00:00We all agree that the casting of the trilogy is perfect.
00:14And yet, it could have been totally different.
00:17Uma Thurman was chosen to play Éowyn,
00:19but she refused the role because she did not want to be separated from her family for so long.
00:23Sean Connery also turned down the role of Gandalf because he didn't believe in the project.
00:26A decision he later deeply regretted,
00:29even agreeing to play in the League of Extraordinary Junkleman
00:32for fear of seeing another successful franchise pass under his nose.
00:34Not the best choice either.
00:35For Aragorn, Daniel D. Lewis is the first choice.
00:38Nicolas Cage was also contacted, then Russell Crowe.
00:41But it was ultimately Stuart Townsend who was chosen by the director.
00:44He spent months training with the sword, but was eventually replaced at the last minute because he was deemed too young.
00:49That must have stung his ego for sure.
00:50But when a certain Viggo Murtensen arrives just a few weeks before filming begins,
00:54The evidence is obvious. He is Aragorn.
00:57The actor learns to wield a sword very quickly, the Elvish language even faster.
01:01He speaks several languages fluently, including French.
01:04But above all, he positions himself as a natural leader on set.
01:07Attentive to the team, very invested and of a rare kindness.
01:10Here is an anecdote that confirms this.
01:27There were, there were forces, there were, who had such a one,
01:30there was one at our place.
01:31He doesn't think it was possible.
01:32He said to himself that in view.
01:33He cares, he said to himself that I will make you.
01:35He said to himself that I will leave you,
01:37and I thought I have a little bit of time.
01:39He said to himself that I am, I had a blur.
01:41He said to himself that I will do it.
01:43He said to himself that he is in the room.
01:44It was said that so-and-so has the farm.
01:46He thought I had a little bit.
01:47The trilogy was entirely filmed between October 1999 and December 2000, with reshoots, particularly for the extended versions, taking place between 2001 and 2004.
02:10A work constantly in motion, so much so that the final shot for the return of the king was filmed several months after its theatrical release.
02:16and after winning the Oscar for Best Picture.
02:36And it may seem like a controversial working method, but that's how Peter Jackson has operated since his first film, between meticulous organization and nonchalance.
02:44Here the work is colossal, years of production, 150 filming locations, all the accessories of the three films without exception are manufactured,
02:51that is 45,000 pieces just for the first film, kilometers of reels, kilometers of chainmail, kilos of prosthetics and other Hobbit feet,
02:59all divided into 7 film crews who sometimes filmed at the same time.
03:03And yet Peter Jackson approaches all of this as he did in his first film, that is to say, and let's not mince words, in a rough way.
03:09That is to say, and let's not be afraid of using words at random.
03:11He told me, I saw a player with words at random.
03:16He made words in a hurry and they took a brush around the hallway of the snatch.
03:17And we saw words thrown around.
03:21I focused on a brush that I was tearing off.
03:24And I've never seen a brush dragged out, I've never seen words dragged out, a brush dragging out words.
03:29I said, I don't need a player on the fly.
03:32And we said, we don't need a player in the house.
03:33But I don't need a brush.
03:35I thought, you can use it as a stone
03:38and I did these jumps through the doors of my stone.
03:42And we cut that out of the film, we sent that to New Zealand.
03:45and they were able to use it as a guide and we filmed the real Harad
03:48for the last shots.
03:56The Lord of the Rings production is just a big general mess.
04:00And it's not just me who says it.
04:05This is a good moment between you and Frodo.
04:08OK, it's just doing.
04:10So, we look like we're in the carpet.
04:11And it's in the wall.
04:12I think it's more addictive, tormenting, in the air,
04:17it's a bit like,
04:18"Not this time, it's me!"
04:20This is a clarification.
04:22And action.
04:23“He looks!”
04:26He looks!
04:28He looks!
04:29"Not this time!"
04:31It's a bit typical of Lorde from Reunion.
04:34“One minute you’re on top of Ruapeyu, or a volcano,
04:37or in the middle of the extreme,
04:38and then you're in the same scene,
04:41on velvet,
04:43months after the film ended.
04:52It's movie magic."
04:54But it is undoubtedly in this philosophy of "we will see in the editing"
04:57where Peter Jackson's strength comes from,
04:59who gathers as much material as possible,
05:01who delegates when he can,
05:02and who above all has the strength to take a step back each time,
05:05even if it means changing things at the last minute.
05:07So of course, this method has its limits,
05:08and we notice it especially during post-production,
05:10especially the return of the king,
05:12where the team will be put under constant pressure by Jackson,
05:14who never stops working by feeling,
05:16changing his mind quite often,
05:17and imposing deadlines that are a little too short.
05:19Now, he's far from being a tyrant.
05:21He is above all a passionate person,
05:22and that's why his team is completely devoted to him.
05:25Until working day and night,
05:26to help him meet deadlines.
05:28The Return of the King is released only a few weeks before the world premiere.
05:31Jackson is so in a rush,
05:32that he doesn't even have time to watch the whole film,
05:34and discovers it during the first.
05:35And it's pretty crazy when you think about it.
05:37A film as anticipated,
05:38which was ultimately not fully validated by the director.
05:41This proves the confidence he had in his team,
05:43and it also proves that he was still very borderline.
05:45He said, "Yes, I'm waiting to see the movie too. I haven't seen one."
05:49" What ? "
05:50“Yes, I edited it, I saw pieces,
05:53but I've never seen any of that play out.
05:56It's incredible."
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