During 1954-1955, J.W. R. R. The Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece written by Tolkien. This trilogy of books has been a hit with readers worldwide for decades. Adding to its value, three films based on this series of books were later released to the world. The Lord of the Rings series, directed by Peter Jackson, has been created with great effort and dedication. Also, their reputation and financial value are not insignificant. The Lord of the Rings series is one of the few films still discussed today, no matter how many films have been made in world cinema. Readers who still watch this series of films today will probably read this article. So, you would also like to know some behind-the-scenes stories of this series.
Gandalf’s fault in the script
Do you remember the scene at the beginning of the first film in the series, The Fellowship of the Ring, where the Gandalf wizard meets a hobbit named Bilbo? There, Gandalf’s head hits the ceiling of a small house where Bilbo lives. It’s ridiculous to see how tall Bilbo’s place is and how tall Gandalf is.
But this part was not something that was in the screenplay. The head of Sir Ian McCallon, who brings the character of Gandalf to life, actually collides with that ceiling wood here. But Sir Ian McCallon endured the pain and continued acting. The director also incorporates the same mistake in the film. That’s how a small mistake fits the story of the film perfectly.
Peter Jackson, who was afraid of spiders
Fans of the series may not have forgotten the scene where Frodo is helpless in the face of a giant spider named Shelob in the third film. There is an interesting story behind this scene. Director Peter Jackson is a big fear of spiders in real life. So he took advantage of his dislike of spiders and created this scene.
Shelob’s scene was filmed with minimal use of computer technology. Instead, Shelob’s giant spider web is a flexible, rubber latex-like material. The image of foam being poured out of Frodo’s mouth due to the poison when Shelob bites Frodo is captured using two tablets of foam, Alka-Seltzers.
Vigo, who worked with dedication
Throughout The Lord of the Rings series, Aragon captivates the audience. He was a good man at heart and could rarely harm anyone. This wonderful character was brought to life by the award-winning actor Vigo Mortensen. But the feeling was initially chosen by Stuart Townsend. However, after four days of filming, Peter Jackson realizes that Stuart Townsend is too young for the Aragon character. So the director turned his attention to Vigo Mortensen, who was getting older. But Vigo did not have much faith in this character. He had not read Tolkien’s books and had never met Peter Jackson before. But because Vigo’s eleven-year-old son was a fan of Tolkien, he reconsidered joining the film.
Many of the action scenes in the Mission Impossible series were shot by its lead actor, Tom Cruise. In these films, too, Aragon’s problematic situation is handled by Vigo Mortensen himself, without substitute actors. So that was the trouble he had to face. For example, Aragon is seen angrily kicking a helmet at one point in the series. The helmet is so heavy that it breaks two of Vigo’s toes.
Vigo has been injured several times during filming. He plays with pain even when a part of a tooth breaks in a fight scene, and Mortensen tries to keep the broken tooth temporarily attached and continue working. But Peter Jackson immediately sent him to a dentist.
Other actors in the war scenes used lightweight aluminum swords or rubber swords, but Vigo Mortensen reportedly used a real sword made of steel. Bob Anderson, who coached swordsmen, once said that Vigo Mortensen was the best swordsman he had ever trained.
Sean Bean, who climbed the mountain on foot
We see a very scenic environment throughout The Lord Of The Rings films. Most of the filming was done in New Zealand has also contributed to this spectacle. However, reaching these landscapes was not an easy task. According to the production schedule, the people and equipment required for the next show had to be transported by helicopter.
However, one person in the group did not want to fly. That’s Sean Bean, who plays Borromeer. Because of his fear of flying, Sean Bean reached these difficult places on foot. Sometimes he would have to climb mountains on foot for hours, and he would have to travel in heavy clothing to suit his character. He made sacrifices, especially while climbing challenging mountains twice a day and at the same time getting tired of acting.
James Bond refuses to be a gondolf!
Many actors and actresses have been considered roles in The Lord Of The Rings series and later abandoned. The most famous example of this is Jake Gillenhall’s consideration for the role of Frodo Baggins, who acted as the custodian of the Ring of Power. But in the end, Elijah Wood gets the role. Sean Connery, who has long played the famous James Bond character, has also been considered for the role of Gandalf. The film’s crew had made some effort to convince him that Sean Connery was important enough to agree to pay $ 10 million for each movie and 15% of the box office revenue for the series. If he had joined the character of Gandalf, Sean Connery would have owned a significant portion of the $ 2.9 billion film series. But Sean Connery missed the opportunity, saying the screenplay was hard to understand.
Golam, which has been recreated several times
Golam can be described as a character destroyed by greed for power. The character of Golam suggested in the original designs is different from the Golam character we see in the film. In the beginning, the sphere was a creature with only the nostrils in the form of a skeleton. However, this disguised Golam as a zombie-like inhuman.
Initially, Peter Jackson intended to create spheres using 100% computer technology. But Peter Jackson changes his mind after Andy Sarkis introduces Golam’s moves to the director. Accordingly, Peter Jackson resorted to taking Andy Circus’ movements separately and substituting them for the created golem character. As a result, the technical team that created the globe had to work hard for three years.
The Beatles team’s unrealistic dream
Among the musicians who have maintained their place internationally, The Beatles is at the top. They were so successful that he never had a dream come true. But they are not able to make one dream come true. Before Peter Jackson, the Beatles’ goal of making The Lord Of The Rings book series a movie came true. They wanted to contact Stanley Kubrick as the film’s director, but Stanley Kubrick turned down the offer. Even Tolkien is not so keen on their design. For these reasons, the Beatles have to give up their ambition.
You can understand that the film series is a massive production from its quality. The team was also very responsible for the sensitive New Zealand environment used for filming. It is said that everyone on the staff, including the actors, worked hard for the series, and they spent a lot of time relaxing and joking with each other to avoid stress. The result of that effort is still enjoyed by thousands of viewers worldwide.
Cover photo Credit : themarysue.com/
