PRESS RELEASE
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS" TO BEGIN PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY
IN NEW ZEALAND
Peter Jackson Directs International Cast
In Production of Unprecedented Scope
(Los Angeles, October 7, 1999) - The Lord of the Rings
film trilogy begins principal photography in Wellington, New
Zealand, on October 11, 1999, under the direction of Peter
Jackson, it was jointly announced today by Robert Shaye, Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of New Line Cinema; Michael Lynne,
President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line Cinema; Michael
De Luca, President and Chief Operating Officer of New Line
Productions; Mark Ordesky, President of Fine Line Features; and
Jackson, who is also a writer and producer of the production.
Unprecedented in scope, the production breaks new ground in
movie-making by filming the three titles in this saga -- The
Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of
the King - not consecutively but concurrently, as though they
were all one giant motion picture production.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved series of fantasy novels, The
Lord of the Rings franchise stars (in alphabetical order)
Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd,
Brad Dourif, Sir Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Sir Ian McKellen,
Dominic Monaghan, John Rhys-Davies, Stuart Townsend, Liv Tyler
and Elijah Wood, whose casting was previously announced.
The screenplay is written by Jackson (The Frighteners,
Heavenly Creatures); his longtime production partner, Fran
Walsh (The Frighteners, Heavenly Creatures); Philippa
Boyens; and Stephen Sinclair (Braindead, Meet the Feebles).
The producers are Barrie M. Osborne (The Matrix, Face/Off)
and Tim Sanders (Aberration, The Frighteners) and Jackson,
and the executive producers are Saul Zaentz (The English
Patient, Amadeus), and Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein
(co-chairmen of Miramax). Walsh and Rich Porras (Contact)
are associate producing under Jackson's WingNut Films Banner.
Other members of the distinguished behind-the-camera crew include
director of photography Andrew Lesnie (Babe, Babe: Pig in the
City), production designer Grant Major (The Frighteners,
Heavenly Creatures), costume designer Ngila Dickson (Xena,
Warrior Princess; Hercules; Heavenly Creatures), and makeup
and hair designer Peter Owen (Oscar and Lucinda, Philadelphia).
WETA Workshop is executing armor, miniatures, creatures and
special effects make-up under the direction of supervisor Richard
Taylor. WETA Digital is executing the special visual effects
under the direction of visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson (The
Fifth Element and upcoming Super Nova). Visual effects
producer for WETA is Charlie McClellan (The Frighteners,
Contact). The conceptual artists are Alan Lee and John Howe,
renowned for their illustrations of Tolkien's work. The official The
Lord of the Rings website is www.lordoftherings.net.
Coinciding with the start of principal photography, Houghton
Mifflin is publishing a one-time-only millennium edition of The
Lord of the Rings. For the first time, the Rings saga
is being presented in a boxed set of seven hard-cover volumes,
one for each of its six parts plus a seventh volume containing
the appendices. One of the most beloved stories of the 20th
century, The Lord of the Rings has sold more than 50
million copies worldwide in 25 different languages.
Michael De Luca, President and Chief Operating Officer of New
Line Productions, said: "The Lord of the Rings is
among the greatest adventures ever written, and making this film
is proving to be a wonderful adventure in its own right. Like
Frodo, the hero of this saga, we're on a film 'quest,' and I
can't think of anyone better to lead us than Peter Jackson."
Mark Ordesky, President of Fine Line Features, said:
"Filming three features simultaneously is a pretty daring
proposition, but we have a wonderful team of filmmakers and
actors who are more than up to the job and who are going to make
this saga a deeply felt experience for moviegoers
everywhere."
Jackson said: "My team and I have poured our hearts into
this project for the past three years, so it's a great thrill to
begin actual photography. Filming three films at once has never
been done before, in addition to which the project features
state-of-the-art special effects, so it was essential to plan
everything down to the last detail. We owe Professor Tolkien and
his legion of fans worldwide our very best efforts to make these
films with the integrity they deserve."
As previously announced, Elijah Wood (Deep Impact, The War)
stars as Frodo, a young hobbit who, by inheriting a seemingly
innocent magic ring, finds himself launched on a perilous quest
to save all of Middle Earth from encroaching evil.
Other members of the cast include Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee,
Frodo's most faithful friend. Astin gained early attention for
his starring role in The Goonies and has since appeared in
numerous films and TV productions, including Bulworth, Courage
Under Fire, Rudy and Memphis Belle. He was nominated
for an Oscar® for the short film Kangaroo Court, which he
directed and produced.
Sean Bean stars as Boromir, a human and the hot-blooded elder son
of the ruler of the kingdom of Gondor. The rugged English actor
has appeared in Ronin, GoldenEye, Patriot Games and The
Field, among other films, and starred in the title role of Sharpe's
Waterloo, Sharpe's Justice and the many other installments in
the Sharpe series based on Bernard Cornwell's novels.
