Fun Facts and LOTR Trivia

Think you know all about the LOTR trilogy? HA! Here are a few facts I bet you never knew.

-It took J.R.R. Tolkien twelve years to write the Lord of the Rings.

- "The Lord of the Rings" was the first time in film production history that three related movies were shot simultaneously.

- The entire trilogy was shot in New Zealand.

- Over 100 locations and over 350 sets were used.

- There were 274 days of shooting.

- Over 10,000 costumes were created.

- The cost of producing the trilogy was $300 million dollars

- Stuart Townsend, originally cast as Aragorn, was fired because he was a wimp.

- Viggo Mortensen was praised for totally immersing himself in the role of Aragorn. He fought so realistically with the orcs that he chipped a tooth during the filming of one fight. He asked if it could be superglued back on so he could finish the scene.

- Viggo Mortensen was not a wimp.

- During one day of shooting, Orlando Bloom (Legolas) fell off his horse and broke a rib.

- Viggo refused to carry the lighter aluminum sword used by everyone else, choosing to carry the near 4-times-heavier steel blade instead - even when it was only a scabbard - so it would look more natural.

- Viggo made the WETA designers create sharpening stones he could carry in his belt pouches since Aragorn would've had them.

- The skull and facial structure for Gimli was built on a totally new design since the special effects people wanted him to look like a different species.

- Gimli's dress and props are Teutonic and Norse inspired, with sharp edges and more of an architectural feel; Legolas is more Celtic and whimsical - as are all the elves - with their building stressing their relationship with nature. This shows the cultural division between elves and dwarves.

- At the Council of Elrond, Gimli's axe shatters when he attempts to destroy the Ring. Moments later, he takes the axe of another dwarf and uses it to offer his services to Frodo. Apparently he's not giving it back, as he says to the hobbit, "You have MY axe!"

- After six months, John Rhys-Davies developed an allergy to the Gimli make-up, causing him to take many days off filming as his skin broke out in a rash and peeled off. - Gandalf carries 3 different staffs during the films: The first is kind of a sapling with a bulbous root head, with facets that allow it to hold Gandalf's pipe and tobacco pouch. Saruman takes it when he captures Gandalf. The second staff has a head of crystal that gives off light, perfect for guiding the company through the Mines of Moria. Gandalf loses it in the battle with the Balrog. Staff number three is more considered and finely crafted, with the rune for "G," Gandalf's sign, carved in it. He carries this as Gandalf the White for the remainder of the trilogy. Gandalf's swords go through similar changes since he loses a pair of them to Saruman and the Balrog.

- Ian McKellen's favorite scene to film was when he (Gandalf) drove the cart to Bag End.

- 1,800 pairs of hobbit feet were made for the film. Hobbits were designed to look like they could've lived in 14th, 15th or 16th century England - as opposed to Rohan, which seems to be set more around 900 A.D.

- The Shire and the world of the hobbits were constructed to make it look like that they live in a world of their own apart from the rest of Middle-earth. Every prop, set, and costume in a scene with a hobbit had to have a double 1.38 times bigger so normal items would look the right size with the hobbits - including Saruman's home.

- 48,000 props were used in the film.

- Sir Ian Holm (Bilbo) came to New Zealand after the exterior Hobbiton set had been destroyed. Director Peter Jackson filmed Bilbo's scenes there beforehand, pretending Sir Ian was present so that after he arrived, the hobbit could perform his parts in front of a blue screen and be added later.

-Most of the props used in the film, including the weave of the fabric of the costumes, had to be made twice. One large version to make the hobbits look small, and one smaller or actual size to make the "human" actors look big.

-Also at the council of Elrond, Sean Bean (Boromir) was given his "folly" monolouge mere hours before he was supposed to act it out. Given such little preperation time, he left the script in his lap while the camera closed in on his face.

-Legolas means "greenleaf", his name is therefore is Greenleaf Greenleaf.

-Over 1.2 million little rings were made for the chainmail used in the battle scenes and all of it was very real and was very light like back in the ages.
(Provided by smuffle)

Peter Jackson first came up with the idea of makong the lord of the rings trilogy 7 years ago.