Lord of the Rings film trilogy
From Srafopedia
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live-action fantasy epic films: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) (often abbreviated to 'LotR', 'FotR', 'TTT' and 'RotK'). The trilogy is based on the book The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, and while it follows the book's general storyline, it also features some additions to and deviations from the source material.
Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the three films follow the young hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and a Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, and thus ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Fellowship becomes divided and Frodo continues the quest together with his loyal companion Sam and the treacherous Gollum. Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf and Aragorn, heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, unite and rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, who are ultimately victorious in the War of the Ring. The wizard Saruman is defeated, The Ring is destroyed, and Sauron and his forces are vanquished.
The films were written, produced and directed by Peter Jackson, co-written by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and distributed by New Line Cinema. Considered to be one of the biggest movie projects ever undertaken, with an overall budget of $280 million, the entire project took eight years, with the filming for all three films done simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand.
The trilogy was a great financial success, with the films being the 14th, 7th and 2nd most successful of all time, respectively, unadjusted for inflation. The films were critically acclaimed, winning 17 Academy Awards in total, as well as wide praise for the cast and for the innovative practical and digital special effects. Each film in the trilogy also had Special Extended Editions (SEE), released a year after the theatrical release on DVD. Two prequels, one based on The Hobbit, are in development for 2010 and 2011 releases.
(Source: Wikipedia)
