This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the second of three films in the record-breakingLord of the Ringstrilogy,Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The film adaptation ofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s epic high fantasy novel consists of three of the most influential films in the history of cinema:The Fellowship of the Ring(2001),The Two Towers(2002), andThe Return of the King(2003). Directed by New Zealand film director, screenwriter, and film producerPeter Jackson, the epic fantasy trilogy is currently the most awarded film series in cinematic history, with the final installmentThe Return of the Kingfamously winning all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated in 2004, including Best Picture.
Since the release of this trilogy,The Lord of the Ringshas also been expanded with Jackson’sThe Hobbittrilogy, with 2012’sAn Unexpected Journey, 2013’sThe Desolation of Smaug, and 2014’sThe Battle of the Five Armies. 2022 has also further explored Tolkien’s world with the first season ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, debuting on Prime Video.
Given Peter Jackson’s roots, it’s not surprising that theLord of the Ringswas shot entirely in Jackson’s birthplace, New Zealand. Even so, it’s hard to picture any other place that could most closely capture the fantastical visual tapestry of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
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Other iconic locations on Middle-earth such as Mordor, Rivendell, and Helm’s Deep were also filmed on the Northern Islands. Mordor, the black, nightmarish volcanic realm home to the eye of Sauron, was shot at Tongariro National Park. Mordor’s Mount Doom, the majestic real-life Mount Ngauruhoe, is visible if you hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a popular tourist destination forLord of the Ringsfans.
Rivendell, Helm’s Deep, and Minas Tirith, amongst other places in Jackson’s Middle-earth, were filmed in Wellington where Jackson himself is originally from. Rivendell specifically was filmed at Kaitoke Regional Park located in part of a region known as Pakuratahi. Although the set was taken down after filming wrapped, a replica of the Elven archway was recreated in the park.
The record-breaking Battle of Helm’s Deep, as well as Gondor’s Minas Tirith were both filmed at the vast Dry Creek Quarry where some of the trilogy’s most massive, elaborate sets were constructed. Several months after filming the epic battle at Helm’s Deep, Jackson reconstructed the set into Minas Tirith, the capital city of Gondor, and a major location inReturn of the King.
On the Southern Island, the epic Battle of the Pelennor Fields where Gondor and its allies fight Sauron’s forces in front of Minas Tirith was filmed on the fields on the outskirts of the small town of Twizel. In fact, almost everyone living in Twizel was an extra in the large-scale battle.
Following one of the trilogy’s most iconic scenes in which Gandalf faces the Balrog, the Fellowship escapes Moria and emerges at Dimrill Dale. The rocky plateau on which they arrive is actually Mount Owen, a grand landscape of glaciated karst. The city of Edoras, the capital of Rohan, was filmed at Mount Sunday where it took a total of nine months to build the set, although many Rohan scenes were shot at the desert-like Poolburn Reservoir.
Although it has been 20 years since we last got to traverse the majestic landscapes of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, Season 1 of Amazon’s highly anticipatedThe Rings of Powerrecently premiered, and like the original trilogy, Season 1 was also filmed in New Zealand (though Season 2’s filming willrelocate to the U.K.) Middle-earth will grace our screens again soon enough, and when it does, you can bet the scenery will tug you right back into Tolkien’s epic masterpiece.
