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

SCENEGandalf, Legolas and Gimli

FILM FORMAT35mm

YEAR2001

CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001742

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema unveiled The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, launching Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy and reshaping what fantasy filmmaking could achieve on screen. Shot across New Zealand with groundbreaking effects work, it became a critical and commercial phenomenon, earning multiple Academy Awards and setting the template for large-scale literary adaptations that followed. The trailer campaign that preceded release played a significant role in building anticipation, offering early audiences their first glimpses of Middle-earth's central figures before the film's theatrical debut.

This cell, marked for Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli, preserves a moment from that promotional material featuring Gandalf and Legolas. Gandalf, the wizard whose guidance anchors the Fellowship's journey, and Legolas, the elven archer whose composure and skill made him an instant favorite, are among the most sought-after figures from this saga by collectors. A trailer cell like this one captures a fragment used to introduce audiences to these characters ahead of the story itself, making it a piece of the film's earliest public presentation rather than the finished narrative proper.

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, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack: A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a two-track variable-area format; Dolby Digital data blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge.
Edge print: Text reading 'the Fellowship of the Ring' is printed vertically within the picture area as title text; edge print along the strip margin is not legible at this resolution.
Base & colour: Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image shows rich colour saturation with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history: Light horizontal abrasion lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with a projected print; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture: Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be the same shot, consecutive frames from a single scene; imagery is consistent with a theatrical trailer for the film on record.
Era check: The combination of variable-area optical track with Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks is consistent with a 2001-era 35mm theatrical release print, matching the period of the film on record.

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 000063602

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