack on Isengard, fortress of Saruman.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Introduction
During the 129th birthday celebration for Bilbo Baggins in Rivendell, Frodo begins his story with Samwise Gamgee, his friend and companion, treading through Mordor as Ring-bearer in Frodo's absence, when Frodo is captive in the orc fortress of Cirith Ungol. During his journey, Sam ponders claiming the Ring himself; but rejects the idea and rescues Frodo. Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf the White and the hobbit Pippin arrive at Minas Tirith to warn Denethor, the Steward of the Throne, about the upcoming war—only to discover that the Steward has become insane and means to take his own life. Frodo and Samwise continue toward Mount Doom (eluding Ringwraiths and infiltrating a "battalion of orcs" in the process) only to be attacked by Gollum.
The Return of the King (1980 film) | Plot
Beagle. It covered only the first half of the story of "The Lord of the Rings". In 1977, an animated musical television film of "The Hobbit" was made by Rankin-Bass, and in 1980, they produced the animated musical television film "The Return of the King", which covered some of the portions of "The Lord of the Rings" that Bakshi was unable to complete. From 2001 to 2003, New Line Cinema released "The Lord of the Rings" as a trilogy of live-action films that were filmed in New Zealand and directed by Peter Jackson. The series was successful, performing extremely well commercially and winning numerous Oscars.
J. R. R. Tolkien | Film adaptations
The first time Jackson actually saw the completed film was at the Wellington premiere. Many filmed scenes remained unused, even in the extended editions. Promotional material for "The Fellowship of the Ring" contained an attack by Orcs from Moria on Lothlórien after the Fellowship leaves Moria, replaced with a more suspenseful entrance for the Fellowship. Also cut were scenes from the book, including Frodo seeing more of Middle-earth at Parth Galen, an extended Council of Elrond and new scenes with an attack upon Frodo and Sam at the river Anduin by an Uruk-hai.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Editing
With the return of Sean Bean, the Fellowship reunited and proceeded to shoot the Moria sequence and the Rivendell interiors, including five days of coverage for the Council of Elrond.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | 2000
In 1972, Arthur Rankin used a loophole in the US publication of the books (which made them public domain) to create an animated TV special based on "The Hobbit" (1977), and a sequel based on the closing chapters of "The Return of the King" (1980).
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Previous Adaptations
The Special Extended DVD Editions also had in-sleeve maps of the Fellowship's travels. They have also played at cinemas, most notably for a 16 December 2003 marathon screening (dubbed "Trilogy Tuesday") culminating in a late afternoon screening of the third film. Attendees of "Trilogy Tuesday" were given a limited edition keepsake from Sideshow Collectibles containing one random frame of film from each of the three movies. Both versions were put together in a Limited Edition "branching" version, plus a new feature-length documentary by Costa Botes. The complete series was released in a six-disc set on 14 November 2006.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Home media
The Cirith Ungol stair ledge was built as a wet weather set on a squash court in a hotel in Queenstown. On 24 November 1999, Sean Astin's close-ups on the Cirith Ungol set were shot in what became the first shots to be filmed for "The Return of the King". Andy Serkis (Gollum) had not yet been cast. The set remained standing on the squash court and it was not until a year later, on 30 November 2000, that Elijah Wood's first close-ups were shot on the same ledge. This would become a general failsafe measure if the weather disrupted the shooting schedule.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Late 1999
Large and small scale doubles were used in many other scenes, while entire duplicates of certain sets (including Bag End in Hobbiton) were built at two different scales so that the characters would appear to be the appropriate sizes. At one point in the film, Frodo runs along a corridor in Bag End, followed by Gandalf (played by Ian McKellen). Wood and McKellen were filmed in separate versions of the same corridor, built at two different scales; these two separate shots were then combined to create a shot of both actors appearing to be in the same corridor. Forced perspective was also employed, so that it would look as though the short hobbits were interacting with taller Men and Elves.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Scale
The Ring twists his body and mind, and he becomes the creature Gollum (Peter Woodthorpe) who takes it with him into the Misty Mountains. Hundreds of years later, Bilbo Baggins (Norman Bird) finds the Ring in Gollum's cave and brings it back with him to the Shire. Decades later, during Bilbo's birthday celebration, the wizard Gandalf (William Squire) tells him to leave the Ring for his nephew Frodo (Christopher Guard). Bilbo reluctantly agrees, and departs for Rivendell. Seventeen years pass, during which Gandalf learns that evil forces have discovered that the Ring is in the possession of a Baggins. Gandalf meets Frodo to explain the Ring's history and the danger it poses; and Frodo leaves his home, taking the Ring with him.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Plot
The films take place in the fictional world of Middle-earth sixty years before the beginning of "The Lord of the Rings", and follow hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) to accompany thirteen dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The films expand upon certain elements from the novel and other source material, such as Gandalf's investigation at Dol Guldur, and the pursuit of Azog and Bolg, who seek vengeance against Thorin and his kindred.
