Product Description

An illustrated behind-the-scenes guide to the film version of "The Lord of the Rings", featuring colour photos of the cast, locations, sets, monsters and costumes, and an overview of the making of the film trilogy since the mid-1990s. Designed as a celebration of the films, it includes double-page photo spreads showing exclusive photographs in detail. Written by the writer and broadcaster Brian Sibley, a foremost expert on "The Lord of the Rings" (he adapted the novel for the award-winning BBC radio dramatization in 1980), the book includes a brief history of the "Lord of the Rings" phenomenon prior to the movies and looks ahead to the second and third parts of the trilogy due for release on film in 2002/2003.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #605653 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 120 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
It's one of the most anticipated movies ever, and now you can see for yourself how the magic of Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece was created on screen in The Lord of the Rings: Official Movie Guide. Brian Sibley's straightforward approach takes the reader from the initial conception of the film, as it was developed and passed around studios (it initially started life as a two-hour condensed version of the three novels), to the months of complicated special effects works necessary to do justice to Tolkien's extraordinary imagination. There are interviews with the key cast and production members and all the proceedings are liberally decorated with full colour photographs from the film itself. Sibley manages to perfectly document the painstaking attention to detail by the filmmakers, much of which will be missed by many movie-goers, but he also captures a sense of camaraderie from all involved in their efforts to make the best movie possible. If it's facts and background trivia you're after then this is the best place to be and is the perfect starting point to those new to Tolkien or eager to find out more about how epic films are put together. Dedicated fans who have been following the filmmaking process via the internet won't find anything here they didn't already know, but this is still a very good companion. --Jonathan Weir

Review
This official souvenir book is a beautifully illustrated behind-the-scenes guide to the making of the spectacular trilogy of films. J R R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest books ever written, an epic work of incredible imaginative detail which has been voted in several worldwide polls as the book of the 20th century. It is the story of Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit who must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom and destroy the Ruling Ring of Power. Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring, his faithful band of friends, must evade the ever-watchful eye of Sauron, Dark Lord of Mordor, who is desperately seeking to recover the mighty ring he lost thousands of years ago. The sheer range and depth of the characters is amazing in this utterly gripping tale of courage and determination. Brian Sibley has documented this ambitious project, from the initial idea to make the film to its development into an epic trilogy dedicated to capturing as closely as possible the essence of Tolkien's work. The wide-ranging interviews with the principal cast and key production members powerfully convey their commitment to Tolkien's vision and their desire to produce a film worthy of the book. Everyone is incredibly passionate about the project and this shows in the painstaking attention to detail. Director Peter Jackson read the book hundreds of times since starting the movie and referred to it constantly during filming. The three films were shot simultaneously over five years, an amazing undertaking involving incredible planning and enormous special effects support. Heavily illustrated with shots from the film itself, the guide provides a wealth of background, facts and figures about the trilogy's production. This is an easily accessible introduction to Tolkien's world and a fascinating insight into the art of epic filmmaking. It lacks sufficient depth or detail to bring anything really new to dedicated fans, but it is a lovely book that will add to the enjoyment of a magnificent film. (Kirkus UK)

From the Publisher
The Lord of the Rings has sold over 100 million copies adn has been translated into over 40 languages .It is being filmed as a 300 million dollar movie trilogy. The book of the 20th century will be the film of the 21st.

Customer Reviews

a definite must to tolkien fans
This book is an excellent guide to fans and would-be fans of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It gives the reader an insiders tour and behind the scenes details in making of this epic masterpiece. The journey from the book to movie is an incredilbe one.
Peter Jackson is a real Tolkien Fan. He gave his best effort to make the dream of fellow Tolkien fans come true, seeing their beloved books transformed into an epic film. In reading this book, you could see how perfectly the actors where cast in their respective characters. It also featured the views of the actors regarding the characters that they played and of the movie itself. You would come to appreciate the tremendous efforts made by the production staff in making middle earth come alive before our very eyes. The pictures of sets, casts, and locations, are fantastic. It's a definite must for all Tolkien Fans' collection.

Wow! what a great book...
Amazing photos! a real feast to look at... and some great infomation too. If this book is anything to go by the film should be fantastic. From what I can see Peter Jackson has caught the essence of what Tolkein was all about... buy it now.

Colourful, but not really in-depth
This book is a nice teaser for the upcoming blockbuster "Fellowship of the ring", but to call it a movie guide... that I find somewhat too much to say.
Sure, there a are some great photographs and interesting looks behind the scenes, but the stories about the people behind the movie remain rather superficial. For example, only the main characters are quoted, but their date of birth, for example, isn't even included. And of the hundreds of people behind the scenes, only four or five are really brought into the spotlight.
I suspect that there will be a much more comprehensive movie guide when all three films of the trilogy have been released, say in the spring of 2004.