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Overview
Directed by Peter Jackson, this adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings follows Frodo Baggins (played by Elijah Wood) as he embarks on an impossible journey to destroy the One Ring and defeat the dark lord Sauron
. The trilogy—The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003)—features an all-star ensemble cast, including Ian McKellen as the wizard Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and Liv Tyler as Arwen Evenstar. The movies cover an enormous amount of literary and visual ground as they tell a story centered around hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable evil, the idyllic fantasy of home in places like the Shire, and the limits of fellowship when faced with hardship. The trilogy was a box-office smash, known for its groundbreaking use of visual effects and large-scale battle sequences. Howard Shore’s iconic score has been widely lauded and imitated. The trilogy is one of the most successful and acclaimed adaptations in film history, and its final instalment, The Return of the King, won 11 Academy Awards, tying the record for most wins.