The Hobbit (film series) | Introduction
A second season was formally ordered in November 2019.
The Lord of the Rings (TV series) | Introduction
He meets Gandalf again, after the latter escapes the corrupt wizard Saruman (Fraser Kerr), who plans to ally with Sauron but also wants the Ring for himself. Frodo volunteers to go to Mordor, where the Ring can be destroyed. Thereafter Frodo sets off from Rivendell with eight companions: Gandalf; Aragorn; Boromir (Michael Graham Cox), son of the Steward of Gondor; Legolas; Gimli (David Buck) the dwarf, along with Pippin, Merry, and Sam.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Plot
The first film was released on 14 December 2012, the second was released on 13 December 2013, and the third was released on 17 December 2014, with the final extended cut released in October 2015, twenty years after Jackson's original pitch.
Middle-earth in film | "The Hobbit"
The Path of the Wizard continues immediately after the events of the first level. The remains of the Uruk-hai and orc army flee into Fangorn Forest. However, within the forest, the Ents, led by Treebeard, have awoken and joined the fight against Sauron. Gandalf helps the ents as they destroy the rest of the army, and then assists them in bringing down a dam holding back the River Isen. This floods Isengard, trapping Saruman (Christopher Lee), who had joined forces with Sauron, in his tower, Orthanc. Gandalf and Pippin (Billy Boyd) then head to Minas Tirith, capital of Gondor, leaving Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the Rohirrim to follow them.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game) | Synopsis
"The Lord of the Rings" was adapted as a [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|trilogy of films]] (2001–2003), directed by [[Peter Jackson]]. "The Hobbit" was adapted as a [[The Hobbit (film series)|trilogy]] (2012–14), with some elements adapted from "The Return of the King"'s Appendices, resulting in noticeable divergences with the novel.
Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien | Film
Returning The History of the One Ring, Seduction of the Ring, Sauron, The Shire, Frodo/Hymn variant, Hobbit Outline, Hobbit End-Cap, A Hobbit's Understanding, Pity of Smeagol, The Servants of Sauron, Threat of Mordor, Descending Thirds, Mordor Skip-Beat, Footsteps of Doom, Servants of Sauron, Isengard, Uruk Hai, Orc Crawl, the Realm of Gondor, Fellowship, Strider, Heroics of Aragorn, Rivendell, Lothlorien, Elvish Pledge, Diminishment of the Elves, Evil Times, Weakness Motiv, Nameless Fear, The Balrog, Moria, The Dark Places of the World, Nature's Reclamation. Themes for One Ring Themes for Mordor Themes for the Hobbits Themes for Gollum Themes for the Elves Themes for Isengard Themes for Nature Themes for Rohan Themes for the Fellowship
Music of The Lord of the Rings film series | First appearance in "The Two Towers"
The early chapters "A Conspiracy Unmasked", "The Old Forest", "In the House of Tom Bombadil", and "Fog on the Barrow-Downs" are essentially omitted completely, though brief mentions of these are made later. The penultimate chapter "The Scouring of the Shire" is omitted, though its scene of the death of Saruman is retained in the extended version.
