The official inside story on the making of the award-winning movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy is a lavishly illustrated, behind-the-scenes, definitive account of the creation of an epic film experience. Hailed by critics worldwide, part one of the movie trilogy was a box-office smash, one of the most successful films of the decade. Peter Jackson's "fierce, imaginative movie takes high-flying risks and inspires with its power and scale," wrote Newsweek. "In every way this is moviemaking on a grand scale," wrote the San Francisco Chronicle, while Time proclaimed the "grandeur, moral heft and emotional depth" of the film, which received thirteen Academy Award(R) nominations. Including more than 300 photographs from all three films, most unique to this book, and exclusive interviews with all the cast and crew, Brian Sibley's fascinating book takes every fan inside the process of adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork for the screen. For the first time in history, three major movies were made at the same time, a triumphant and monumental undertaking that took the world by storm. Here can be found details about the hundreds of dedicated artists, craftspeople and cast and crew members who labored for years — adding authenticity at every stage — to bring one of the greatest stories ever told to an eager film audience. Sibley takes us inside the process of filmmaking to show us how the magic is made — from the director, writers and actors to wardrobe, makeup, miniatures, music and digital special effects, it's all here. "It was tiring, physically and mentally, but never dull. Three movies, one big story, and so much variety: one day shooting scenes of intimate heart-wrenching drama, the next, vast battle scenes involving hundreds of extras. Every day brought an opportunity to create something new on this enormous canvas that is The Lord of the Rings." — Peter Jackson

From conceptual design to filming, this book explores the making of "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, with interviews with cast members, commentary from the director, and hundreds of stunning behind-the-scenes images, many exclusive to this book.

Brian Sibley is the author of The Map of Tolkien's Middle-earth, Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie, and The Land of Narnia: Exploring the World of C.S. Lewis. He lives in England.

Foreword Ian McKellen Prologue: The Long-Expected Party 1: Workshop of Wonders 2: Locating Middle-earth 3: Setting the Scene 4: It's a Small World 5: Department Store for Middle-earth 6: Regal Robes and Big Girls' Frocks 7: Waging the War of the Ring 8: Hobbit Hair and Wizard Whiskers 9: Making Faces 10: Filming a Masterpiece 11: Adding the Magic 12: Knowing the Score Epilogue: An End and a Beginning Acknowledgements