The Science Museum will keep the doors of its blockbuster Lord of the Rings exhibition open until midnight this Friday and Saturday – to cope with the demand for tickets as visitors rush to catch the show before it leaves Europe.

The exhibition, which contains over 600 props from the films, has attracted over 200,000 fans young and old since opening last September and closes at 10pm this Sunday.

Visitors enjoy an up close and personal encounter with props, costumes and sets from the films at the same time as the final instalment of the film trilogy, The Return of the King, packs out cinemas.

The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy – The Exhibition has already sold more advance tickets than any previous exhibition at the Science Museum. The exhibition (not the Museum) will stay open until midnight on Friday 9 January and Saturday 10 January and until 10pm on Sunday 11 January to cope with the massive demand for tickets. Visitors will need to book in advance to guarantee entry.

To prevent the advanced filmmaking technology displayed in the exhibition from being copied, the use of cameras and mobile phones is prohibited.

The fascinating exhibition includes:

-Demonstrations of special effects, including the combining of ‘real’ and ‘digital’ action and CGI (computer-generated-image technology).

-A scaling interactive explaining one way that the films managed to make characters seem different heights, and which allows visitors to become Hobbit sized in a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring – and then buy a print of themselves.

-A display on the prosthetics which transformed actors, including Hobbit hands and feet.

-Weapons belonging to Arwen, Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn.

-Outfits including Arwen’s riding costume, Galadriel’s stunning dress and Gandalf’s robes.

The exhibition culminates with a face-to-face encounter with the central icon from the films – The One Ring.

· Tickets can be pre-booked on 0870 906 3890 24 hours (booking fee applies) or at www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Exhibition Until 11 January 2004

Ticket Prices

Monday – Friday: Adults £9.95 Children/Concessions £6.95
Saturday – Sunday: Adults £11.95 Children/Concessions £8.95
Public information and booking line
0870 906 3890 (booking fee applies)
Opening hours

The Museum has extended the weekend opening hours for this exhibition
Friday – Saturday 10am – midnight
Sunday 10am – 10pm
The exhibition will be open Monday – Thursday 10am – 6pm

For more information, images and interviewees contact: Ben Ayers, 020 7942 4357, b.ayers@nmsi.ac.uk

Alternatively visit the Lord of the Rings exhibition media centre at:
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/press

Notes to editors:

· Admission to the main galleries of the Science Museum is free.

· The museum is open daily from 10am – 6pm.

· The exhibition is developed and presented by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in partnership with New Line Cinema.

· © 2003 New Line Productions, Inc.; The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of the King and the characters, events, items and places therein, are the Trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company, d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises, under license to New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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