The Lord of the Rings: film versus book | Omissions
Peter Jackson provided the first details about the second film in the series at a live event held on 24 March 2013. The access code was attached to the DVD editions of "". The live-broadcast event revealed some plot details; Jackson said that the role of Tauriel, acted by Evangeline Lilly, is a part of the elven guard and a bodyguard of the Elvenking, Thranduil. In addition, he revealed a scene from the film in which Gandalf and Radagast the Brown search for the Necromancer fortress and discover that the Ringwraiths have been released from their graves. The first trailer for the film was released on 11 June 2013.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Marketing
The extended editions also had a tight schedule at the start of each year to complete special effects and music.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Post-production
This gave the series the option to film the first two seasons back-to-back as the "Lord of the Rings" films had been.
The Lord of the Rings (TV series) | Seasons
He felt that selective omission would be better than compression as in the script he was shown, with "resultant over-crowding and confusion, blurring of climaxes, and general degradation".
The Lord of the Rings: film versus book | Tolkien's fantasy novel
Numerous video games were released to supplement the film series. They include: "", "", "", , "", "", "", "", "The Lord of the Rings Online", "", "", "", "Lego The Lord of the Rings", "Guardians of Middle-earth", "", "", and pinball.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Video games
Meanwhile, a council has been called between the Free Peoples of Middle-earth to determine the fate of the One Ring. The council decide the Ring must be brought to Mordor and cast into the fires of Mount Doom. A fellowship of nine is formed to accompany the Ring; Frodo, Sam, Pippin (Kieron Elliott), Merry (Eric Artell), Gandalf (Tom Kane), Aragorn, Boromir (Steve Blum), Legolas (Crispin Freeman) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies). The fellowship set out, attempting to cross the Misty Mountains vis the Pass of Caradhras. However, a storm called forth by Gandalf's former friend, the wizard Saruman, now an ally of Sauron, closes the pass.
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest | Plot
The music of "The Hobbit" film series was composed, produced and (in the case of the first film) orchestrated and conducted by Howard Shore, who scored all three "The Lord of the Rings" films. Recording sessions for the first film began on 20 August 2012, at Abbey Road Studios. The second and third films were recorded in New Zealand. Unlike with the Lord of the Rings, which only received an expanded release after 2005, each Hobbit soundtrack was released in a two-CD, two-hour release. The music features 64-70 new leitmotives, about 40 leitmotives returning from The Lord of the Rings, and a variety of non-orchestral instruments, including bagpipes, didgeridoos and a whole Gamelan orchestra.
The Hobbit (film series) | Music
The final film "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" premiered on 11 December 2014 in London, and was released internationally from 12 December 2014. The release for the third film was originally set for an 18 July 2014 release, but was pushed back when "", was announced to be released on the same date, as direct competition to the third installment. It grossed over $956 million in worldwide level in box office, and as the previous two films, it surpassed both "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" nominally, although it didn't manage to surpass the previous two films of the series.
The Hobbit (film series) | Theatrical
Nonetheless, the film became a cult classic that continued to run as a matinee and a midnight movie for nearly two decades, and was an influence on Peter Jackson's trilogy, as detailed in the DVD extras of "".
