Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings the trilogy completely redefined the fantasy genre. Between its groundbreaking visual effects, ambitious storytelling and faithful adaptation of JRR Tolkien's source material, The Lord of the Rings became one of the most influential film trilogies in history. Whether filmmakers tackled sprawling sci-fi epics or pushed visual effects technology even further, many directors have acknowledged that Jackson's achievements helped shape their own films in surprising ways.
Many blockbusters have a direct connection to The Lord of the Ringsbut others' connections are not always apparent on screen. For various parts of their films, many directors have looked to Jackson's trilogy, and four huge blockbusters are much more to thank for The Lord of the Rings than fans might initially realize.
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The Lord of the Rings films are epic entries in the genre, and 14 years before The Fellowship of the Ring came a perfect fantasy adventure.
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Denis Villeneuve's Dune similarly adapts a challenging novel
Denis Villeneuve's two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune follows Paul Atreides as he becomes embroiled in a battle for control of the desert planet of Arrakis. Renowned for its epic scale, performances and visual ambitions Dune films have established themselves as some of the defining sci-fi blockbusters of this decade. Both The Lord of the Rings and Dune translating famously challenging source material to the big screen. Despite already being an acclaimed director, Villeneuve was surprisingly intimidated by Herbert's novel due to its density and complexity, but fortunately Peter Jackson had provided a blueprint for tackling epic storytelling that both respected its source material while still succeeding as a major cinematic event. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Villeneuve said:
I did my best to stay close to the spirit and to stay close aesthetically to something I had in mind when I read the book. I remember when I saw Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, where I felt so much respect for the book, so much love for the book.
Peter Jackson successfully translated Tolkien's complex world and Villeneuve took the same approach. Dune never shying away from the novel's complex politics, culture, searing setting, and massive architecture, trusting the audience to immerse themselves in the world just as Jackson had trusted viewers to embrace Middle-earth. Duneof course, does not owe its history to Jackson, but its approach to adapting a “filmable” classic owes a lot to the way The Lord of the Rings forged years earlier.
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The Dark Knight trilogy had a good ending because of The Lord of the Rings
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy turned Batman into one of film's most established and critically acclaimed superheroes. Exciting Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight rises, the trilogy charted Batman's rise, fall, and ultimate legacy while redefining the modern comic book film. Nolan was hesitant to continue with the final installment in the series, citing the rarity of a good third film. Surprisingly, he credited The Lord of the Rings with influencing how he went about finishing the trilogy. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he shared the following thoughts:
I'll tackle this: The Lord of the Rings the trilogy was in the back of my mind all the time… What Peter Jackson did was completely different. He had the full story for all three films; he was physically capable of filming it all at once…That is one of the great achievements in movies.
Instead of borrowing mythology or visual effects, Nolan was inspired by Jackson's ability to build each episode into something bigger, while delivering a satisfying conclusion. At a time when many franchises were struggling to stay afloat, The Lord of the Rings proved that audiences would embrace a carefully planned trilogy with a definitive ending, and Nolan similarly unleashed an epic superhero finale that gave Bruce Wayne an ambitious and emotionally resonant send-off.
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James Cameron wanted Avatar's Pandora to reflect Middle-earth
James Cameron's Avatar introduced audiences to the breathtaking world of Pandora, following ex-Marine Jake Sully as he finds himself caught between humanity's mining operations and the Na'vi people. Released in 2009, Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time and transformed blockbuster filmmaking through its pioneering use of 3D and visual effects. Cameron wrote most of the script in 1994, but he felt that the technology at the time was not yet sufficient to realize his vision, and although the sci-fi epic tells a very different story, Cameron has openly compared his ambitions to The Lord of the Rings. Speaking to Empire, Cameron said:
I was trying to do a simulation of, OK, I'm Peter Jackson making Lord of the Rings, except Lord of the Rings doesn't exist yet, so I have to become Tolkien and create Lord of the Rings, and then I can be Peter Jackson.
It's clear that Cameron wanted to build an entirely new, lore-dense universe before adapting it to the scale Jackson arrived at Lord of the Rings, since the fantasy trilogy succeeded in having Middle-earth function as an already realized and completely finished world, not just a background for the story. That influence is clearly visible all the time Avatar, from Pandora's intricate ecosystems and cultures to its long-term storytelling ambitions, now spanning three films.
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The Planet of the Apes Reboot trilogy owes its image to Lord of the Rings
Starting with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes during 2014 and ends with War for the Planet of the Apes In 2017, Matt Reeves' trilogy elevated the franchise to one of the most emotional sci-fi sagas. At its heart is Caesar, the genetically enhanced ape whose leadership and humanity drive the story through themes of survival, family and sacrifice. The trilogy owes a huge debt to Lord of the Rings, mostly behind the scenes. The two towers revolutionized filmmaking with Andy Serkis providing real-time motion capture as Gollum, and Matt Reeves' trilogy worked similarly with Wētā FX to capture the apes on screen. Matt Reeves used the technology and actor Andy Serkis to bring Caesar to life. At WonderCon 2014, Reeves described working on Wētā:
I told WETA: 'Wow, it's amazing that you can translate as much as you did. I would love in this movie if you could translate even more.
Serkis delivered a phenomenal performance as Caesar, while the same creative and technical expertise that helped define Middle-earth laid the foundation for yet another of the films' greatest visual effects feats. Reeves similarly built entire emotional set-pieces around these performances in the same way Jackson had with Gollum, and the result was a new standard for digital characters. Without The Lord of the Rings' technical and creative breakthroughs, Planet of the Apes the impressive visuals of the trilogy simply would not have existed.
- Created by
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JRR Tolkien
- Current series
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
- Where to look
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HBO Max
- movie(s)
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The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- TV game
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The Lord of the Rings Online (dupe), LEGO Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, The Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth
Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise began with novels by JRR Tolkien before being adapted to the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been many Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
