MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEGandalf
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001818
FILM NOTES
New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, launching Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy and reshaping large scale fantasy filmmaking for a generation. Backed by a then unprecedented all at once shoot in New Zealand, the trilogy became a critical and commercial phenomenon, culminating in Return of the King's sweep of the 2004 Academy Awards. The teaser and theatrical trailers that preceded the release were themselves cultural events, building anticipation with glimpses of Middle earth before the films arrived.
This cell preserves a piece of promotional film built around Gandalf, portrayed by Ian McKellen, one of the trilogy's most enduring figures and a natural draw for collectors seeking early trailer material. As a wizard, mentor, and guide to the Fellowship, Gandalf anchors much of the saga's mythic weight, and his presence in early marketing signaled the tone Jackson intended before wider audiences had seen the finished film. A trailer cell like this captures a single frame from that promotional reel, a tangible fragment of the campaign that introduced the world to Middle earth.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour theatrical release print of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring trailer.
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 the lower edge beside the perforations, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation zone on the lower edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with a dye-coupler colour print stock; the dye image reads as warm-toned 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; the 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 combination of a variable-area optical track, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and colour dye-coupler stock is consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2001 release date 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 000063678
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
