Lord of the Rings: The Peter Jackson Films Timeline

Lord of the Rings: The Peter Jackson Films 15

1969 Earlier adaptation rights -- the long road to Jackson The screen rights to The Lord of the Rings have a complicated history before Jackson. J.R.R. Tolkien sold the film and merchandise rights to United Artists in 1969 for £10,000 -- worth approximately $250,000 today. The Beatles (George Harrison in particular) explored making a film in the late 1960s with Stanley Kubrick directing, but Tolkien refused. Ralph Bakshi directed an animated film covering the first half of the story in 1978 -- well-received but unfinished. Rankin/Bass produced an animated The Return of the King in 1980. Saul Zaentz acquired the rights in 1976 and eventually sold them to Miramax.
1995 – 1997 Peter Jackson pitches the project Peter Jackson, a New Zealand director known for Heavenly Creatures (1994) and the low-budget splatter films Bad Taste and Braindead, approaches Miramax in 1995 about adapting The Lord of the Rings. Harvey Weinstein wants two films; Jackson insists on three. Miramax eventually passes, giving Jackson four weeks to find another studio. Jackson takes his concept -- including early WETA Workshop designs -- to multiple studios in a single weekend. New Line Cinema's Robert Shaye makes a counter-offer: not two films, not three, but all three simultaneously. Jackson accepts. The deal is signed in 1997.
1997 WETA Workshop and WETA Digital founded Jackson establishes WETA Workshop (practical effects, armour, prosthetics and miniatures) and WETA Digital (visual effects) in Wellington, New Zealand, to support the production. WETA Workshop, led by Richard Taylor, creates 48,000 pieces of armour, 10,000 prosthetic Hobbit feet, 19,000 costume pieces and thousands of weapons and props. WETA Digital, at the time a small company, develops Massive -- a crowd simulation software that generates the enormous battle sequences. Both companies become world-leading visual effects organisations on the back of the trilogy.
1998 – 1999 Casting -- assembling the Fellowship Casting the Fellowship takes two years. Gandalf: Ian McKellen (Patrick Stewart was considered; McKellen was Tolkien's widow's preference). Frodo: Elijah Wood (Stuart Townsend was originally cast as Aragorn before Viggo Mortensen replaced him a week into shooting). Aragorn: Viggo Mortensen, who joins the production mid-stream and reportedly sleeps with his sword. Legolas: Orlando Bloom. Gimli: John Rhys-Davies. Boromir: Sean Bean. Cate Blanchett is cast as Galadriel; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Ian Holm (the original BBC radio Frodo) as Bilbo. Andy Serkis is cast as Gollum.
1999 – 2000 Principal photography -- 15 months in New Zealand Principal photography runs from 11 October 1999 to 22 December 2000 -- 15 months shooting all three films simultaneously at locations across New Zealand. Over 150 locations are used: Matamata (the Shire/Hobbiton), Queenstown and surroundings (various Middle-earth landscapes), Tongariro National Park (Mordor), Fiordland (various), and studio sets in Wellington. The cast and crew live in New Zealand for the duration; many form lasting bonds. The shoot is gruelling: a night shoot on Caradhras in genuine midwinter conditions; enormous battle sequences with thousands of extras; Sean Bean (afraid of helicopters) hiked to Caradhras each day in full Boromir armour.
2001 Andy Serkis and Gollum -- motion capture transformed Andy Serkis's performance as Gollum -- simultaneously a physical performance (filmed on set with the cast) and a digital character (Serkis's face and body captured and transformed by WETA Digital) -- sets a new standard for performance capture in cinema. Gollum is the first photorealistic digital character to carry an emotionally complex dramatic performance across three films. The Academy Awards controversially decline to nominate Serkis, triggering a debate about whether digital performances deserve acting recognition that continues to the present day. Serkis's technique, pioneered with Gollum, is subsequently used for Kong (King Kong), Caesar (Planet of the Apes) and countless other roles.
2001 The Fellowship of the Ring -- release and reception The Fellowship of the Ring is released on 10 December 2001. Critical reception is ecstatic: a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert gives it four stars, the New York Times calls it 'a full-scale triumph.' It grosses $871 million worldwide against a $93 million budget. It receives 13 Academy Award nominations, winning 4 (cinematography, make-up, visual effects, score). The film proves that fantasy on a serious, epic scale can be commercially and critically successful -- opening the door for the fantasy genre in mainstream cinema that follows in the next decade.
