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| Sean Astin (Sam) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry) told SCI FI Wire that they just returned from New Zealand, where they were reshooting some scenes for the upcoming third Lord of the Rings film, The Return of the King. "We just got back about two weeks ago from about a month of reshoots, which is cool," Monaghan said in an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego. "Kind of bizarre to keep going back there and revisiting these characters. Merry's off on his own now, you know, so the majority of stuff that I do is on my own. Kind of freaky." Astin said in an interview that he shot some key new scenes over a period of eight or nine days, but declined to reveal their content. "We shot a couple of things," he said. "We did additional scenes. New scenes." Monaghan said his reshoots involved "finessing" things. "Some scenes with Gandalf [Ian McKellen] and Pippin [Billy Boyd], where Pippin and Gandalf head off to Minas Tirith, we kind of fleshed out those scenes a little bit," he said. "A little bit of Merry on the battlefield, we kind of finessed a bit of that. And Merry and Éowyn [Miranda Otto] and Merry and Théoden [Bernard Hill] stuff. But nothing too huge. Just drawing out a scene and giving it a little weight." Monaghan said that almost the entire cast has been back to New Zealand to pick up shots. "We were just enjoying being together again, hanging out and working," he said. "When I turned up, there was a bunch. It was me, Elijah [Wood, who plays Frodo]; Billy; Viggo [Mortensen, who plays Aragorn]; Ian McKellen; Sean Astin; [and] Andy Serkis [Gollum]. I felt more sorry for like, Orlando [Bloom, who plays Legolas]; he had to go on his own. Christopher Lee [Saruman] ... turned up when we were just about to leave. ... So we still had that kind of camaraderie going on. Yeah, it was sad, but we had fun, man. We had so much fun down there." |
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| “It was hysterical seeing Pete at the last British premiere,” says Boyens. “There were these young girls screaming for Orlando [Bloom] and Elijah—and then they started screaming for Pete, too! Which is pretty hysterical.” Walsh looks up; she has two children with Jackson and has been his partner for many years. “Why is that hysterical?” she says, dryly. “Can you elaborate?” Boyens turns to Walsh. “You’re right, darling,” she says. “He’s a total stud.” |
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| Orlando Bloom, who plays the elf Legolas, has no trouble summoning up his last day in costume. “I was definitely welled up, man,” he says. “I was choked. I was suddenly reminded of how lucky I was to be a part of this process and how much it changed me—Viggo being a real mentor to me, and Peter being this incredibly amazing, visionary director. They cut together a little gag reel. It was, like, four minutes of all these different Leggy moments from the whole shoot and outtakes and stuff. It was hilarious! It had all this ’80s music. You know that song ‘Hungry Eyes’? ‘One look at you and I touch the sky’ ? They had this homoerotic thing where they had a shot of Viggo pulling out his sword and looking at me, and me looking at him and drawing my bow. It was brilliant , man.” |
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| The world première of the final Lord of the Rings film attracted up to 100,000 people to the streets of the New Zealand capital Wellington... Some fans camped out to get the best spots to see stars like Liv Tyler, Sir Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood. They took part in a street parade - started by Prime Minister Helen Clark - before treading the 470-metre (514-yard) red carpet outside the city's Embassy Theatre. |
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| TeenHollywood: Orlando, there is an awesome scene in "King" where you climb up one of those huge elephant-like animals. How was that done? Orlando: It was really a mound of sand bags that was shaped like the backend of that olephant, and they had the arrows in it. So I actually climbed up the arrows in that sequence and they had wires and ropes to swing along the side of it, and then I slashed the thing then there was a winch with a rope to pull me up, up and then I fall on top of the sand bags with all the guys. So they put in the elephant afterwards basically. |
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| • Favorite moment in King: "When you see Frodo and Sam, just lying on that rock with all the lava passing behind them. Two little hobbits who have just taken on the world. • What will you miss most?: "The friends I made." •What won't you miss?: "The wig more than the ears. It's just uncomfortable." •What would you toss into Mount Doom?: "Lies." •What's next?: The Greek epic Troy, opening May 21; finishing Haven, which follows three stories set on the Cayman Islands, with Bill Paxton and Gabriel Byrne; starts shooting Kingdom of Heaven, a Crusades epic directed by Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down), this month in Morocco and Spain. |