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Introduction
Large- and small-scale doubles were used in certain scenes, while entire duplicates of certain sets (including Bag End in Hobbiton) were built at two different scales, so that the characters would appear to be the appropriate size. At one point in the film, Frodo runs along a corridor in Bag End, followed by Gandalf. Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen were filmed in separate versions of the same corridor, built at two different scales, and a fast camera pan conceals the edit between the two. Forced perspective was also employed, so that it would look as though the short hobbits were interacting with taller Men and Elves.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Special effects
"The Fellowship of the Ring" was released on VHS and DVD on 6 August 2002.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Home media
Upon arriving at the Gate, the party are confronted by the Mouth of Sauron (Roger L. Jackson), who tells them that Frodo is dead. They kill him and must then face a massive army of orcs, before fighting the remaining Nazgûl. Not believing Frodo to be dead, they plan to fight as long as they can, ultimately sacrificing themselves so as to give Frodo enough time to destroy the Ring.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game) | Synopsis
Mordor features in all three films of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. In the first film, Sean Bean, playing Boromir, the warrior from Gondor, declares to the Council of Elrond that "one does not simply walk into Mordor". In the second, Andy Serkis's digital Gollum guides Frodo and Sam to the Black Gate. In the final film, Frodo and Sam struggle across the shattered volcanic plain of Gorgoroth to Mount Doom, dressed as orcs, under the red glare of the volcano and the watchful Eye of Sauron from an exaggeratedly Gothic Barad-dûr, while the Army of the West gathers for the final battle in front of the Black Gate and witnesses the cataclymic destruction of everything Sauron had built when the Ring is destroyed.
Mordor | In film
The film is set during the timespan of "The Fellowship of the Ring". It takes place 17 years after Bilbo Baggins's 111th birthday party and just before Frodo Baggins leaves the Shire for Rivendell (an interval which was not outlined in the ). The wizard Gandalf fears that Gollum may reveal information about the One Ring to the Dark Lord Sauron, and sends the Ranger Aragorn, heir of Isildur, on a quest to find him. The story opens with a brief prologue about the ring's disappearance before cutting to Aragorn (Adrian Webster) and Gandalf (Patrick O'Connor) at an inn (presumably the Prancing Pony) in Bree.
The Hunt for Gollum | Plot
The Mordor themes are often underlined by one of these three motivs, which serve as accompaniment figures, although they also appear independently, as well:
Music of The Lord of the Rings film series | First appearance in "The Fellowship of the Ring"
A team led by Randy Cook performed the animation using both motion capture data and manual recreation of Serkis' facial reference. Gollum's CG model was also redesigned during 2001, now using a subdivision surface model instead of the NURBS model for "Fellowship" (a similar rebuild was also done for the digital doubles of the lead actors), when Serkis was cast as Sméagol, Gollum's form before he is cursed by the One Ring, so as to give the impression that Serkis as Sméagol transforms into the CG Gollum. The original model can still be glimpsed briefly in the first film. Over Christmas 2001, the crew proceeded to reanimate all the previous shots accordingly within two months.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Animation and computer graphics effects
Three film adaptations of "The Lord of the Rings" have been made. The first was "The Lord of the Rings" in 1978, by animator Ralph Bakshi, the first part of what was originally intended to be a two-part adaptation of the story. The second, "The Return of the King" in 1980, was a television special by Rankin-Bass. The third was director Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy in the early 2000s, released in three installments as "", "", and "". "", a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy featuring some of the same characters, was released on 12 December 2012, directed by Jackson.
Adaptations of The Lord of the Rings | Film
Thereafter, no official "The Lord of the Rings" titles were released until the making of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy for New Line Cinema in 2001–2003, which brought the story to the mass market. Electronic Arts obtained the licences for the three films, while Vivendi Games obtained the licence to produce games based on the books from Tolkien Enterprises. This gave rise to an unusual situation: Electronic Arts produced no adaptation of "The Fellowship of the Ring", but produced adaptations named (which covered events of both the first two films) and , whereas Vivendi only produced a game covering the first volume of Tolkien's work, .
