MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEGandalf and Gimli
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001816
FILM NOTES
New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, adapting the first volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy under Peter Jackson's direction. The film's marketing campaign, including its teaser and theatrical trailers, played a significant role in building anticipation for a project many doubted could succeed given its scale and ambition. The trailer material from this era captures the moment when fantasy cinema shifted decisively toward large-scale, effects-driven epics, and pieces from this promotional run remain sought after as artifacts of that transition.
This cell is drawn from trailer footage and centers on Gandalf, the wizard whose guidance anchors the Fellowship's journey and who remains one of the most collected figures from the franchise. The pairing named in this cell, Gandalf and Gimli, points to a moment of interaction between the wizard and the dwarf, though only Gandalf appears in these particular frames. Trailer cells like this one were assembled from promotional prints meant to entice audiences before release, making them distinct from finished-film reels and prized for representing the film's earliest public face.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm 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, 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, appearing as a two-track variable-area format; Dolby Digital pixel blocks are visible in the inter-perforation gaps on the same edge; a fine DTS timecode stripe also appears present along that edge
Edge print
Not fully legible at this capture resolution; partial characters consistent with a key-number sequence are visible but cannot be quoted with certainty
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious fading or red shift
Projection history
Light longitudinal scratches are visible running the length of the strip, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release trailer print
Era check
The combination of variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and DTS timecode stripe is consistent with a 2001-era theatrical 35mm release print carrying the standard multi-format soundtrack configuration of that 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 000063676
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
