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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000001807 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEAragorn and Boromir
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001807

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. Filmed entirely in New Zealand and marketed with an unprecedented theatrical trailer campaign, the picture reset expectations for fantasy filmmaking and studio blockbusters alike, earning critical acclaim and setting the stage for two sequels that would dominate the early 2000s box office and awards circuit.

This cell preserves a frame from the trailer reel featuring Aragorn and Boromir, with Gimli also present, three members of the Fellowship whose alliances and tensions drive much of the saga's drama. Trailer cells like this one circulate separately from the finished feature, cut for promotional release ahead of the film's premiere, and collectors prize them as artifacts of that early marketing push, a glimpse of how the studio chose to introduce these characters to audiences before the full story unfolded on screen.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

Consistent with a 35mm theatrical trailer print from the Lord of the Rings series.

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 holes appear clean with no visible tearing at this size.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a two-track variable-area 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; dye image shows saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and carry the title card 'THE RETURN OF THE KING', consistent with a trailer end-card sequence on a Lord of the Rings trailer reel.
Era check
Variable-area optical soundtrack, saturated colour positive print, and safety base are all 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 000063667
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