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National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING
A
AUTHENTIC
CROWN CERTIFIED
Film cell NFV-000001825 Tap to enlarge
MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Movie Trailer
SCENEGaladriel
FILM FORMAT35mm
YEAR2001
CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001825

FILM NOTES

New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in December 2001, the first installment of Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's trilogy. Filmed entirely in New Zealand and marketed with an unprecedented theatrical campaign, the trailer itself became a cultural event, previewed in cinemas months ahead of release and dissected frame by frame by fans starved for footage. The film's success reshaped blockbuster filmmaking, proving that dense fantasy epics could dominate the box office and legitimizing serialized adaptation as a studio strategy for the following decade.

This cell preserves a moment from that early trailer featuring Galadriel, portrayed by Cate Blanchett, the Lady of Lothlorien whose ethereal authority made her one of the saga's most collected figures. Trailer cells hold particular value for archivists because they capture the marketing apparatus that built anticipation before audiences ever saw the finished film, a physical artifact of promise rather than narrative resolution. Galadriel's presence here, isolated in a promotional frame, speaks to her early positioning as a figure of mystery and power within the Fellowship's expanding mythology.

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 visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and punches appear clean
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a mono or stereo optical track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks appear present in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge strip
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at readable resolution
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image reads as warm-toned and appears stable with no visible fading
Projection history
Fine longitudinal lines consistent with projection wear 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 shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of the film on record
Era check
The combination of a variable-area optical track, apparent Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, and colour print stock is consistent with a 2001-era 35mm 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 000063685
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