2002 The Two Towers -- Helms Deep battle The Two Towers is released on 18 December 2002, grossing $926 million worldwide. Its centrepiece -- the 40-minute Battle of Helm's Deep, shot largely at night over two months -- is one of the most technically demanding battle sequences in cinema history. The Massive crowd simulation software generates thousands of Uruk-hai soldiers; practical extras and stunt performers fill the foreground. Orlando Bloom (Legolas) sliding down a shield and firing an arrow while doing so becomes one of cinema's most replayed action moments. The Two Towers wins 2 Oscars from 6 nominations (visual effects, sound editing).
2003 Howard Shores score -- music of Middle-earth Howard Shore's musical score for the trilogy -- performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Voices choir with contributions from New Zealand artists -- is one of the most celebrated film scores of the 21st century. Shore develops distinct musical themes (leitmotifs) for each major character, people and place: the Shire theme, the Fellowship theme, Mordor's industrial brass, Gondor's nobility, the Elvish choral settings. The complete score runs to nearly 11 hours of music across the extended editions. Shore wins three Academy Awards for Best Score and Best Song, and the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album.
2003 The Return of the King -- 11 Oscars, a clean sweep The Return of the King is released on 17 December 2003. It wins all 11 Academy Awards for which it is nominated -- tying the record set by Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Adapted Screenplay (Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens), Best Score (Howard Shore), Best Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Make-up, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Mixing. It is the first (and only) fantasy film to win Best Picture. It grosses $1.12 billion worldwide, bringing the trilogy's total to $2.92 billion.
2004 Extended editions -- the directors vision complete Jackson releases extended editions of all three films on DVD between 2002 and 2004, adding between 30 and 51 minutes of additional footage to each film. The extended editions are widely considered superior to the theatrical cuts for their richer characterisation, more complete storytelling and additional scenes (Tom Bombadil, however, is not included). The extended editions establish the precedent for director's cut home releases as commercially significant products. Together they contain approximately 11 hours of film. The extended edition of The Return of the King alone runs 4 hours and 11 minutes.
2004 – 2010 New Zealand tourism -- the Tolkien effect The Lord of the Rings transforms New Zealand's tourism industry. Tourist numbers increase significantly year-on-year through the 2000s, with a significant percentage citing the films as motivation. 'Hobbiton' -- the Shire set built on Alexander Farm near Matamata -- becomes a permanent tourist attraction after being rebuilt for The Hobbit trilogy, drawing 500,000 visitors annually. Tourism New Zealand estimates the films generated over $200 million in additional tourism revenue in the decade following release. 'New Zealand -- Home of Middle-earth' becomes one of the most successful national destination campaigns in history.
2012 – 2014 The Hobbit trilogy -- return to Middle-earth Peter Jackson returns to Middle-earth with a three-film adaptation of The Hobbit (2012-2014): An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies. The production is troubled: Guillermo del Toro was originally set to direct but withdrew after two years of pre-production delays caused by MGM's bankruptcy. The Hobbit trilogy is shot at 48 frames per second (double the standard 24fps) -- a controversial choice that many viewers find disconcerting. The three films gross $2.93 billion combined but are generally considered inferior to the LOTR trilogy, suffering from bloated running times and excessive CGI.
2022 – 2024 The Rings of Power -- Amazon Prime adaptation Amazon Studios premieres The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on 2 September 2022 -- the most expensive television production ever made, with the first season costing approximately $465 million (the entire five-season commitment exceeds $1 billion). Set in the Second Age, the show covers the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of Sauron and the fall of Numenor. Reception is mixed: praised for its production design and ambition, criticised for pacing and departures from Tolkien's text. Season one attracts 25 million viewers on its premiere day -- Prime Video's largest ever debut.
2026 The Hunt for Gollum -- new theatrical film announced New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. announce The Hunt for Gollum -- a new theatrical Lord of the Rings film -- in 2024, with Peter Jackson producing and Andy Serkis directing and reprising his role as Gollum. The film is planned for 2026 release. The casting of original trilogy actors in new films signals Hollywood's confidence in the continued commercial power of the franchise. The announcement generates enormous fan excitement and critical interest in whether a new generation of filmmakers can recapture the quality of the Jackson trilogy.