Cate Blanchett stars as the elf Galadriel, the wise visionary
queen of Lorien. For her performance in the title role of Elizabeth
last year, the Australian actress won the Golden Globe and BAFTA
awards as well as an Oscar® nomination. She has also been lauded
for her performances in such films as An Ideal Husband, Thank
God He Met Lizzie, and Oscar and Lucinda.
Orlando Bloom stars as Legolas, a valiant elf who joins Frodo on
his quest. Bloom has just graduated from Guildhall and has
appeared in the television production Midsomer Murders.
Billy Boyd stars as Pippin, a young hobbit and close friend of
Frodo who accompanies him on his mission to destroy the magic
ring. He has appeared in the TV miniseries Coming Soon and
the feature Urban Ghost Story.
Brad Dourif stars as Wormtongue, the manipulative adviser to King
Theodon and a pawn of the evil wizard Saruman. Since making his
film debut in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, for which
he earned an Academy Award® nomination, a Golden Globe Award and
a BAFTA Award, Dourif has appeared in over 40 films. Among these
are Ragtime, Wise Blood, Blue Velvet, Alien Resurrection
and all four of the Chucky movies, in which he provided
the voice of Chucky.
Sir Ian Holm stars as the hobbit Bilbo, Frodo's cousin and the
original bearer of the magic ring. One of Britain's most
distinguished actors, Sir Ian received BAFTA Awards for Chariots
of Fire and The Bofors Gun. His many other credits
include The Match, eXistenZ, King Lear, The Sweet Hereafter,
The Madness of King George, Hamlet, Brazil, Greystoke and Alien.
He also earned a Tony Award for his performance in Moonlight,
and in 1989 he was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British
Empire).
Christopher Lee stars as Saruman, the chief of all wizards who
hopes to snare the magic ring for himself. During a career
spanning five decades, Lee has appeared in dozens of film and
television productions. Recently, he starred in the title role of
Jinnah, the story of Pakistan's founder. Other films
include Tim Burton's upcoming Sleepy Hollow, Police Academy:
Mission to Moscow, The Man With the Golden Gun, The Three
Musketeers, The Wicker Man, the classic 1959 production of The
Mummy and numerous horror films.
Sir Ian McKellen stars as the wise wizard Gandalf, who is Frodo's
mentor and protector. Sir Ian, who was knighted for his
contributions to the performing arts, recently starred in Gods
and Monsters, for which he received many awards and an
Oscar® nomination. His screen successes include Apt Pupil,
Scandal, And the Band Played On (Emmy nomination and CableACE
Award), Cold Comfort Farm, Rasputin (Golden Globe Award), Richard
III, Bent and Swept From the Sea. He has had a stellar
career on stage in England and the U.S., and received the Tony
Award for his role in Amadeus.
Dominic Monaghan stars as Merry, a mischievous young hobbit who
accompanies Frodo on his dangerous quest. Monaghan has appeared
in a number of theatrical and television productions, including
the BBC series Hetty Wainthrop Investigates, with Patricia
Routledge. He has also appeared in the film Boomer,
directed by David Drury.
John Rhys-Davies stars as Gimli, who represents the dwarves in
the Fellowship of the Ring. One of the busiest actors, Rhys-Davis
has been seen in television productions ranging from Shogun
to Sliders and in films ranging from the three Indiana
Jones films to The Great White Hype. A few of his
other credits include the miniseries War and Remembrance,
Noble House and Reilly: Ace of Spies, and the films The
Living Daylights and Victor/Victoria.
Stuart Townsend stars as Aragorn, a human raised by elves and the
rightful king of Gondor. The Dublin native appeared on stage
before making his film debut in Trojan Eddie, with Richard
Harris and Stephen Rea. Other film credits include Under the
Skin, Shooting Fish, Resurrection Man and Wonderland.
Liv Tyler stars as Arwen, a young elf warrior and princess who is
prepared to give up her immortality for love of Aragorn. Tyler
recently starred in Cookie's Fortune, Plunkett & MaCleaneand
Onegin. The former teenage model has also starred in Armageddon,
Inventing the Abbotts and Stealing Beauty, among others.
Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is the entertainment industry's
leading independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion
pictures. New Line licenses its films to ancillary markets
including cable and broadcast television as well as to
international venues. The company, which is a subsidiary of Time
Warner, Inc., operates several divisions including in-house
theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television,
acquisitions, production, licensing and merchandising units.
contacts:
Mary K. Donovan
New Line Cinema/NY
(212) 649-4945
Steve Elzer
New Line Cinema/LA
(310) 967-6654