..boggles the mind.
The films were seven years in the making – two years
of pre-production, two of main production and three of
post-production. The scale of the project is shown in
New Line Production’s number list:
100,000,000 – estimated number of people worldwide who
have read the trilogy.
40 – languages (at least) into which the books have
been translated.
12,500,000 –hand-linked rings used to create chain
mail by Weta workshop for the films.
3,000,000 – feet of film (at least) used to film the
trilogy.
250,000 – silk leaves applied by hand to a tree in
Hobbiton.
90,000 – still photographs shot on set.
48,000 – swords, scabbards, axes, shields made by Weta
workshop for the films.
20,602 – extras cast for the films.
15,000 – costumes made by costume department for the
films.
10,000 – members of crowd at New Zealand cricket game
recorded making Orc sounds.
5,000 – cubic meters of vegetables and flowers planted
in Hobbiton a year before filming started.
2,400 – crew members at height of production.
2,000 – illustrations drawn for production by
conceptual designer Alan Lee.
1,600 – pairs of prosthetic Hobbit feet used by
principal Hobbit cast.
1,460 – largest number of eggs served at breakfast for
crew.
800 – largest number of lunches served on set at once.
900 – suits of armor made by Weta workshop.
550 – hours of film (at least) shot on set for
behind-the-scenes footage.
350 – sets constructed for films.
300 – handmade, knotted wigs made for films.
274 – shooting days for trilogy.
250 – horses used in one scene.
200 – individually crafted Orc masks created by Weta
workshop.
180 – artists created computerized effects at Weta
digital.
114 – speaking roles.
100 – locations, at least.
100 – hand-forged, inlaid weapons crafted by Weta
workshop.
68 – miniature sets.
30 – actors trained by two dialect and creative
languages coaches.
13 – months the Fellowship travels on its journey in
the trilogy.
9 – the numeral, in Elvish script, tattooed on nine
members of the cast following the shoot.
8 – acres of farm land in Matamata, New Zealand, used
for set of Hobbiton.
7 – years of development of the film trilogy by
writer/producer/director Peter Jackson.
5 – shooting units : Unit 1, two second units,
blue-screen unit and miniature unit.
(source: www.lordoftherings.net)
LOTR won seventeen Oscars in total, including eleven
for The Return of the King
