The Best Behind The Scenes Facts From 'The Lord Of The Rings' Movie
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“Did you know this is where Viggo broke his toe?” This famous behind-the-scenes fact has been uttered by countless fans during the scene in The Two Towers where Aragorn kicks the Orc helmet while looking for Merry and Pippin. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was an endeavor for the actors who were a part of it. They had to commit to a few years in New Zealand to film the trilogy. Viggo breaking his toe was not the only behind-the-scenes injury. There were a ton of injuries that happened to the cast, and also a ton of behind-the-scenes content.
7. Viggo Wasn’t The First Choice For Aragorn
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When we think of Aragorn, we automatically think of Viggo Mortensen. He was absolutely perfect for the role, but he was not the original actor cast for the role. Stuart Townsend was originally cast, trained, and rehearsed for two months. He was then let go right before filming started because Peter Jackson decided he looked too young. Viggo was convinced to do the part by his son. Also, Nicholas Cage was considered for the role but turned it down due to family obligations.
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6. Sir Christopher Lee Actually Met Tolkien.
Image Source: YouTube
Sir Christopher Lee was a huge The Lord of the Rings fan, and he campaigned for a role in the movies. He started auditioning for wizard-centered roles so that the film industry could see that he was able to play a wizard. He even sent pictures of himself as a wizard to Peter Jackson. Lee also read the books every summer and was the only cast member to have ever met J. R. R. Tolkien.
5. Sean Bean Hated Flying, So He Would Climb
Image Source: Daily Hind News
For scenes that involved a mountain, the cast would be helicoptered up to the top to where their scene was except for Sean Bean. He hated flying so much that he would hike up to where the scene was in full Boromir gear, and wait for the rest of the cast.
4. The Beatles Wanted To Do Their Own Adaptation
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While this isn’t technically a behind-the-scenes fact, it is a fun fact nonetheless. In the late 60s, The Beatles actually wanted to make their own movie adaptation to be directed by Stanley Kubrick. They couldn’t obtain the rights from Tolkien though, because he didn’t like the idea of a “pop group doing his movie.”
3. Aragorn Whacked Away Lurtz's Throwing Knife Like It Was Nothing
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During the Orc fight at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, the actor playing Lurtz was meant to throw a very real metal knife away from Viggo, and special effects would change it later to show it hitting a tree. However, all the prosthetics used on the Orcs turned him around, and he ended up throwing the very real metal knife directly at Viggo. Viggo whacked it away like it was nothing, so the clanging you hear of the two weapons was very real. Peter Jackson even said that Viggo did it on the first take.
2. The Floor Of Bilbo’s House Was Magnetic So The Ring Wouldn't Bounce
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The One Ring was dropped a lot throughout the movies, especially at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring. To show the weight of the ring, there were magnets placed under the floor of Bilbo’s house in Bag End so that it would not bounce or skid when dropped.
1. Scenes Were Still Being Shot After The Return Of The King Was Released
Image Source: Looper
The Return of the King won Best Picture at the Oscars and broke Oscar-winning records. However, scenes were still being filmed for the extended edition of the movie. These shots were for the Paths of the Dead scene, where Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas meet with the souls of the men trapped in the mountain. Peter said it was funny that he was still shooting scenes for this movie even though it already won all the Oscars possible.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was so magical that the cast and production team were willing to stay in New Zealand for a few years of their lives to film these movies. That magic will most likely never happen again. With this magic, comes a ton of behind-the-scenes content that we have been gifted with throughout the years. There is so much more out there, but these were just some of my favorites.
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Source(s): Buzzfeed, ScreenRant