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The full list of winners at the 2004 Oscars: Best picture Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Lost in Translation Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Mystic River Seabiscuit Best director Peter Jackson - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Sofia Coppola - Lost in Translation Fernando Meirelles - City of God Peter Weir - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Clint Eastwood - Mystic River Best actor Sean Penn - Mystic River Also nominated: Johnny Depp - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Sir Ben Kingsley - House of Sand and Fog Jude Law - Cold Mountain Bill Murray - Lost in Translation Best actress Charlize Theron - Monster Also nominated: Keisha Castle-Hughes - Whale Rider Diane Keaton - Something's Gotta Give Samantha Morton - In America Naomi Watts - 21 Grams Best supporting actor Tim Robbins - Mystic River Also nominated: Alec Baldwin - The Cooler Benicio Del Toro - 21 Grams Djimon Hounsou - In America Ken Watanabe - The Last Samurai Best supporting actress Renee Zellweger - Cold Mountain Also nominated: Shohreh Aghdashloo - House of Sand and Fog Patricia Clarkson - Pieces of April Marcia Gay Harden - Mystic River Holly Hunter - Thirteen Best foreign language film The Barbarian Invasions (Canada) Also nominated: Evil (Sweden) The Twilight Samurai (Japan) Twin Sisters (Netherlands) Zelary (Czech Republic) Best animated feature film Finding Nemo Also nominated: Brother Bear The Triplets of Belleville Best adapted screenplay The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: American Splendor City of God Mystic River Seabiscuit Best original screenplay Lost in Translation Also nominated: The Barbarian Invasions Dirty Pretty Things Finding Nemo In America Best music (score) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Big Fish Cold Mountain Finding Nemo House of Sand and Fog Best music (song) Into the West - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow - A Mighty Wind Scarlet Tide - Cold Mountain The Triplets of Belleville - Belleville Rendezvous You Will Be My Ain True Love - Cold Mountain Best documentary feature The Fog of War Also nominated: Balseros Capturing the Friedmans My Architect The Weather Underground Best documentary short subject Chernobyl Heart Also nominated: Asylum Ferry Tales Best visual effects The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Best cinematography Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Also nominated: City of God Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring Seabiscuit Best art direction The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Girl with a Pearl Earring The Last Samurai Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Seabiscuit Best animated short film Harvie Krumpet Also nominated: Boundin' Destino Gone Nutty Nibbles Best short film Two Soldiers Also nominated: Die Rote Jacke (The Red Jacket) Most (The Bridge) Squash Torrzija Best costume design The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Girl with a Pearl Earring The Last Samurai Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Seabiscuit Best make-up The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Best sound The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: The Last Samurai Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Seabiscuit Sound editing Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Also nominated: Finding Nemo Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Film Editing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Also nominated: City of God Cold Mountain Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Seabiscuit Lifetime Achievement Award Blake Edwards |
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| But among the premieres, the cast said Wednesday's will likely stand out as the most lavish, what with the nearby Wadsworth Theater transformed into three domains: Fangorn Forest, the Heart of Mordor and Hobbiton. Roaming bands of musical merry men serenaded the 1,800 guests while they dined on caterer Wolfgang Puck's quail, lamb and venison stew. DJ for the night: Lord of theRings hobbit Dominic Monaghan, who spun selections from his personal collection of 9,000 CDs. |
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| With the exception of Cate Blanchett, the whole cast turned up with stories of mementos they've either been given or stolen during their past 4½ years of shoots and endless reshoots. Ian McKellen wore his favorite souvenir: a "very heavy" necktie fashioned from chain mail that was worn in a combat scene. The ring itself is now in the hands of Elijah Wood, who has it stored in his New York apartment. Sean Astin, dressed in a purple pin-striped suit, stole a pair of his large, hairy hobbit feet. He came to the premiere with daughter Ali, who makes a cameo appearance in the film. Orlando Bloom, who is signed to shoot Pirates of the Caribbean 2 in January 2005, walked away from the project with his character Legolas' bow and arrow; Andy Serkis got a bronze bust of his Gollum alter-ego; and Miranda Otto, wearing a 1930s-inspired pink gown from Australian designer Collette Dinnigan, received the sword and silver belt of her character, Eowyn. For Liv Tyler, dressed in black Alexander McQueen, her best gifts were an album of black-and-white set photos and a gag reel by Jackson. But Viggo Mortensen, the introspective poet of the group, said it's the film's lessons that he will hold closest to his heart. "All life is sorrowful," summed up Mortensen. "You can't change that. But you can change your attitude toward it. That's what this film is about, and that's what we all did during the many difficult times." |
