MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEGimli, Frodo, Merry and Pippin
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001753
FILM NOTES
New Line Cinema's release of The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001 marked the beginning of Peter Jackson's ambitious adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy, filmed simultaneously across three installments in New Zealand. The promotional trailer campaign built enormous anticipation for a fantasy epic that would go on to reshape blockbuster filmmaking, blending practical craftsmanship with then-groundbreaking effects work. For collectors, trailer cells from this campaign hold particular value as the first physical artifacts of a cultural phenomenon still unfolding at the time of release.
This cell brings together three members of the Fellowship: Frodo Baggins, the reluctant ringbearer played by Elijah Wood; Merry Brandybuck, one of the hobbit companions portrayed by Dominic Monaghan; and Gimli, the dwarf warrior brought to life by John Rhys-Davies. As a trailer cell, this frame belonged to the marketing reel meant to introduce audiences to the ensemble before the film's debut, capturing figures whose camaraderie became central to the saga's emotional core. Such cells are prized for pairing beloved characters within a single collectible frame.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer (2001).
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 edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a narrow light-modulated stripe.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; the dye image reads as a fully saturated colour positive with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Fine longitudinal lines consistent with projection wear are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of the film on record.
Era check
The four-perforation 35mm format, colour positive print, and variable-area optical soundtrack are all consistent with a 2001 theatrical release print.
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 000063613
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
