The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition opened at Te Papa on 19 December and has attracted record crowds in its first two weeks. Nearly 192,000 people have visited the exhibition so far, making it likely to be Te Papa's most successful show to date.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition is a bold and innovative museum experience which explores writer/director/producer Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the J R R Tolkien masterpiece.
The exhibition has been developed over two years in conjunction with New Line Cinema, the producers of the film trilogy. Te Papa has been granted the rights to produce this museum exhibition, which will be toured internationally after its season at Te Papa.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition is interactive and immersive. It gives visitors to Te Papa a unique opportunity to explore the fantastic world created for the film trilogy and the groundbreaking technology behind the movies.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition features film footage, props, costumes, and artefacts from the movies, including armoury, animatronics, and miniatures. Also featured are exclusive interviews with the cast, crew, and director of the films.
Visitors will be transported into the world of Middle-earth. They will be met by the main characters including Frodo and his hobbit companions, the wizards and other magical creatures, the Black Riders, the cultures of Middle-earth, the monstrous creations of evil, and the warriors - all dressed in the actual costumes used in the films.
Using a variety of devices, the major technological and thematic aspects of the films are explored.
The exhibition also enables visitors to enjoy first hand some of the films special effects. For example, a section dealing with scaling explores how the film-makers made normal actors appear to be hobbit or wizard-sized using an ingenious mix of trick photography, forced perspective sets, and props made at different scales. Visitors can experience this by being photographed in a set from the film and see how the technology works.
The exhibition culminates in an immersive encounter with the Ring itself. In the middle of a dark, atmospheric space is the central icon from the films, and visitors will hear and see faces and voices of the stories' main characters urging Frodo to use or destroy the ring or return it to its master….
Throughout the exhibition, visitors will also be able to touch some of the actual weaponry and armour that have been used in the films.
'Te Papa is thrilled to bring to the public of New Zealand and then international audiences the wonderful, ground-breaking creativity of Peter Jackson and his team,' said Te Papa's Acting Chief Executive, Pat Stuart, today.
'It's a fascinating story on so many levels and says much about the great talent in this country. It is fitting that New Zealand audiences will be the first to go "behind-the-scenes" and see the creation of these epic films. This exhibition would not have been possible without the generous support of the New Zealand government, particularly during the vital concept development stage,' Pat Stuart said.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy – The Exhibition opens at Te Papa on 19 December 2002. Admission charges apply. A contribution will be made to the Embassy Theatre Trust.
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition website