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· Filming took place in New Zealand
· Director Peter Jackson took 18
months to film all three adaptations of The Lord of the Rings
· 5,000 cubic metres of vegetables
and flowers were grown a year before the filming started to make Hobbiton - the village where some of the Hobbits live
· 250 horses were used. 70 of these
were specially trained, including five miniature horses used for the hobbits
· A lot of the sets were carved
out of polystyrene, to make them look like wood which had aged over thousands of years
· The character Gollum was completely
computer-generated
· Over £50,000 of coffee was drunk
by the crew and cast during the 18 months of filming
· Nearly all nine actors of 'The
Fellowship' had a tattoo done of the word 'Nine' in Elvish to mark the close bonds they built up during 18 months filming
together - though none of them will allow photos taken of the tattoos! Dominic Monaghan (who plays Merry) confirmed this.
He added that John Rhys-Davies chose not to. His stunt double Bret had one instead
· 30 actors were trained by the
two dialect and creative language coaches.
· Over 3,000,000 feet of film were
shot during production.
· 90,000 unit still photographs
were shot on set.
· Over 100 locations were used in
the film.
· On average, each Middle-earth
civilization required 150 costumes.
· The trilogy has been translated
into over 40 languages.
· At the height of production, "The
Lord of the Rings" had a 2,400-person crew.
· 1,600 pairs of prosthetic Hobbit
feet were used by the principal Hobbit cast during the production.
· The most lunches served on set
at once: 800.
· 350 sets were constructed for
filming.
· 900 suits of handmade armor were
created by the Weta Workshop.
· In the trilogy, the Fellowship's
journey takes 13 months.
· 68 miniature sets were built for
sets from Orthanc Tower
to Lothlorien.
· Eight acres of farmland in Matamata, New Zealand
was turned into the set of Hobbiton.
· There were 274 shooting days of
principal photography.
· The film required two years of
pre-production and two years of post-production.
· There were five shooting units
in the production.
· For the first time ever done in
cinema history, three films were made simultaneously.
· 12,500,000 rings were linked together
by hand to create the Weta Workshop's chain mail.
· Over 400 script pages were filmed
for the trilogy.
· 42 tailors, designers, cobblers,
embroiders and jewelers worked in the wardrobe department.
· Over 550 hours of behind-the-scenes
footage was shot on set.
· 95% of the crew were native New
Zealanders.
· There are 114 speaking roles in
the film.
· 250,000 silk leaves were applied
by hand to a tree in Hobbiton.
· 100,000,000 people worldwide have
read the trilogy since it was published in 1954.
· 15,000 costumes were made by the
wardrobe department.
· Middle-earth is said to have existed
7,000 years ago.
· Sets had to withstand 60 lbs.
per square foot to be safe for cast and crew.
· 100 hand-forged and inlaid weapons
were created by the Weta Workshop.
· 300 handmade knotted wigs were
made especially for the production.
· 1,460 eggs were served at one
breakfast for the LOTR crew.
· 48,000 items such as swords, scabbards,
axes and shields were made by the Weta Workshop.
· Four Hobbits bungee-jumped while
on location in New Zealand.
· 200 individually crafted Orc masks
were created by the Weta Workshop.
· "The Lord of the Rings" was in
development for seven years by director/writer/producer Peter Jackson. | 
