Screening

Film: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy + Howard Shore intro

Sun 23 Mar, 12:30 pm BFI IMAX Buy Tickets
Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) reaching his hand out to grasp the ring

Peter Jackson’s original Tolkien trilogy back-to-back-to-back on the UK’s largest screen, introduced by composer Howard Shore.


Celebrate the storytelling wonder with us and see this epic vision of Middle Earth as never before. Jackson’s extraordinary undertaking, bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s world-building classic to the screen, is a testament to the strength of the author’s world and a tribute to fans all over in these three legendary films.

This screening will be introduced by composer Howard Shore, as part of the London Soundtrack Festival.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

“Jackson has translated the best-loved fantasy novel of our age into a commanding screen adventure, one with a sense of human terror and danger and grit under its nails…” Andrew O’Hehir, Sight & Sound, 2002

Part one in a three-film adaptation of novelist J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring is set in the fantasy world of Middle-earth. Sticking closely to Tolkien’s plot, it revolves around the attempt by an assorted group of elves, men, dwarves and hobbits to destroy a magic ring whose power the wizard Sauron seeks for evil ends.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

“With The Two Towers it seems very clear that we are in the midst of one of the great achievements in fantasy filmmaking.” Charles Taylor, salon.com, 2002

Picking up where The Fellowship of the Ring ended, The Two Towers sees the group of heroes at the centre of the first film scattered across Middle Earth as a final confrontation with the evil wizard Sauron looms.The focus remains on the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and his attempt to destroy a powerful magic ring to end the power of Sauron. But director Peter Jackson deftly maintains interest in the film’s many subplots, following the members of the fellowship as they are involved in various battles and political intrigues to support Frodo’s quest.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

“With enormous energy and a passionately exacting eye for detail, Jackson has made the regressive-romantic legend live again. He has given the Tolkien myth a turbo-charged rush into the 21st century.” Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 2003

The Return of the King sees hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) reach the end of his attempt to destroy the magic ring that will otherwise plunge his world into darkness. Meanwhile Middle-earth has erupted in battles between the forces of evil and good, the latter led by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen).Taking up where The Two Towers left off, part three of the epic assumes its audience will know the first two instalments.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

New Zealand-USA 2001

Director
Peter Jackson

Featuring
Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Billy Boyd, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm and Andy Serkis

Running time
178 min

 

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

New Zealand-USA 2002

Director
Peter Jackson

Featuring
Liv Tyler, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, and Andy Serkis

Running time
179 min

 

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Germany-New Zealand-USA 2003

Director
Peter Jackson

Featuring
Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Liv Tyler, Andy Serkis, Sean Bean and Ian Holm

Running time
201 min