15 Things You Didn’t Know About Making The Fellowship Of The Ring – TheThings

Its hard to believe its been nineteen years since Peter Jacksons fantasy epicThe Lord Of The Ringstrilogy hit theatres. The films ruled pop culture, the awards circuit, and the box office during their release in December of 2001, 2002, and 2003. For years, studios and directors alike deemed the books by J.R.R Tolkien unfilmable.

Even director Peter Jackson didnt imagine hed step up to the task twenty years after finding the world of Middle Earth. The trilogy shot back-to-back in his native New Zealand, which developed an entire industry out of the success ofThe Lord Of The Rings.Some of the then-unknown actors skyrocketed to super-star status and had numerous opportunities coming their way.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ringis a labor of love. Much of the technology didnt exist before filming. Weta Workshops made all the prosthetics, weapons, miniatures, and about everything else. The series revolutionized the film industry. Read on for 15 things you didnt know about the making of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Bilbos (Ian Holm) returns to Bag End and packs his thingsto leave the Shire. Bilbo gets a little Gollum-y when Gandalf (Ian McKellen) reminds him to leave the Ring. He reluctantly turns his palm and drops the Ring. Sound engineers added the thud in post-production, but the magnet pulls the Ring, symbolizing its weight and power.

Audiences spot Gollum three times during the trilogys first installment: in the prologue, voiced by Galadrielle (Cate Blanchett), his torture by the Ringwraiths in Mordor, and his eyes, in the Mines of Moria. WETA hadnt completed the characters design, so he changes between the first and second films.

Gandalfs firework display is a highlight of Bilbos one-hundred-and-eleventeenth birthday. Merry and Pippin, nosy as always, find their way onto Gandalfs wagon and unwittingly set a dragon upon Hobbiton. Billy Boyd, who plays Pippin, didnt expect the prop to make noise, so the shriek audiences hear was his genuine reaction, and it made the final cut.

When trapped on top of the Tower of Orthanc, Gandalf uses his magic to call upon an ally. A moth flies into the shot and lands on Ian McKellens hand. The moth was born right before filming started that day and died right after director Peter Jackson got his shot.

Related: 15 Tiny Details About Smeagol The Lord Of The Rings Films Left Out

One of the most significant challenges while shootingThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy was balancing the different actors heights, depending on the species of Middle Earth they play. Most of the actors who played Hobbits stood between five foot six and seven. The actor John Rhys-Davies, who portrayed the dwarf Gimli, is six-foot-one.

Actor Christopher Lee was the only member of the cast to have met J.R.R Tolkien in real-life. Ian McKellen took inspiration for the voice and accent of Gandalf after listening to recordings of the famed Oxford professor lecturing. It makes sense to model the wisest character on the worlds creator.

In the prologue, audiences see Bilbo stumble upon the Ring in the Misty Mountains. With Andy Serkis not yet cast in the role of Gollum/Smeagol, Dominic Monaghan, who portrayed Merry, stepped up and took on the part. Gollum shrieking after losing the Ring in the final film is Monahan.

While it wasnt comfortable for the Hobbit actors to undergo the near two-hour process of having their prosthetic feet and ears put on, Orlando Bloom was allergic to the blue contacts he woreto portray Legolas, which explains the inconsistent eye color.John Rhys-Davies broke out in hives, and his facereacted to the full face prosthetic.

Related:15 Secrets Behind The Making Of The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy

What to do when there are no real-live Orcs to record for the sound mix? Thesound engineers onThe Fellowship of the Ringconcocted some unique combinations to achieve the varied sounds in the film. For example, the Orcsshrieking in the pits of Mordor are the screams of nocturnal possums.

The detail in theLord of the Rings trilogy is astounding. A fan favorite remains The Shire, with its patchwork of gardens and homes built into hills. How did the team pull off the realism? They constructed around twenty hobbit-holes more than a year before building and tended the gardens.

The Lord of the Ringsbecame an economy in New Zealand after the release of the first film. Parliament even appointed a Minister to the Rings. Peter Jackson spread the wealth among his fellow Kiwis. Bret McKenzie, from the comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, appears at the Council of Elrond.

No one could coax Sean Bean onto a helicopter, even if it meant saving him a hike up the mountain. Sean Bean despised hiking so much that he woke up extra early, went to hair and makeup, and proceeded to walk the two hours to location as Boromir. His castmates could spot him from the helicopter.

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Much like the sound engineers, the design department found exciting ways to bring aspects of Middle Earth to life. The fellowship arrives at the doors to the Mines of Moria. OnceGandalf speaks the password, the doors illuminate. To produce the glowing effect, the teamused the chemical that makes cats eyes or road signs glow.

None of the Hobbits wanderedbeyondthe Shire before the events ofThe Fellowship.Pippin bemoans Aragorn for his ignorance towardHobbitsfeeding schedule. He asks about second breakfast and gets hit in the head with an apple: Viggo Mortensen (Aragon) stood behind the camera launching at Boyds head, which he enjoyed.

The full-body prosthetics required to play chief Uruk-hai Lurtz made it hard for the actor to move and aim. The script called for Lurtz to launch the dagger at the tree. Viggo Mortensen reacted quickly and blocked the blade with his sword. The epic move made it into the final cut.

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Maki Zatychies graduated from the University of Guelph with an honours degree in English, minor in Creative Writing and a master's in creative non-fiction. All things out of her mouth connect back to pop culture, literature and media. Jeopardy! is the gospel and Alex Trebek her lord and saviour. She can be found at home, in her hobbit hole, sipping tea and demanding writing support from her Rex rabbit, Sawyer.

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15 Things You Didn't Know About Making The Fellowship Of The Ring - TheThings

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero