The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
A 2002 fantasy film continuing the quest to destroy the One Ring.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, released in 2002, is an epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson. The screenplay was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Jackson, adapting the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel, originally published in 1954. As the sequel to 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, it serves as the middle installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, and Andy Serkis.
Picking up where the previous film left off, the story weaves together three parallel threads. Frodo and Sam press on toward Mordor to destroy the One Ring, now guided by the treacherous former ring-bearer Gollum. Merry and Pippin break free from their orc captors, encounter the Ent Treebeard, and assist in planning an assault on Isengard, the stronghold of Saruman, Sauron's ally. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli reach the war-ravaged land of Rohan, reunite with the resurrected Gandalf, and fight alongside King Théoden against Saruman's forces at the Battle of Helm's Deep.
The film was financed and distributed by New Line Cinema, an American studio, but was entirely filmed and edited in New Zealand, Jackson's home country, at the same time as the other two parts of the trilogy. It premiered on December 5, 2002, at New York City's Ziegfeld Theatre, with a US release on December 18 and a New Zealand release on December 19. Critics and audiences praised the film as a landmark in filmmaking and a major achievement in fantasy cinema, highlighting its visual effects (especially for Gollum), performances, action sequences, direction, and musical score. During its original theatrical run, it earned $923 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2002 and, at the time, the third-highest-grossing film ever, behind Titanic and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. With subsequent re-releases, its total gross reached $944 million.
Like its companions in the trilogy, The Two Towers is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, as well as one of the finest sequels in cinema history. It earned six Academy Award nominations at the 7
- director
- Peter Jackson
- release_year
- 2002
- based_on
- The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
- production_country
- New Zealand
- box_office_original_run
- $923 million
- academy_award_wins
- Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects
Lore & Background
The Two Towers was financed and distributed by American studio New Line Cinema, but filmed and edited entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand, concurrently with the other two parts of the trilogy. It premiered on 5 December 2002 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City and was released in the United States on 18 December and in New Zealand on 19 December. The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences, who considered it a landmark in filmmaking and an achievement in the fantasy film genre, with praise for the visual effects (Gollum), performances, action sequences, direction, and musical score.
Reader's Guide
The Two Towers grossed $923 million worldwide during its original theatrical run, making it the highest-grossing film of 2002 and, at the time of its release, the third-highest-grossing film of all time behind Titanic and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Following subsequent re-releases, it has grossed $944 million. Like the other films in the trilogy, The Two Towers is widely recognised as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made as well as one of the greatest sequels in cinema history. The film received numerous accolades; at the 75th Academy Awards, it was nominated for six awards, including Best Picture, winning for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. The final instalment of the trilogy, The Return of the King, was released in 2003.
Did You Know?
- The film premiered on 5 December 2002 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.
- It was the highest-grossing film of 2002, earning $923 million in its original theatrical run.
- Andy Serkis provided the voice and motion capture for Gollum.
- The film won Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.
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