NEW LINE CINEMA VERIFIES
APPROXIMATELY 1.7 MILLION DOWNLOADS
OF EXCLUSIVE "THE LORD OF THE RINGS"
PREVIEW DURING FIRST DAY OF OPERATION
(Los Angeles, Ca --April 10, 2000) -- More web browsers downloaded the online promotional trailer for The Lord of the Rings during its first 24-hours of availability than any other film marketing footage in history, including the online trailer for Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, it was announced today by New
Line Cinema. 1,671,000 people worldwide downloaded behind-the-scenes promotional footage of The Lord of the Rings on Friday, April 7th alone.
The number has been confirmed by Apple Computer, which also counted downloads for last year's Star Wars web extravaganza. Apple reported only 1 million downloads in the first 24-hour period that the Star Wars theatrical trailer was available online. Records on the official The Lord of the Rings site were shattered almost immediately as fans of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel began logging onto www.lordoftherings.net
for exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the secretive motion picture project.
Traffic to the site was steady through the day and night due to the studio's outreach to approximately 25 The Lord of the Rings fan websites which had been heralding the launch of the trailer for days. The promotion of the global online event was also aided by New Line's exclusive NeoPlanet Lord of the Rings web browser and a unique series of internet clubs. "This staggering number validates New Line's investment
in The Lord of the Rings," said Joe Nimziki, President of Theatrical Marketing for New Line. "To outpace Star Wars by such a large margin is a great indication of the popularity of this franchise."
According to Gordon Paddison, Vice President of Worldwide Interactive Marketing, the success of the online effort is directly attributed to the allegiance of devoted fans. "The power behind this number is the fans and the incredible success we've had is directly attributed to the coordinated relationship we've had with the online community. We have been working closely with The Lord of the Rings fan sites
worldwide for the past year and this staggering launch shows how important the online community is to our marketing efforts moving forward."
NEW LINE CINEMA DEBUTS
EXCLUSIVE ONLINE PREVIEW FOR
THE LORD OF THE RINGS
(LOS ANGELES, CA --April 4, 2000) New Line Cinema will offer its first behind-the-scenes look at the highly anticipated production of The Lord of the Rings exclusively
online beginning at 12:01 AM on Friday, April 7th at www.lordoftherings.net. The exclusive "First Look at Middle Earth" will feature on-set interviews with the cast, showcase the technology used to re-create J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastic settings and creatures, and will give fans a glimpse into the WETA workshop where much of the technical wizardry is being orchestrated.
Director Peter Jackson narrates the segment as he gives the first virtual tour of the technology and talent that will bring the legendary tale to the big screen. Apple Computer has partnered with New Line Cinema to bring this preview to the Internet in the highest digital quality through their Quicktime streaming software. It is anticipated that New Line's partnership with
Apple will also bring millions of new fans to the official The Lord of the Rings website. A countdown to the launch of the exclusive online preview is currently being promoted on www.lordoftherings.net, as well as a myriad of Tolkien fan sites spanning the World Wide Web.
One of the most celebrated novels of the 20th Century, The Lord of the Rings is a groundbreaking epic of good versus evil, extraordinary heroes, wondrous creatures and dark armies of terror. Generations of more than 50 million people around the globe, in 25 different languages have grown up with this epic history. The legend has inspired an entire genre of movies, fiction,
and has influenced some of the greatest artists of our time. It has made dreamers out of children and adults, and has recently been named the number one most popular book of the century.
But it has never been told in its entirety on the screen. Using the power of contemporary cinema technology, New Line Cinema is transforming J.R.R. Tolkien's classic into a history-making motion picture event. Beginning in the year 2001, New Line will present a grand trilogy of live-action feature films -- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King
-- that will take audiences inside Tolkien's living, breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth.
The three separately released installments will also mark the return of "Cliffhanger Cinema" for the first time since the serial adventures of decades past. The Lord of the Rings will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins, who battles against the Dark Lord, Sauron to save Middle-earth from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embarks
on a desperate journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron's greatest strength, the One Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.
Tolkien's mythic vision will come to life through cutting-edge cinema technology and artistry, forging unprecedented opportunities for marketing and licensing. By shooting all three films consecutively during one massive production and post-production schedule, New Line Cinema is making history. Never before has such a monumental undertaking been contemplated or executed.
The commitment of time, resources and manpower are unheard of and all three films are being produced concurrently with the same director and core cast.
Helmer Peter Jackson, whose visionary style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won accolades for his Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep love for the source material to the project.
The film features a strong international cast that includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood.
But the real star of the film is the story itself - a classic hero's quest in which the smallest of beings changes the course of the future with the vastness of his courage.
New Line Cinema News Release
(December 04,1999) This long-awaited screen presentation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be shot exclusively in New Zealand over a period of 18 months, with post-production adding the same length of time again. At three years in the making, this will be the largest production ever to be mounted in the Southern Hemisphere.
Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriters Peter Jackson & Fran Walsh, with Philippa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair, this technically challenging production will assemble an international cast, utilize over 20,000 extras' days, employ a full crew of over 300 (including award-winning high profile technicians from both within and outside of New Zealand), and will feature 1200 state-of-the-art computer generated effects shots.
Peter Jackson's Wellington-based production company, Wingnut Films Limited, together with the special effects company WETA Limited, have been involved in developing and designing this realization of the Tolkien classic for more than two years. During this time a stunning array of miniatures, creatures, prosthetic effects and armor have been created to bring the grandeur and spectacle of Tolkienâs richly evocative Middle-earth to life on the screen.
WETA Limited, New Zealand's leading Special Effects house, continues to focus all of its efforts on this one project. Dedicated to meeting the exacting visual and technical requirements of Director Peter Jackson, WETA Digital is developing its own proprietary programs and using state-of-the-art motion control, blue screen and forced perpective techniques to achieve his vision. The people and creatures who populate Middle-earth, as well as their homes, cities (and lairs) are being conceptualized
by WETA Workshop with the guidance of Alan Lee and John Howe. Alan & John are internationally recognized Tolkien artists.
New Zealand is Middle-earth. Geologically a young country, New Zealand is a wild mix of diverse terrain, which brings with it a sense of grandeur and antiquity. Peter Jackson will use the peace and tranquility of New Zealand's rolling pastoral farmland, the rugged beauty of the North Island's volcanic plateaus, and the majesty of the South Island's snow capped Southern Alps to bring the screen his interpretation of how Britain, Tolkien's Middle-earth, might have looked 7,000 years ago.
Since the public announcement by New Line Cinema in August of 1998 international interest in this project has been overwhelming; little wonder, considering The Lord of the Rings trilogy was voted Book of the Century in 1997. Internet sites devoted to the trilogy have attracted a record number of hits and thousands of approaches have been received by the production company from people wanting to be involved in the project both behind and in front of the camera |
Have you read The Lord of the Rings? 
