23 years ago, Peter Jackson – a rising directorial talent from New Zealand – released The Lord of the Rings. Based on the sprawling literary volumes of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings would become one of the most treasured and revered film trilogies in modern film history. Collectively, The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) went on to gross nearly $3 billion at the box office and nominated for 30 Academy Awards.
Fans calls for Jackson’s return to Middle Earth were answered when he helmed The Hobbit Trilogy in 2012. The three films – An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of Five Armies (2014) – did not receive as much critical acclaim as the original trilogy.
Nonetheless, Peter Jackson etched his name among legendary filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and George Lucas and helped propel the careers of Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, and Orlando Bloom, among so many others. The legacy of The Lord of the Rings cannot be understated.
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🎨: stunning cover art by @camartinart 👏
