The Fellowship of the Ring 20th Anniversary coins
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December 2021 marked 20 years since the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. A fantasy story of epic proportions, the film invited a new generation into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved mid-century novels. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand, whose unique landscapes provided a bounty of spectacular scenery.
One of modern cinema's greatest achievements, the film earned 13 Academy Award nominations, winning four of the prestigious awards among many others. Applauded by critics and viewers alike, it grossed a whopping US$897.7 million worldwide. The film began a trend called `Tolkien tourism', with annual tourist numbers growing by 40 percent from 1.7 million in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2006. The Fellowship of the Ring was filmed in 20 locations around the country, from quarries to glaciers. Some locations have been preserved or developed further to become permanent tourist attractions, while more remote locations are admired from the air.
It is hard to overstate how much The Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand. Production and post-production employed and upskilled hundreds of people in the film industry and showed international filmmakers that Aotearoa is a great place to make movies. Since The Fellowship of the Ring was released, New Zealand has been known not just as the home of the All Blacks, but also as the home of Middle-earth.
Take a look at our commemorative stamps also available for this issue. Click here.