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| More than any other Lord of the Rings castmember, Orlando Bloom has seen his star rise since The Fellowship of the Ring premiered in 1999. Essentially an unknown when he made his major feature film debut in Fellowship, Bloom is now a household name, set to star alongside Brad Pitt in the epic TROY, due out next year. When I first glimpsed Bloom as Legolas in Fellowship, my reaction was similar to that of most audience members: “Wow, that blonde elf chick is hot!” Then I realized Legolas was a guy. Then I felt uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. Thankfully, after a few therapy sessions at the local “gentlemen’s club” (read: strip joint), I was able make it through the rest of the film. But I digress. Here’s what Orlando had to say about THE RETURN OF THE KING. Did you imagine you’d be in this place when you started LOTR in 1999? No. No, you can’t...who’s to say how it’s gonna all pan out, you know what I mean? But I’m very grateful to be working and doing all of this stuff, this great stuff. I think what’s most fortunate to me about having worked on Lord of the Rings is it put me, it thrust me straight into this forum, this great forum which, if I’d come into the movie business on any other movie, it would have been very different. I would have had to work my way up to this level of work that I’m getting and working in now. Whereas I think because Lord of the Rings was such a critical and financial and in so many ways a huge success. I think it sort of put me a few rungs up the ladder. It gave me that much of a kick-start, a jump-start. And I think that’s been great. Are there drawbacks to being, basically, an overnight sensation? Yeah. I don’t feel like it’s been overnight. Just because with the wig and stuff. It’s just such an ensemble, I don’t feel like – I feel like the star of this movie is this movie and what Peter Jackson has done in creating it. You know, Peter Jackson is the star of this movie. I think the talent and all the cast were just the players that helped bring this story to a conclusion. But it’s definitely helped me and I’m really grateful for it. It definitely threw me into the big leagues, though, in terms of being able to meet the right people and audition for good roles and hopefully get good roles. And I’m happy with it. You’ve definitely been singled out. I mean, there are a million Orlando Bloom/Legolas fansites out there, and then there are the girls and... But again I think that, because of the movie, it put us all into that category. Legolas is kind of the boy of the group. I mean, Frodo is the ringbearer and everything, but Legy is kind of like, he’s kind of a safe place, you know? He’s blonde and he’s, you know, an action hero. And elves are angelic spirits and he’s got this timely, kind of androgynous quality to him. And I’m really grateful for the fans. I’m really glad that they picked up on Legolas, you know what I mean? If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing. It seems that some other members of the cast have certain traits in common with their characters. But Legolas seems like 180 degrees from you. No, but it’s all within me. (laughs) No, it was much more of a leap for me. But I found that all the hobbits were joking around on the set and having a good time, laughing, joking and playing around, and I’d be like, trying to hold myself and keep myself kind of focused and together. I wanted to be engaged and it’s quite difficult to maintain that sort of engaged presence when you’re not really saying anything or doing too much. But I wanted to maintain that sense so that you felt his presence, because that’s what it is in the book as well. So he is very different from me and yet, I think that I kind of found parts of him here, within me. I just though about immortality and what it would mean to live forever and how that would, you know, create a meditative sort of state that you would be in. I thought about samurais for movement, because I thought their physical movement was so graceful. It was a great character to inhabit for that length of time, and you kind of hope that your characters rub off on you a bit. And I think Legy has definitely changed the way I live my life. The experience of being in New Zealand changed the way I live my life. I kinda was coming of age a bit. I grew up; I had a whole new understanding of what nature meant to me and the environment. I’ve lived in London in a very urban environment, for like six years, which is quite intense. And (living in New Zealand) just reconnected me with nature. You mentioned that Legolas had kind of an androgynous quality. Why do girls dig the whole androgynous thing? I mean, David Bowie... I think, with Legy, it’s like a thing that he’s not sexually threatening, but he’s kind of sexy. You know, he’s not