Middle-earth in video games | Film trilogy revival (2001-2009)
A special behind-the-scenes trailer was released in 2000. The trilogy teaser was shown before "Thirteen Days" and the teaser trailer before "Pearl Harbor". The final trailer was with the television premiere of "Angel" and before "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". Both trailers appeared as Easter eggs on the "Rush Hour 2" and "Little Nicky" DVD and on the VHS.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Release
Surprising the makers of the film, the simple act of kneeling down was used to great effect. Some actors also wore oversized costumes to make average-sized actors look small, and there were numerous scale doubles who were disguised with costumes (and even latex faces for the hobbit doubles) and an avoidance of close-ups and numerous back shots.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Scale
The re-edited version included some additional music cues, which had to be taken from the soundtrack album because the original master tapes for the series music had been lost. The soundtrack, digitally remastered, was included with "The Return of the King" set, with a demo of John Le Mesurier singing "Bilbo's Last Song" as a bonus track. The 13-episode series was rerun on Radio 4 in 2002 to promote the station's newly created digital platform.
The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series) | Re-release in 2002
The project had been envisaged as two parts as early as 2006, but the proposed contents of the parts changed during development. MGM expressed interest in a second film in 2006, set between "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". Jackson concurred, stating that "one of the drawbacks of "The Hobbit" is it's relatively lightweight compared to "LOTR" ["The Lord of the Rings"] ... There's a lot of sections in which a character like Gandalf disappears for a while – he references going off to meet with the White Council, who are actually characters like Galadriel and Saruman and people that we see in "Lord of the Rings".
The Hobbit (film series) | From two to three films
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson, based on the 1954 novel "The Fellowship of the Ring", the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". The film is the first instalment in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. It was produced by Barrie M. Osborne, Jackson, Fran Walsh and Tim Sanders, and written by Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Jackson. The film features an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, and Andy Serkis.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Introduction
"Tolkien" was released on May 3, 2019, in the United Kingdom and on May 10, 2019 in the United States.
Tolkien (film) | Release
The film is set during the time of "The Fellowship of the Ring". It takes place after Gandalf has discovered the true nature of Bilbo's ring and just before Frodo leaves the Shire for Rivendell.
Aragorn | Film
But with three movies, it suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived "there" in the "Desolation of Smaug"". Shaun Gunner, the chairman of The Tolkien Society, supported the decision: "‘"The Battle of the Five Armies"’ much better captures the focus of the film but also more accurately channels the essence of the story."
The Hobbit (film series) | From two to three films
The release of the films saw a surge of interest in "The Lord of the Rings" and Tolkien's other works, vastly increasing his impact on popular culture. The success of the films spawned numerous video games and many other kinds of merchandise.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Legacy
The following is a list of cast members who voiced or portrayed characters appearing in the extended version of the films.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Cast
The trustees acknowledge that New Line may now proceed with its proposed film of The Hobbit."
The Hobbit (film series) | First stages of development
After two years of attention and acclaim since the release of "", audience and critical anticipation for the final instalment was extremely high. The world premiere was held in Wellington's Embassy Theatre, on 1 December 2003, and was attended by the director and many of the stars. It was estimated that over 100,000 people lined the streets, more than a quarter of the city's population.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Release
Jackson, Walsh and Boyens made numerous changes to the story, for purposes of pacing and character development. Jackson said his main desire was to make a film focused primarily on Frodo and the Ring, the "backbone" of the story. The prologue condenses Tolkien's backstory, in which The Last Alliance's seven-year siege of the Barad-dûr is a single battle, where Sauron is shown to explode, though Tolkien only said his spirit flees. Events from the book are condensed or omitted altogether at the beginning of the film. The time between Gandalf leaving the Ring to Frodo and returning to reveal its inscription, which is 17 years in the book, is compressed for timing reasons.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Comparison with the source material
The company has had rights to produce miniatures from the original book for some years but has not released any lines, save for a stand-alone game based on the Battle of Five Armies, with original designs not related to "The Lord of the Rings" films. On 16 December 2011, Warner Bros. and Lego announced the development of figures and play sets based on the upcoming adaptations of "The Hobbit" as well as "The Lord of the Rings". The launch of the "Lego The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was released to coincide with the release of the film adaptation's first part in December 2012.
