Translating J R R Tolkien’s fantastically imaginative and detailed classic was one of the most ambitious undertakings in movie-making history. Inspired with a love of Tolkien’s novel, and feeling that technology had reached a point where the project was feasible, director Peter Jackson took on this formidable task. Unusually, all three films making up the Lord of the Rings trilogy were filmed together in one mammoth exercise.
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“One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” - J R R Tolkien: Lord of the Rings
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Everything Tolkien has a flavor of legend, antiquity and magic. He had a keen appreciation for all things beautiful, and a talent for vivid, heartstirring descriptions. Jewelry designer Jasmine Watson used Tolkien’s writing as the primary inspiration for the original and intricate jewelry used on the set of Lord of the Rings.
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The Lord of the Rings, surely the greatest fantasy of all time, is the ideal choice for the basis of all kinds of fantasy games. The Lord of the Rings Official Merchandise Collection offers a choice of games that let you share in the legendary world of Middle Earth, and play your part in defeating the evil Sauron.
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The first movie in The Lord of the Rings series, The Fellowship of the Ring, establishes the main characters, background and storyline for the trilogy.
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One of the most fascinating aspects of The Lord of the Rings is the diversity of cultures and creatures, both real and imaginary. Tolkien created a fantasy world of amazing depth and definition. Each different type of being has its own character, history, language and unique attributes. By the end of the movie, hobbits, orcs, dwarves and elves are as real to the audience as humans, horses and trees.
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Ngila Dickson, costume designer for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, was faced with a formidable challenge. To her fell the task of translating Tolkien’s vivid and amazingly diverse imagination into reality. Elves, hobbits, orcs, wizards, ents – each of these required a different style of dress to fit their different cultures. And many of them needed several whole sets of costumes – for example, elves in battle would require elven armor, whereas elves at home needed an entirely different costume. The glamorous Arwen, said to be the most beautiful creature in Middle Earth, had a different costume for every occasion, each one lovelier than the last. Ngila’s team had to study each different culture, and with imagination and creativity produce costumes to fit the lifestyle and character of each.
Gandalf
Gandalf the Good may be a more applicable name for this character, who is a powerful wizard. Down to earth, Gandalf’s sense of humor is another weapon in the fight for Middle Earth. He remains in the thick of the action even after his return from the grave, with his powers stronger and more formidable. He continues to behave with respect towards even the lowliest members of the Fellowship and keeps his relations to all on a very personal level.
Ian McKellen – Gandalf
Over four decades of worldwide stage appearances, scores of films and television productions, have brought Sir Ian McKellen international renown as the leading British actor of his generation. Born in Burnley, England on 25 May 1939, his family then moved to Wigan, where he spent his formative years. He developed a fascination for the theatre and began acting at school, as well as in many Shakespearean productions. Ian won an exhibition that enabled him to read English at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, studying under Tom Henn. Here he took part in twenty-one undergraduate productions, which somewhat impeded his academic progress. Ian moved to London and then went on to spend a year on Broadway as Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus”. Legendary Shakespearean stage performances and his modern work have secured Ian over forty important acting awards. Ian has also been named “Commander of the British Empire” in 1979, followed in 1990 by his Knighthood of the British Empire for services to the performing arts in the Queen’s New Year Honors. He has now earned the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Supporting Actor, and his second nomination for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings.
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The legendary world of Middle Earth, with its primitive scenery, rugged heroes, evil villains and strange creatures, has been the inspiration for many artists during the half century since Lord of the Rings was first published. It is a world where imagination is unlimited; where legend and magic abound, and where courage and endurance are tested to the full.
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