Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a landmark in epic fantasy cinema. Shot simultaneously over 14 months in New Zealand, the trilogy remains one of the most ambitious film projects ever, with a budget of $281 million. It is among the highest-grossing film series in history, earning over $2.9 billion worldwide. In doing so it transformed New Zealand’s global image and film industry, establishing it as a major cinematic hub while influencing pop culture for generations to come.
The Impact of Lord of the Rings on Industry and Commerce
Before the films, the country was known mainly for its sheep, wine, and rugby, but Jackson’s much-loved adaptation of Tolkien’s novels changed all that. The movies’ success – earning $3 billion and winning 17 Academy Awards – brought substantial technological advancements in filmmaking, including motion capture and special effects. The trilogy also inspired extensive tourism, with Hobbiton drawing up to 650,000 annual visitors, and influenced the decision of many travelers to visit the country.
The films reversed a trend where native filmmakers often left New Zealand to work overseas. By 2007, the nation was producing twice as many features annually, attracting major projects like Avatar and Mulan. Wētā Workshop, the production house famed for its work on Lord of the Rings special effects, expanded from a small team into a renowned company with 400 employees, producing movie props, collectibles, and more.
The Trilogy’s Lasting Effect on Pop Culture
Lord of the Rings and New Zealand will always have a great affinity. Air New Zealand, for example, decorated several of its fleet in livery inspired by the movies. The company, which calls itself the “official airline of Middle-earth”, also created a flight safety video with characters from the films which has been viewed online over 13 million times.
Kosmos created the play-at-home escape room game, The Lords of the Rings: Shadows Over Middle-earth which is one of the most popular offerings at board game café Escapist in Hamilton, while Auckland’s Escapade developed one of its escape rooms – known as The Tavern – around themes inspired by the trilogy.
Microgaming’s official Lord of the Rings slot game has also become popular among the movies’ fans, adding to the variety of film-themed slot titles in the hugely competitive online casino industry in New Zealand. There’s more info here highlighting the scale of the iGaming sector with top platforms like Wheelz, Lucky Spins, and Winsane not only using attractive deals to earn market share but offer an increasing number of gaming options to provide greater variety. New slots like Ring of Odin and The Sword and the Grail, with their epic fantasy themes, have taken direct inspiration from The Lord of the Rings, further underlining the trilogy’s significance.
An Ongoing Legacy
The Lord of the Rings reshaped New Zealand’s economy and identity, fostering tourism, film production, and creative industries. Its legacy continues to inspire and attract visitors while proving that ambitious storytelling can leave a lasting cultural mark.
Main photo credit: New Zealand
You may also like:
Leave a reply