The Hobbit (film series) | Toys
The first and third films also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film. The New York Film Critics Circle awarded "The Return of the King" its Best Picture Award at the 2003 Awards Ceremony, hosted by Andrew Johnston, chair of the organization at that time, who called it "a masterful piece of filmmaking."
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Accolades
Dickson decided to give the Hobbits shorts due to their bare feet, and specifically worked on long sleeves for the Elves for a gliding impression. Dickson also took great pains to distinguish the colors worn by the Gondorians (silver and black) and the Rohirrim (brown and green).
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Costumes
For the first three years the game's releases followed the movies. A 365 "base set" was released each November containing material from the upcoming movie. These were followed by two 122 card expansions at four-month intervals. Each base set and the following two expansions formed a "block" named for that base set. Cards were sold in eleven card booster packs consisting of one rare, three uncommon and seven common cards. In approximately one in six packs a common was replaced by a foiled version of a random card from that set. Each set also had two sixty-three card starter decks containing two copies of a promotional face card, three random rares and sixty fixed commons/uncommons (sets 5 and 6 had sixty card starters with three alternate image rares in place of the random rares).
The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game | The movie years
The film is notable for its extensive use of rotoscoping, a technique in which scenes are first shot in live-action, then traced onto animation cels. It uses a hybrid of traditional cel animation and rotoscoped live action footage. The film features the voices of William Squire, John Hurt, Michael Graham Cox, and Anthony Daniels, and was one of the first animated films to be presented theatrically in the Dolby Stereo sound system. The screenplay was written by Peter S. Beagle, based on an earlier draft by Chris Conkling. Although Bakshi's "The Lord of the Rings" was a financial success, it received mixed reactions from critics, and there was no official sequel to cover the remainder of the story.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Introduction
After slaying the creature, they continue into Moria. Inside, Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) is horrified to learn that his cousin Balin is dead. In the Chamber of Mazarbul, the Fellowship finds Balin's tomb and a record of how the dwarves lost the mine to the goblins. The fellowship is then attacked by a hoard of goblins and a cave troll. The party manage to fight off their attackers and get to the exit, but on their way across the Bridge of Khazad-dûm they are confronted by a Balrog, and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) sacrifices himself to allow the others to escape. Soon thereafter, they reach Amon Hen, and the fellowship fragments.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (video game) | Plot
Éothain was not as trusting as his commander, scoffing at the idea that hobbits even existed, and arguing against the gift of horses to the three companions, especially Gimli.
List of original characters in The Lord of the Rings film series | Éothain and Freda
They were unable to provide continuity for the missing segments, developing instead a framing device in which both films begin and end with Bilbo's stay at Rivendell, connecting the later film directly to the better-received "Hobbit".
The Hobbit (1977 film) | Sequel
John Rhys-Davies, who played the Dwarf Gimli, is taller than Wood. Thus in the ending shot of the Council of Elrond scene, when all nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring are standing together, Rhys-Davies and the four Hobbit actors were filmed first. The human-sized characters (Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas) were filmed in a second take, and the two shots were composited at different scales to make one image, making the initial Dwarf/Hobbit character shot seem smaller. An unintended advantage of not creating a third scale for Dwarves is that in a scene in which only Dwarves and Hobbits interact, no scale doubles are needed.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Scale
The film scholar Kristin Thompson, reviewing an early book on "Tolkien on Film", wrote that "[literary] scholars seem particularly irked by the films' enormous popularity, not just among fans but also among reviewers", noting that the films have brought a "vastly enlarged" audience to "The Lord of the Rings", and perhaps millions of new readers to the book; and that there are "book-firsters" and "film-firsters" among Tolkien fans, as evidenced (she writes) by the message boards on "TheOneRing.net".
