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-000001768

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema staked its future on Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy, and the gamble paid off handsomely when The Fellowship of the Ring opened in December 2001. Shot simultaneously with its two sequels in New Zealand, the production reintroduced epic fantasy to mainstream cinema and became a defining event of the era, earning both critical acclaim and a devoted global audience. The teaser and theatrical trailers that preceded release were themselves cultural moments, building anticipation for a world few had seen realized on this scale.

This 35mm cell preserves a trailer frame built around three members of the Fellowship: Gandalf, the wizard whose counsel drives the quest, Legolas, the elven archer prized for his precision and grace, and Gimli, the dwarf whose gruff loyalty balances the group. Trailer cells like this one circulated ahead of the film's release, offering early glimpses meant to sell the scope of the story before audiences ever reached theaters. For collectors, this grouping holds appeal as a promotional artifact tied directly to the marketing campaign that helped launch one of modern cinema's most celebrated trilogies.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

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

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 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 pattern visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the opposite edge.
Edge print: Text reading 'THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING' is printed vertically within the picture area on each frame; additional edge codes are not legible at this capture resolution.
Base & colour: Base appears with a warm neutral tint; dye image shows rich colour saturation with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history: Light longitudinal lines consistent with projection are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks seen.
Picture: Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be the same shot, consistent with a trailer title card for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Era check: The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and colour positive stock is consistent with a 35mm theatrical release or trailer print from the early 2000s.

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 000063628

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