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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000001783 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEBoromir and Aragorn
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001783

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, the first installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy. Shot back to back with its sequels in New Zealand, the production marked a turning point for fantasy filmmaking, proving that a sprawling literary epic could be realized with both scale and intimacy. The teaser and theatrical trailers that preceded the film's release became cultural events in their own right, building anticipation for a saga that would go on to reshape blockbuster cinema and sweep the Academy Awards.

This cell preserves a moment from that promotional material featuring Boromir and Aragorn, two central figures of the Fellowship whose bond and eventual rupture drive much of the trilogy's emotional weight. Boromir, son of Gondor's steward, and Aragorn, heir to its throne, represent competing claims to leadership and duty. Trailer cells like this one circulate among collectors as early artifacts of the saga's introduction to the public, capturing the pairing before audiences knew how their story would unfold.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm positive trailer print for a Lord of the Rings release.

Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced and cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area.
Edge print
Text reading 'THE RETURN OF THE KING' is printed diagonally across each frame image as a title card overlay; no manufacturer key numbers or SAFETY FILM edge print are legible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image shows rich, saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be the same or near-identical frame from a single shot, consistent with a title card sequence rather than action footage; the title 'THE RETURN OF THE KING' overlaid on the image is consistent with a trailer end card for a Lord of the Rings release.
Era check
The variable-area optical track, saturated colour positive print, and 35mm four-perforation format are all consistent with a theatrical release or trailer print from the early 2000s era 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 000063643
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