Lord of the Rings Original Cast Reuniting For Anniversary Screenings

The cast of Peter Jackson’s monumental The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be reuniting for the 20^th anniversary of 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Almost 67 years after it was first published, J.R.R. Tolkien’s exploration of the brilliantly conceived Middle-earth realm still thrills legions of fans, and Jackson’s adaptation in the early 2000’s remains a major highlight.

Each film in the trilogy was a massive undertaking, and although Jackson had been a filmmaker for a quarter of a century by the time he took the trilogy on, it was LOTR that truly made him a household name. What’s more, beyond the films’ appeal among fans of Tolkien’s books, they also found considerable respect critically, with the entire trilogy raking in an astonishing 17 Oscars. With its impressive cast made up of acclaimed stars and newcomers alike, the trilogy arrived at a time when franchises weren’t yet the norm that they are today. This, in addition to the colossal technical achievements that the trilogy managed to pull off, could arguably point to LOTR as a significant turning point in blockbuster cinema. Because of this legacy, the fact that The Fellowship of the Ring is turning twenty this year is cause for celebration. But few could argue that the current COVID-19 pandemic makes honoring the classic film and trilogy far more difficult.

Thankfully for Lord of the Rings fans, famed Austin, Texas theater, Alamo Drafthouse, is set to not only celebrate one of the greatest film trilogies of all time, but also to help welcome back audiences to cinemas. Over the course of three consecutive weeks starting on March 25^th, Alamo Drafthouse will welcome cast members from the three films for exclusive Q&A sessions and conversations about the trilogy. The events will all be moderated by comedian, host of The Late Show, and LOTR enthusiast, Stephen Colbert. Among the expected cast members are: Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Peter Jackson, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood. Check out the trailer from Alamo Drafthouse for the upcoming event below:

In addition to showcasing the cast of the famed trilogy as part of their “Support Local Cinemas” campaign, Alamo Drafthouse will also be providing further insight into other iconic films. Cast reunions, director interviews and commentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes will all be made available courtesy of the cinema for any theater in the world that wishes to screen them. And if attending the LOTR event is something audiences would rather do with a familiar group of friends and family only, the theater is offering the event via its Own Private Alamo option, in which the theatre can be booked out for private screenings.

As the future of theaters continues to be met with uncertainty after what’s been a particularly devastating year, Almo Drafthouse is making it known that cinemas won’t disappear without a fight. The 20^th anniversary celebration of The Lord of the Rings trilogy is just one way that audiences around the world can be encouraged to return to theaters, and after the year that the world has had, there are few better ways to celebrate the gift that is cinema than a special event to honor both LOTR and theaters everywhere.

Source: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

About The Author

Mike Jones
(1646 Articles Published)

Mike Jones is an author, screenwriter, world traveller and cinephile. His work has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, and he’s also a Berlinale Talents alumnus. Cinema has always moved him in a big way and aside from having seen The Talented Mr Ripley more times than any other living person, he maintains a pretty darn healthy physical media collection. His favourite filmmakers include: Jordan Peele, David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Mike Leigh, Steven Spielberg, the Dardenne Brothers, Noah Baumbach, Michael Haneke, Barry Jenkins and Andrea Arnold. Often jet-lagged, Mike once turned down a certain A-list celebrity’s offer to join them for a night of partying after a strange encounter in an airport.

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