The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring, motion picture based on the first book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by British author J. R. R. Tolkien. The film, released in 2001, won Academy Awards for best original score, cinematography, visual effects, and makeup.

Tolkien’s trilogy takes place in Middle-earth, an imaginary land of wizards, goblins, elves, hobbits, and even humans. The film covers the first third of the larger story, which concerns a powerful ring that has passed through the ages, finally coming into the possession of an unassuming hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm). Bilbo’s friend, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), persuades him that dark forces are pursuing the ring, and that the safest thing is to let Bilbo’s nephew, Frodo (Elijah Wood), travel to the mountain where the ring was forged and destroy it forever. Gandalf and Frodo set off on their perilous journey, joined by a band of friends and protectors—such as the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the human Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen)—in a fellowship determined to keep the ring safe from the dark lord Sauron (Sala Baker) and his army of Orcs (goblins). The Fellowship of the Ring ends while Frodo and his friends are still struggling to return the ring to its place of origin.

Director

• Peter Jackson

Cast

• Elijah Wood (Frodo)
• Ian McKellen (Gandalf)
• Sean Astin (Sam)
• Ian Holm (Bilbo)
• Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)
• Liv Tyler (Arwen)
• Cate Blanchett (Queen Galadriel Nerwendë Artanis Alatáriel of the Galadhrim)
• Alan Howard (The Ring—voice)
• Noel Appleby (Everard Proudfoot)
• Sala Baker (Sauron)
• Sean Bean (Boromir)
• Orlando Bloom (Legolas)
• Billy Boyd (Pippin)
• Marton Csokas (Lord Celeborn of the Galadhrim)
• Megan Edwards (Mrs. Proudfoot)
• Michael Elsworth (Gondorian Archivist)
• Mark Ferguson (Gil-Galad)
• Christopher Lee (Saruman)
• Lawrence Makoare (Lurtz)
• Brent McIntyre (Witch-King)
• Peter McKenzie (Elendil)
• Sarah McLeod (Rosie Cotton)
• Dominic Monaghan (Merry)
• Ian Mune (Bounder)
• Craig Parker (Haldir)
• Cameron Rhodes (Farmer Maggot)
• John Rhys-Davies (Gimli)
• Martyn Sanderson (Gatekeeper)
• Andy Serkis (Gollum; Smeagol—voice)
• Harry Sinclair (Isildur)
• David Weatherley (Barliman Butterbur)
• Hugo Weaving (Elrond)

Awards

• Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (2001): Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook, Richard Taylor, Mark Stetson
• Academy Award for Best Cinematography (2001): Andrew Lesnie
• Academy Award for Best Original Score (2001): Howard Shore
• Academy Award for Best Makeup (2001): Peter Owen and Richard Taylor
• British Academy Award for Best Film (2001): Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, Tim Sanders
• British Academy Award for Direction (2001): Peter Jackson
• Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor (2001): Ian McKellen

Trivia

• Director Peter Jackson and his coproducers decided to film all three installments of the trilogy—The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King—simultaneously. The Two Towers was released in late 2002, and The Return of the King in December 2003. The whole project cost about $300 million.
• On-location filming for the movie was done in Jackson’s native New Zealand.