The Lord of the Rings star John Rhys-Davies has candidly revealed his initial doubts about Peter Jackson’s epic adaptation of the beloved fantasy tale. Based on the iconic trilogy of books by J.R.R. Tolkien, Jackson’s trilogy was considered one of the largest and most ambitious movie projects ever attempted, with filming for all three movies undertaken concurrently. Originally considered for the role of Lord Denethor (played by John Noble), Rhys-Davies instead landed the role of the dwarf warrior Gimli, son of Glóin.
Speaking on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, Rhys-Davies revealed the serious doubts he once had about joining the cast of The Lord of the Rings. Citing Jackson’s previous lack of experience in helming big productions, the veteran actor was convinced the movie would likely fail with the release of 2001’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and the other two movies would be forced to be released in direct-to-video format. Check out his comments below:
I went with duplicity in my heart, to be honest with you, when I heard they were making Lord of the Rings. I said, “oh yeah, good luck.” And who’s making it? Peter Jackson, he’s done one or two wonderful small movies. But let’s face it, if you’ve got a cast of four and six weeks, anyone can direct a movie, and sadly do. But has he any idea of what he’s really getting himself in for?
I did hear they were doing it, and I got asked to do something on tape. And I thought, Lord of the Rings, this is going to be a complete cluster whatever it is. I thought, never mind, I haven’t been to New Zealand, go there, take part for a month, look around and walk away. Because this is never going to happen. He has no idea what happens when you make a big movie, and you know I’ve done some big ones…
When they came back and said we want you for Gimli, I thought what the hell. I’ve spent 30 years trying to be recognized, what the heck? Why would I want to put myself in a prosthetic like that and why would I want to spend five or six hours a day in makeup?
More than that, who wants to spend three years in New Zealand, in a film that actually comes out in part one, fails and the other two go direct to video or something like that?
The Lord of the Rings Was Always An Enormous Gamble
Jackson also faced some creative differences with studio heads.
Now considered one of the most important and influential film franchises of the modern age, it is hard to believe that the same kind of doubts espoused by Rhys-Davies were once commonly held by both Hollywood figures and fans of Tolkien’s original books. Not only had the property struggled with truncated animated adaptations, but other more experienced filmmakers than Jackson had balked at the idea of turning their hand at adapting Tolkien’s expansive tale.
Even Jackson’s original plans for a three-part adaptation, with The Hobbit forming the basis for the first movie, proved too great a gamble for the project’s original studio, Miramax. Initially settling on a two-part adaptation of Lord of the Rings, Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein would later try to convince the director to turn it into only one movie to save costs. Thankfully, however, Jackson remained steadfast in his more comprehensive vision for the project. When New Line Cinema eventually stepped in to take stewardship, he was asked to expand it into what would eventually become a full trilogy.
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Lord Of The Rings Complete Timeline Explained (Including Rings Of Power & New Movie)
Rings of Power and War of the Rohirrim explore different points in the Lord of the Rings timeline, which spans thousands of years in Middle-earth.
Despite Jackson’s seeming lack of experience in helming big budget features, coupled with the unwieldy nature of the source material, The Lord of the Rings would ultimately prove itself an overwhelming success. Well deserved for both the accolades and critical acclaim each successive entry generated on their release, few other franchises can boast the critical and commercial appeal generated by Jackson’s now iconic movies. Where once even its cast held serious doubts about its potential, The Lord of the Rings trilogy now stands as an unprecedented and undisputed success story.
Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Movies | Critical Score | Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) | 91% | 95% |
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) | 95% | 95% |
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | 94% | 86% |
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) | 64% | 83% |
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) | 75% | 85% |
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) | 59% | 74% |
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
- Movie(s)
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The Lord of the Rings (1978)
, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
, The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim - Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- First Film
-
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
- Cast
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Norman Bird
, Anthony Daniels
, Elijah Wood
, Ian McKellen
, Liv Tyler
, Viggo Mortensen
, Sean Astin
, Cate Blanchett
, John Rhys-Davies
, Billy Boyd
, Dominic Monaghan
, Orlando Bloom
, Christopher Lee
, Hugo Weaving
, Sean Bean
, Ian Holm
, Andy Serkis
, Brad Dourif
, Karl Urban
, Martin Freeman
, Richard Armitage
, James Nesbitt
, Ken Stott
, Benedict Cumberbatch
, Evangeline Lilly
, Lee Pace
, Luke Evans
, Morfydd Clark
, Mike Wood
, Ismael Cruz Cordova
, Charlie Vickers
, Markella Kavenagh
, Megan Richards
, Sara Zwangobani
, Daniel Weyman
, Cynthia Addai-Robinson
, Lenny Henry
, Brian Cox
, Shaun Dooley
, Miranda Otto
, Bilal Hasna
, Benjamin Wainwright
, Luke Pasqualino
, Christopher Guard
, William Squire
, Michael Scholes
, John Hurt - TV Show(s)
-
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Character(s)
-
Frodo Baggins
, Gandalf
, Legolas
, Boromir
, Sauron
, Gollum
, Samwise Gamgee
, Pippin Took
, Celeborn
, Aragorn
, Galadriel
, Bilbo Baggins
, Saruman
, Aldor
, Wormtongue
, Thorin Oakenshield
, Balin Dwalin
, Bifur
, Bofur
, Bombur
, Fili
, Kili
, Oin
, Gloin
, Nori
, Dori
, Ori
, Tauriel
, King Thranduil
, Smaug
, Radagast
, Arondir
, Nori Brandyfoot
, Poppy Proudfellow
, Marigold Brandyfoot
, Queen Regent Míriel
, Sadoc Burrows - Video Game(s)
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The Lord of the Rings Online
, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum
, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
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