National Film Vault

OFFICIAL FILM AUTHENTICATION BY CROWN GRADING

AUTHENTIC

CROWN CERTIFIED

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MOVIEThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Move Trailer

SCENEFrodo

FILM FORMAT35mm

YEAR2001

CERTIFICATE IDNFV-000001832

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 J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy. Its arrival marked a turning point for fantasy cinema, proving that a massive, faithful adaptation could succeed both critically and commercially. The promotional trailer that preceded the film's release played a significant role in building anticipation, introducing global audiences to Middle-earth's scale and stakes before the film itself premiered, and remains a touchstone for collectors tracing the franchise's earliest theatrical marketing.

This cell centers on Frodo Baggins, the hobbit chosen to carry the One Ring, whose journey anchors the entire trilogy. As the story's moral center, Frodo is among the most sought-after figures for collectors of Middle-earth memorabilia, his image synonymous with the burden of the quest itself. Drawn from a trailer reel rather than the finished feature, this frame belongs to the promotional material designed to introduce the character and stir early interest, a fragment of the marketing history that helped launch one of cinema's most celebrated fantasy epics.

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, confirmed by 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 holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack: A variable-area optical track is visible as a narrow band running along the lower edge beside the picture area, consistent with a mono or stereo optical track; Dolby Digital data blocks appear present in the inter-perforation gaps on the lower edge, and a fine DTS timecode line appears as a dotted row adjacent to the optical track.
Edge print: Upper edge reads '00-OD'; no additional key numbers or SAFETY FILM text are legible in this capture.
Base & colour: Base appears with a warm amber-brown tint on the lower strip section; the upper section shows a cooler, near-neutral tone; dye image reads as a warm, saturated positive with no visible fading.
Projection history: Horizontal scratches and fine abrasion lines 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, and the close-up subject matter is consistent with a dramatic live-action theatrical trailer of the film on record.
Era check: The combination of Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, a DTS timecode line, and a variable-area optical track is consistent with a 2001 theatrical release print, when tri-format sound was standard on major studio prints.

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 000063692

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