The Lord of the Rings: film versus book | Peter Jackson's film trilogy
The film makes some deviations from the book, but overall follows Tolkien's narrative quite closely. Of the adaptation process, Bakshi stated that elements of the story "had to be left out but nothing in the story was really altered". The film greatly condenses Frodo's journey from Bag End to Bree. Stop-overs at Farmer Maggot's house, Frodo's home in Buckland, and the house of the mysterious Tom Bombadil deep in the Old Forest are omitted. Maggot and his family and Bombadil and his wife Goldberry are thus all omitted, along with Fatty Bolger, a hobbit who accompanied Frodo at the beginning.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) | Differences from the book
"The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", both set in Middle-earth, have been the subject of various film adaptations. There were many early failed attempts to bring the fictional universe to life in screen, some even rejected by the author himself, who was skeptical of the prospects of an adaptation. While animated and live-action shorts were made off of Tolkien in 1967 and 1971, the first commercial depiction of the book onscreen was in an animated TV special in 1977. In 1978 the first big screen adaptation of the fictional setting was introduced in the animated "The Lord of the Rings".
Middle-earth | Films
The success of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy led to Jackson directing a trilogy of prequels based on Tolkien's children's book "The Hobbit". The films, which were released between 2012 and 2014, used much of the cast of "The Lord of the Rings", including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom who reprised their roles. Most of the crew returned, as well, with Jackson directing, him and Walsh producing and Boyens co-writing. Ngila Dickson, Grant Major, Jim Rygiel and Ethan Van der Ryn dropped out from costume design, production design, animation and sound editing respectively, but were succeeded by their Lord of the Rings colleagues, Richard Taylor, Dan Hennah, Joe Letteri and Brent Burge.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | "The Hobbit" prequel trilogy
According to film site aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 91 percent of critics were favourable about "The Fellowship of the Ring". "Entertainment Weekly" columnist Lisa Schwarzbaum called the film "thrilling – a great picture, a triumphant picture, a joyfully conceived work of cinema that (based on this first installment, with two more ready for release in the next two years) would appear to embrace Tolkien's classic with love and delight, and rewards both adepts and novices with the highest compliment of all: an intelligence and artistry as a movie independent of blind fidelity to the page." Nev Pierce of BBC added, "Funny, scary and, totally involving, Peter Jackson's assured adaptation of J.
List of accolades received by The Lord of the Rings film series | "The Fellowship of the Ring"
However, the plot of the second half of is either completely omitted (chapter "The Road to Isengard") or only shown in one scene (chapter "The Voice of Saruman"). Saruman's murder by Gríma (seen only in the Extended Edition) is moved into the Isengard visit because of the cutting of the Scouring of the Shire. In the film, Saruman drops the "palantír" when he is fatally attacked, whereas in the book Gríma throws it at the Fellowship, unaware of its value. In the film, all journeys of the companions from Isengard to Minas Tirith are compressed and simplified, as the entire company travels from Isengard to Edoras and arrives there simultaneously to recuperate after the Battle of Helm's Deep.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Comparison with the source material
The final scenes shot were Aragorn escaping the Skull avalanche, and Frodo finishing his book. The cast also received various props associated with their characters, although John Rhys-Davies burned his final Gimli prosthetic. Viggo Mortensen headbutted the stunt team goodbye. Pick-ups ended on 27 June 2003.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Pick-ups
The characters of Galadriel, Saruman, and Frodo Baggins appear in the novel "The Lord of the Rings", but not in the novel "The Hobbit". (Radagast was also dropped from the film version of "Lord of the Rings", merely being mentioned in passing). Gandalf, Gollum, Bilbo Baggins, Elrond and the Necromancer appear in both novels, although the latter is referred to in "Lord of the Rings" as Sauron. Only Bilbo is portrayed by a different actor in the two sets of films, as the age difference affects his character more. The older Bilbo (Ian Holm) appears in the prologue section of this film.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Cast
Saruman first appears in "The Fellowship of the Ring" (1954), the first volume of "The Lord of the Rings". The "Lord of the Rings" describes a quest to destroy the One Ring, a powerful and evil talisman created by the Dark Lord Sauron to control Middle-earth (the continent on which Tolkien's story takes place; it loosely represents the Old World in a fictional ancient era). Sauron lost the Ring in battle thousands of years before the beginning of the story, and it is now held in secret in the Shire by the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who passes it on to Frodo Baggins, one of the story's main protagonists.
