taking on tolkien: peter jackson brings the epic novel to the screen

Since the first volume was published in 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy has had a profound effect on generations of readers, defining for many the archetypal struggle between good and evil. Voted in world-wide polls the "Book of the Century," it set the benchmark for the modern epic in its creation of an entirely new and thrillingly vital universe. It introduced an unforgettable hero - the Hobbit Frodo Baggins - caught up in a war of mythic proportions in Middle-earth, a world full of magic and lore. Most of all, it celebrated the power of loyal friendship and individual courage, a power that may hold at bay even the most devastating forces of darkness.

Known for visually evoking the vibrant world of dreams - and nightmares - in such films as Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, Peter Jackson had long felt that The Lord of the Rings was ripe for its first complete cinematic telling, but he also knew that to do it justice would take perhaps the most ambitious production ever attempted in film history.

For over a half-decade, from the earliest development through the release of the first film in the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and the continuing production of the next two films, Jackson has poured his heart into every aspect of the project. "I think that's the least we owe to Tolkien and the legions of fans around the globe," he says. "They deserve our very best efforts."

Jackson and his co-writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and, on the second film, Stephen Sinclair, wanted to bring front and center Tolkien's themes of good versus evil, nature versus industry, and friendship versus the forces of corruption. "What we are trying to do, as we adapt The Lord of the Rings into a film medium, is honour these themes; and whilst you can never be totally faithful to a book, especially a book over 1,000 pages, we have tried to incorporate the things that Tolkien cared about when he wrote the book, and make them the fabric of the films," says Jackson.

Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne, co-chairmen and co-chief-executive-officers of New Line and executive producers of the film, backed Jackson's vision from the beginning. "The decision to make this movie was very intuitive," Shaye comments. "It has only happened to me a few times; it occurred to me that it was the right thing to do, that it was just what New Line could use, and it could be done in a fiscally prudent way."

Likewise, they share his devotion to the books' themes. "The story of The Two Towers is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago," Shaye and Lynne noted. "Tolkien never lost sight of the destructive and seductive nature of power, and the idea that a person - or Hobbit -- no matter how small or inconsequential, can change history." Adds Lynne, "History is marked with sagas like the struggle for control of Middle-earth and the battle of good versus evil."

The second film in the trilogy expands the world of Middle-earth introduced in the first film. "In the first film, the Fellowship travels as a unit," comments Elijah Wood, who plays the Hobbit Frodo Baggins, who must bear the Ring throughout the trilogy. "The second story involves the characters being split into pieces and each character has an individual journey. The world becomes larger, so it's a lot more interesting dramatically and visually."

Adds executive producer Mark Ordesky, "In The Two Towers, the aperture of the camera opens. You see a lot more of Middle-earth. You see Mordor, Rohan, all of these places that have only been spoken of before. You have many more major speaking roles and creatures. And then there's Gollum, who can't even be defined as a creature, because he is a character with as much importance as any one of the main cast."

Adapting the epic trilogy into three films has resulted in the deployment of a logistical operation on par with an intricate and wide-reaching military campaign. An army of artists - including digital experts, medieval weapons designers, stone sculptors, linguists, costumers, make-up artists, blacksmiths and model builders - as well as an internationally-renowned cast of actors and over 26,000 extras -- gathered to make this ambitious dream come true.

Jackson also embraced a decision in the early days of the trilogy's development to shoot all three films at once, something which had never been done in filmmaking history. "Once people actually come here and are surrounded by the work effort involved and the people that were part of making the film, you get a better sense of what it was like and what it is like still," notes Wood. "It's so far beyond articulation."

For a year and a half, Jackson and his devoted production team of over 2,400 filmed all over the spectacular landscapes of New Zealand, and in the time since the release of the first film in the trilogy, an army of post production and visual effects artisans have continued their work to prepare the three films for consecutive release. Comments producer Barrie Osborne, "One of the real blessings of shooting all three movies at once is that you are able to look at each movie with a fresh eye once you've finished work on the last. To have the opportunity to do that is very rare."

One common sentiment among the cast and crew is the sense that the long and multi-faceted production has forged an unforgettable bond among them. "It has been an amazing life experience for all of us," says Wood. "It also gave us an opportunity to become closer than any of us had ever been working on other films. I think we've made some of the best friends of our lives."

"Coming back together with the cast and crew of The Lord of the Rings is like reuniting with your family," Osborne adds. "It's like going home for Thanksgiving."

With the 2001 release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the extraordinary world of Middle-earth was introduced to audiences on movie screens around the world. The resulting phenomenon, from lines around city blocks all over the world to critical accolades and awards, has provided a boost to everyone involved in this colossal undertaking.

"Everyone was very deeply invested in satisfying the fans - because we were fans," explains Ordesky. "Peter had read the books when he was 18. Fran and Philippa also came to the books very naturally. I came to the books as a 12 year-old. But there was never any doubt that Peter wasn't going to achieve this accomplishment, not in my mind anyway."

On December 18, the legend continues with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. "It's three movies, but it is one story," comments Wood. "People are anticipating the next chapter of what happens because it becomes much more dynamic. And much more interesting, in my opinion. There are more battles, and, of course, you've got the inclusion of Gollum, which is one of my all time favourite characters in literature."

"Not all of the new characters of The Two Towers are played by human beings," notes Jackson. The central film in the trilogy introduces two memorable digital characters brought to life in the Wellington, New Zealand-based studios of WETA Digital. Gollum, articulated through groundbreaking motion capture techniques using actor Andy Serkis as a guide; and Treebeard, a character that mirrors the actual trees seen every day in our environment, but who walks and talks.

The film will also stage the colossal battle at Helm's Deep, in which thousands of Uruk-hai soldiers storm the Rohan fortress, through an intricate combination of live action, miniatures and WETA Digital's proprietary MASSIVE software, which gives each digital character a mind and will of its own. "We used this program to some degree on The Fellowship of the Ring, but in this movie it really comes full force against the inhabitants of Helm's Deep, with 10,000 Massive-driven CG Uruk-hai marching down the valley towards the castle," Jackson describes.

Richard Taylor, who received two Academy Award® for his work in the first film, notes that the stakes for this film have been raised not only in terms of the story, but also in terms of design and visual effects: "I wait in great anticipation as we hold out to see what the world's audiences are going to think about The Two Towers because the first film has been hailed as this incredible visual epic, but that's nothing compared to what's to come."

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the final film in the trilogy, is slated for release on December 17, 2003.

the fellowship broken: the story of the two towers

The balance of power is shifting across Middle-earth. Two Towers - the Dark Lord Sauron's stronghold at Barad-dûr, and the wizard Saruman's chamber at Orthanc - have aligned to wage war against all civilization, and bring about the end of the race of Humankind.

"The title, The Two Towers, refers to the tower of Orthanc, which is where Saruman is based, and the tower of Barad-dûr, the home of Sauron, and the two are in alliance," comments director/writer/producer Peter Jackson. "It's a story of genocide to some degree, of these two evil forces deciding that the race of Man, mankind itself, must be eliminated from the face of the earth. And they attempt to do that."

The corrupting evil of The One Ring, forged by Sauron, has splintered the Fellowship that banded together to destroy it. The quest has already claimed the life of the Wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and the Human Boromir (Sean Bean). Only the Hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) has shown some resistance to its great power, which makes him uniquely qualified to be the Ringbearer.