National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING

AUTHENTIC

CROWN CERTIFIED

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MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer

SCENEGimli, Merry and Pippin

FILM FORMAT35mm

YEAR2001

CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001737

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, the opening chapter of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy. Shot entirely in New Zealand and backed by an unprecedented three-film commitment, it introduced audiences to Middle-earth on a scale rarely attempted for fantasy cinema. The trailer campaign that preceded release played a significant role in building anticipation, offering early glimpses of the Fellowship before the film's premiere and helping establish the visual language that would define the series for a generation of moviegoers.

This cell carries a discrepancy worth noting for the collector: though cataloged as "Gimli, Merry and Pippin," the figures present are Gimli, Frodo Baggins, and Aragorn. Gimli, the dwarf warrior played by John Rhys-Davies, remains a favorite among collectors for his blunt loyalty and comic gravity. Frodo, the ring-bearer, and Aragorn, the exiled king, anchor the emotional and heroic core of the saga. As a trailer cell, it preserves a promotional moment crafted to entice, drawn from footage assembled specifically to introduce these characters to the public ahead of the film's release.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring trailer.

Gauge: 35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations: Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack: A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation zone on the same edge; a DTS timecode line also appears present as a thin stripe adjacent to the optical track.
Edge print: Text reading 'CHRISTMAS 2001' and 'THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING' is printed vertically across the frame image area; additional edge coding is not clearly legible in this capture.
Base & colour: The base appears with a slight blue-tinted carrier visible at the strip borders; the dye image reads as warm with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history: Light horizontal scratching is visible in the soundtrack area consistent with projection; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture: Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be the same or near-identical frame rather than consecutive action frames, consistent with a trailer title-card or near-static shot; the on-frame text matches the film on record.
Era check: The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital data blocks, apparent DTS timecode stripe, and 35mm positive print stock is consistent with a 2001 theatrical release print of this title.

Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.

This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.

Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.

CROWN SERIAL 000063597

Original Film Capture As received

The film strip as photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation

Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size