Saruman | "The Lord of the Rings"
A major change was Jackson's use of some of the "history" (events long before the main action of "The Lord of the Rings") in a dramatic film prologue. It begins with Sauron's forging of the Ring in the Second Age, his overthrow by an alliance of Elves and Men, and the taking of the Ring by Isildur, a distant ancestor of Aragorn. This resolves a major problem for the film-maker in the narrative, namely that Tolkien tells much of the history through "talking heads", reflecting long after the events on what they meant, violating the basic "show, don't tell" principle of film.
The Lord of the Rings: film versus book | Transformations of structure
In 1976, UA passed the rights to "The Lord of the Rings" (and a part of the rights to "The Hobbit") to Fantasy Films. In 1977, an animated adaptation of "The Hobbit" was produced as a TV special by Rankin and Bass (followed in 1980 by a TV animated adaptation of "The Return of the King"), and in 1978 Ralph Bakshi made an animated feature of the first half of "The Lord of the Rings". While profitable, the film didn't make enough money to automatically warrant the sequel which would close the story, and an argument with producer Saul Zaentz led Bakshi to abandon the project.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Previous attempts
He also bought 40,000 toy soldiers to play with. Pre-visualisation would continue throughout ads production, such as the late addition of the Ents attacking Isengard, and the siege of Minas Tirith in February 2003.
Production of The Lord of the Rings film series | Pre-visualisation
In 2018, Rhino Entertainment re-released the "Complete Recordings". The original CD box sets were re-released, with Blu-ray Audio discs replacing the DVD-Audio discs. The scores were also released on vinyl in limited edition, individually numbered sets. Additionally, the scores for "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" were made available on digital download and streaming platforms for the first time.
Music of The Lord of the Rings film series | "The Complete Recordings"
He later read "The Hobbit" and "The Silmarillion", and listened to the 1981 BBC radio adaptation. Assuming someone will one day adapt it to a live-action film, Jackson read on some previous attempts to bring the piece to the screen. He hadn't watched the Rankin and Bass TV Specials.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Previous attempts
A shortened version opened in London, United Kingdom, in the summer of 2007.
The Lord of the Rings (film series) | Effects on the film industry and tourism
"The Return of the King" was first released on VHS by Warner Home Video in 1991, and for the second time as part of the "Warner Bros. Classic Tales" video collection in 1996. The film has been available on DVD since 2001, both individually and as a "boxed trilogy" with the Rankin/Bass's "The Hobbit" and Bakshi's "The Lord of the Rings".
The Return of the King (1980 film) | Home media
"The Complete Recordings" for "The Fellowship of the Ring" which unlike the other two albums, was conceived as an isolated film score, span just over three hours of music on three CDs. The set was released on 13 December 2005. It was re-released on CD/Blu-ray audio, vinyl, and digital platforms on 6 April 2018.
Music of The Lord of the Rings film series | "The Fellowship of the Ring"
Peter Jackson's film series was released as three films between 2001 and 2003. The budget was $281 million, and together the three films grossed over $2.9 billion worldwide. The series runs for 9 hours, 18 minutes in the "theatrical" or cinema version, and 11 hours, 26 minutes in the extended version released on DVD. Although long for a film trilogy, this was short compared to Tolkien's work, presenting the films' makers with a major challenge of abridgement, compression, and transformation. Filmgoers and non-academic reviewers rated the films as almost perfect, "The Two Towers" actually scoring "a rare 100%" on "Rotten Tomatoes", and gaining many Oscars and other film awards.
The Lord of the Rings: film versus book | Peter Jackson's film trilogy