Facts about The Return of the King
- 06
Tolkien's The Return of the King was first published in 1955, completing the three-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings.
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Elijah Wood's contract for The Return of the King required him to return for reshoots in 2003, three years after principal photography ended in 1999.
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Composer Howard Shore's score for The Return of the King required 124 musicians performing with the London Philharmonic Orchestra across multiple recording sessions.
- 03
Over 150 million feet of film was shot during production of The Return of the King, with principal photography spanning 438 days across New Zealand locations.
- 02
Viggo Mortensen broke his toe during filming when he kicked an orc's head in The Return of the King, and the scream of pain in that scene was genuine.
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Peter Jackson's The Return of the King won all 11 Academy Awards it was nominated for at the 2004 ceremony, matching the record set by Titanic in 1998.