like, “I’m a man. This is the way it is honey. Come and get it.” You know what I mean? But he’s kind of got this quiet guy kind of, cool presence. You know, it’s David Bowie. He’s just cool, isn’t he? Still waters run deep, that sort of thing. You kind of want to know what’s going on with that guy. That’s the way I feel about Bowie. With Legy, less is more. And I think Pete kind of got that, you know what I mean? It’s like, because he doesn’t say so much and it’s more in what he does, I think he left it up to the audience to make their own mind up, what they thought was going on in that guy’s head. Given the length of time that has passed since you first shot this and with the experience you have under your belt now, do you ever look at yourself onscreen and go, “Oh I wish I could have done that differently,” or- Oh, **** yeah. Definitely, yes. I mean, that’s why I’m so grateful to Peter as well, because I think about stuff that I shot that didn’t make it, and instead of thinking, “Oh man, I wish that would have made it,” I think, “Well, I’m sure I probably dropped it.” I mean, Pete really understood who Legy was, you know what I mean? I think he captured who all these characters were. And Legolas, in the book, is very present. He’s just a very present part of the fellowship who’s accuracy with a bow gives him that assassin-like quality and that protector-like quality. That kind of overseer – he never sleeps; he’s always the one awake checking to see if everyone’s safe. Pete got that and gave me that, and that’s what the character is. And I’m really grateful for that. The scene of you sliding down the elephant is great. How did that come about? Well, Pete loved the response to the sliding the stairs on the shield. He loved the hopping onto the horse and, in the first movie, running over the cave troll and taking a pop at his head. He loved the way the audience responded to that stuff, those moments. And so he wanted to top it. That’s all Pete – that boyish lust for life. He’s got such a great appetite for it all and he just wanted it to be bigger and better. What better way to do it than bringing down an elephant with such style. I basically spent three days on, like, three thousand sandbags that had been piled up creatively to make the ass-end of an elephant, and then they add a rig on the top with the stunt guy so I get to fight on top of the stunt guy. And then I had a very serious conversation with my digital double to make sure he knew exactly what his motivation was. (laughs) Pete creates; Things come out of his imagination. Can we talk a little about going from a character like Legolas to a character like Paris, who historically has been kind of a weasel? Well, I didn’t want to play just that sort of hero role, you know? Will Turner was that hero, you know – a noble character as well. Paris is cool because he’s the anti-hero. It’s a great role. The misguided youth, that sort of lust for life, to live for love and be done with the rest. It’s very much a coming-of-age story for Paris in that movie. We heard the Troy shoot was pretty intense. Well it was all fine until the last two weeks. I mean, I finished and got out just in time before the set blew down from a hurricane. The hurricane kept threatening and it kept just missing, and then it hit. And it hit big time. I mean it just took the set down. There’s not a lot you could do about it. It’s one of those forces of nature. What’s Wolfgang Petersen like? Wolfgang’s got a great sense of humor and a lightness and a very strong sense of what he wants and how to get it. And it’s a very big, epic film. This feels like a movie that’s going back to the old Ben Hur days, but with all the advances in film technology. What was it like working with Johnny Depp in Pirates, just kind of making it up in a way as you went along? It was awesome, completely awesome, and I felt very privileged to be working with Johnny, because he’s been like a hero of mine while growing up. As a young actor, he’s a guy we all look to and go “Wow.” We all want to be as cool as Johnny, you know what I mean? It was an amazing experience. Why do you think Pirates was such a surprise success? I think the combination of Johnny doing this great character - the special effects, combined with the visual effects, with the Pirates talking in the moonlight. The fact that it’s a Disneyland ride that has been around forever, that people have loved growing up. The fact that you’ve got the class of Johnny and Geoffrey and then you’ve got the beauty of Keira, and I suppose I bring in a few of the girls. And it was fun. I mean, I watched it and thought, “Yeah, I could watch that again.” The attention to detail in the story was such that it was like, “Wow. Yeah.” You’re mind was still waiting to catch up with what exactly was happening and who’s got the coin and what the coin meant and what the curse was. So, you could go and watch it again. And again for that matter, if you liked it. Because it was fun, you know? And it felt good when you left the movie. |
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| "I just though about immortality and what it would mean to live forever and how that would, you know, create a meditative sort of state that you would be in." |