Ringer Spy Padfoot sends along these scans from Germany’s ‘Cinema’ magazine, and provided a translation for us, take a look!
The calm before the tower (I think it lost something in translation here -Xo)
Icy cold winter rain drums down on the Weta Studio buildings. Peter Jackson isn’t the least impressed. Barefoot and in shorts, the director trudges towards one of the ocre-coloured buildings. The New Zealand weather is his least problem. Because in the wooden bulding lies a treasure that elecrifies “cinema pirates” all over the world. The film material of his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Only a few initiates know the details, admittance is forbidden to unauthorized people.
The “Ring” forge has turned into a top-secret laboratory. Whereas before the start of The Fellowship the makers stepped willingly before the public, they’ve now been muzzled. The arrogance of producers, sure of victory? It’s true that the people involved know by now that The Two Towers will become money safes, but their secretiveness has other reasons as well. In the Weta FX labs and cutting rooms they are working on a part II that’s not only to exceed all expectations – but by far exceed them.
But the dream of the top-secret-status is gone. More and more informations that give an impression of The Two Towers, leak through from New Zealand.
It’s already known that the movie will contain more exciting creatures and action scenes. Besides the creatures Treebeard and Gollum, exotic war elephants and giant werewolves belong to the beasts. “The closer we get to the kingdom of evil, the more fantastic and more evil the monsters will become”, promises Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson’s FX supervisor.
Center of The Two Towers will be the battle for the mountain fortress Helm’s Deep. It’s approximate length will be around 45 minutes. In one scene, the elf warrior Legolas will glide over his enemies’ shields like a surfer.
But Jackson won’t just be adding an extra load of blood and bytes to The Two Towers. He’s setting more an psychology than on pyrotechnics. The “Kiwi-Spielberg” is taking the consequences from The Fellowship. Self-critic, he’s complaining about the restless pace of the movie. For example, it had only partly been possible to show the characters’ relationships and the dimsions of their journey. The Two Towers will contain more scenes that concentrate on the development of the different characters. This means that The Two Towers will be farther away from Tolkien’s original – even more than it’s predecessor. For example, the fans will have to do without the cliffhanger final when Frodo, paralysed by a spider’s bite, gets captured by Orcs. These scenes will be featured in the 3rd movie.
How determined Jackson is, show the re-shoots that took place in June. Originally set up for 2 weeks, the shoots took twice as long. Almost all of the leading actors – except Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm and Cate Blanchett – had to return on camera. Apart from small completions and corrections to the existing material, completely new scenes (that were previously left out) were shot. To do that, he even had re-built the giant set of the Edoras Throne Hall and the Forest of Fangorn.
Even the dead experienced their re-birth. “Boromir” Sean Bean was flown in to shoot flashback sequences that explain his relationship to his brother Faramir (David Wenham). About 25 additional minutes were created this way. The actors realized and understood how ambitious their director is: “This film is way deeper”, Bernard Hill (King Theoden) explains enthusiastically.
However, one negligence happened to Peter Jackson. He’s trained a competitor. On a day off, “Sam Gamgee” Sean Astin shot the short movie “A Tall Story” with the entire crew. His Tolkien-inspired subject is: Differences in sizes…
But by next year, Jackson will show everyone again who’s the real Lord of the Rings. Because by then the re-shoots for The Return of the King will take place.
