The Mirror
14 May 2001
MOVE OVER HARRY..HERE COME THE POUNDS
300M HOBBITS
FILMS IN XMAS BATTLE
THIS is the epic fight Harry Potter has
on his hands - a
pounds 300million film adaptation of Lord Of The Rings.
And these exclusive pictures show the scale
of the
blockbuster battle to come.
The Fellowship Of The Ring, the first of
a movie trilogy based
on British author JRR Tolkien's fantasy books, will go head to
head against Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone at the
box office this Christmas. And Hollywood has spared no
expense, either in casting or special effects, to ensure victory
for the tale of hobbits, trolls, orcs, monsters and wizards.
Director Peter Jackson's all- star line-up
features Sharpe
hero Sean Bean as human warrior Boromir, Sir Ian McKellen
as fearsome wizard Gandalf and horror film legend
Christopher Lee as his corrupt rival Saruman the White.
To give the story a sex appeal which will
bemuse Tolkien
purists, Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler portray royal elves with
a key role in the battle between good and evil.
John Rhys-Davies is dwarf Gimli and US actors
Sean Astin
and Elijah Wood have roles as diminutive hobbits Sam and
Frodo. Revolutionary technology was used to make their
characters look smaller.
A preview of the trilogy, filmed in secrecy
in New Zealand last
year, got a rave reception at the Cannes Festival.
An insider said: "When it finished
the place burst into
applause.
"Everyone who saw it couldn't help
but leave the cinema with
a big smile on their face." Harry, you have been warned.
Return to LOTR Cannes Coverage Main Page