Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was filmed primarily in New Zealand between October 1999 and December 2000. Peter Jackson was remarkably able to capture principal photography for his entire Lord of the Rings trilogy over that 438-day time period. The trilogy was reportedly shot in over 150 locations, most of them on sight with moderate use of large sound stages. Nearly all of the film’s production and editing were done in Jackson’s native country of New Zealand.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers chronicles Frodo and Sam’s continued journey to Mordor to destroy the Ring of Power. Saruman also returns to advance Sauron’s dominion over Middle-Earth by eliminating the reign of man. An ensemble cast of characters based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterful novel brings the world of elves and orcs to life with astonishing battle sequences and powerful story arcs. The celebrated film won several of Hollywood’s most coveted awards despite being shot almost entirely in New Zealand.
7 The Forbidden Pool: Mangawhero Falls in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
The Forbidden Pool in Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers is located in Mangawhero in Tongariro National Park in New Zealand. This is where Faramir and Frodo encounter Gollum in the movie where Frodo pleads for Gollum’s life from Faramir and his loyal archers as he hunts for fish. The area above the scenic waterfall is commonly referred to as Gollum’s Pool. Gollum catches a fish in the scene before being captured by Faramir along with Frodo and Sam.
6 Edoras, Capital of Rohan: Mount Sunday, Ashburton Lakes, Canterbury, New Zealand
Edoras, the capital city of Rohan, was shot at Mount Sunday in Asherton Lakes in Canterbury, New Zealand. Edoras is known as the sacred kingdom of the Rohirrim where the King of Rohan Théoden and his daughter Éowyn reside. This is where Gandalf returns in The Two Towers as a White Wizard and cures Théoden of his spell caused by Saruman through Gríma Wormtongue. The Golden Hall was built at the top of Mount Sunday for the filming of The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
5 Isengard: Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy, New Zealand
Isengard, the main fortress of Saruman and his army of orcs during the War of the Ring, was filmed at the gorgeous Lake Wakatipu in Glenorchy, New Zealand. Saruman uses this area to protect the interests of Sauron while building up the army of orcs before sending them to attack Helm’s Deep. While the location is made to seem gray and dubious in The Two Towers, the actual Glenorchy, located roughly 28 miles outside of Queenstown, is a picturesque touring attraction.
4 Dead Marshes: Kelper Mire, Te Anau, Southland, New Zealand
The Dead Marshes in The Two Towers was filmed at Kelper Mire, Te Anau in the southern region of New Zealand. The Dead Marches is the sight of the original battle where the ring was taken from Sauron and Isildur’s sword was broken. It is essentially a mass grave site that Gollum leads Sam and Frodo to on their path to Mordor and where Frodo falls into the swamps and encounters a terrifying wraith in the film. The landscape can be traversed through the Kelper Walk in the Fiordland National Park near the town of Te Anau.
3 Rohan Village: Poolburn Reservoir, Central Otago, New Zealand
The Rohan Village was pillaged by orcs in The Two Towers. The location can be found at the Poolburn Reservoir in Central Otago, New Zealand. The village resides on the outskirts of the Rohirrim land which made them a target of the orcs on their journey to attack Helm’s Deep. The area is marked by its vast plains, rolling hills, and scenic waterfront was once a quiet village before the orcs invaded. The Poolburn Reservoir is a beautiful area and a common tourist attraction just outside Queenstown.
2 Helm’s Deep & Minas Tirith: Dry Creek Quarry, Wellington, New Zealand
Both Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith are both majestic sites in The Two Towers shot at the Dry Creek Quarry in Wellington, New Zealand. Helm’s Deep is the site of one of the legendary battles in Peter Jackson’s movie where Saruman’s orc army attacks the Rohirrim after their retreat from Edoras. This is where the Battle of Helm’s Deep, also known as the Battle of the Hornburg, takes place. Dry Creek Quarry is also the filming location of Minas Tirith, the capital city of Gondor, which is a primary setting in Return of the King.
1 Stone Street Studios, Mirmar, Wellington, New Zealand
Stone Street Studios was used for some aspects of the filming for the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy, located in Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand. The location has four state-of-the-art sound stages and has been used for other prominent feature films such as King Kong, Pete’s Dragon, Ghost in the Shell, Mortal Engines, and James Cameron’s Avatar. Most of the props and sets for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers were made at the Weta Workshop on the same street as Stone Street Studios.
