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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000001813 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEGandalf and Gimli
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001813

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released 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 two sequels in New Zealand, the film redefined what a fantasy epic could achieve on screen, blending practical craftsmanship with early digital effects. Its trailers became cultural events in their own right, building anticipation for a saga that would go on to win multiple Academy Awards and reshape the blockbuster landscape for decades.

This cell preserves a trailer moment pairing Gandalf the wizard with Gimli the dwarf, two of the Fellowship's most collected figures. Gandalf represents wisdom and guidance through the journey, while Gimli brings the stubborn resilience of his people, and their shared presence hints at the alliance forming among disparate races before the story fully unfolds. As a promotional strip rather than a finished feature frame, it captures the marketing machinery that introduced audiences to Middle earth, a piece of film history tied directly to the trailer's role in building the franchise's early momentum.

Authentication Findings 8 checks

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

Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible torn or deformed perforations
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a two-track variable-area format
Edge print
Text reading reversed along the upper edge reads 'EASTCOLOR' (mirrored); no key numbers are legible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears with a light blue-teal tint consistent with a colour safety base; dye image reads as warm-toned with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
Horizontal white scratches and abrasion lines are visible across the lower portion of the strip, consistent with a projected print
Picture
Positive colour image; all 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 variable-area optical soundtrack, Eastcolor stock labelling, and colour safety base are all consistent with a 2001-era 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 000063673
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