MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEBoromir
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001809
FILM NOTES
New Line Cinema's release of The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001 marked the beginning of a rare event in studio filmmaking, a fantasy trilogy shot all at once and unleashed one chapter at a time. Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien reset expectations for what a blockbuster could look like, blending New Zealand landscapes with practical craft and early digital ambition. The teaser and trailer campaign that preceded it became part of the cultural rollout itself, building anticipation for a world audiences had only imagined in prose.
This cell preserves a moment from that promotional reel featuring Boromir, son of Gondor, alongside Legolas of the elven realm. Boromir remains a favorite among collectors for the weight he carries in the story, a man torn between duty and temptation, while Legolas represents the fellowship's alliance across the free peoples of Middle earth. As a trailer strip, this piece captures the film not yet settled into its final form, an early glimpse assembled to sell the promise of the saga to a waiting world.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Eastman colour theatrical release print of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 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
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a dual-track analogue optical format; Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks also appear present in the gaps between perforations on that same edge
Edge print
Text reading 'EASTCOLOR' (mirrored in the capture) is visible along the upper edge strip
Base & colour
Base appears with a light blue-cyan tint typical of Eastman colour print stock; dye image reads as neutral with no visible red shift or fading
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 consecutive frames from a single continuous shot; subject matter is consistent with a mountainous landscape sequence from the film on record
Era check
The Eastman colour print stock, combined analogue optical and Dolby Digital soundtrack configuration, and blue-tinted base are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the 2001 period
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 000063669
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
