Lord of the Rings Trailer to Debut Friday

Posted on January 9, 2001

New Line Cinema will unveil the first theatrical teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings trilogy this Friday, January 12, 2001. The trailer will be attached exclusively to prints of New Line's thriller Thirteen Days. The movie is based on the popular fantasy series by author J. R. R. Tolkien.

New Line will also formally re-launch its The Lord of the Rings website on January 12. The re-launch of the site features a customized web browser, as well as screen savers and photos, information about the production, cast and filmmaker biographies, character synopsis, profiles of the production team, Real Audio interviews with the cast, filmmakers and production members, text interviews, maps of Middle-earth, and a news section featuring official information about the release of the film. Online, fans can post messages, trade images and have the opportunity to interact with their peers.

``The Lord of the Rings is a franchise unlike any other,'' said Joe Nimziki, President of Theatrical Marketing for New Line Cinema. ``No studio has ever embarked on a project as ambitious or wildly imaginative, and we are tremendously excited about what Peter Jackson and the cast and crew are creating.''

The Lord of the Rings film will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins, who battles against the Dark Lord, Sauron, to save Middle-earth from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embarks on a desperate journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron's greatest strength, the One Ring -- a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.

Helmer Peter Jackson, who won accolades for Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep love for the source material to the project. Produced by Barrie M. Osborne, the films cast includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-Davis, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood.