The Long-Lasting Significance Of ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ Trilogy
Fifteen years ago, Hollywood was abuzz as director Peter Jackson geared up to release the first installment of his screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The film series was the talk of the town, considering Tolkien fans were champing at the bit to see Jackson’s cinematic imagining of Middle-earth. The somewhat unknown filmmaker took on one of the most expensive and ambitious projects in cinema history, and many worried he would flounder in bringing the beloved epic to life.
Well, Jackson delivered something far more incredible than what anyone was expecting.
“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” debuted in 2001 to rave reviews, from critics and fans alike. It earned over $47 million domestically during its opening weekend and over $313 million in total. All in all, it was a megahit, and the future installments, “The Two Towers” (2002) and “The Return of the King,” (2003) were equally as successful, with all three titles earning a combined $3 billion worldwide in box-office sales and the final nabbing an Oscar for Best Picture. (Not to mention, at this point, the trilogy has earned billions in DVD and digital sales.)
““The Middle-earth movies are classics now, and they will survive, I think, just as the books have survived.”
—Ian McKellen
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