Final Rings 'the best'
2003-12-01 11:28
New Zealand - Director Peter Jackson says the last film in his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy is the best in the series based on JRR Tolkien's fantasy novels.
It's also the longest.
Actors in the three-hour, 11 minute Return of the King, filmed in New Zealand, especially loved the last film "because it was the most emotional", Jackson said on Sunday.
The first two films - Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers - have picked up a total of six Academy Awards.
"People do seem to enjoy them and that's the best reward," Jackson said ahead of the film's special premiere screening on Monday in New Zealand's capital, Wellington. The film will hit theatres elsewhere on December 17.
The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers have so far grossed US$2.9bn worldwide.
US maker New Line Cinema, a subsidiary of Time Warner, is predicting at least US$1.3 billion from the third film.
New Zealanders have taken the trilogy to their hearts because Jackson is one of them, and because they recognise the backdrops for many of the scenes as mountains, rivers and forests in their own country.
Wellington has been gearing up for the premiere for weeks. The streets in this city of 400 000 are festooned with posters of the stars. Models of serpents and other mythical creatures from the films have been put on the walls of buildings.
Hundreds of fans lined up on Sunday for a glimpse of the stars, who were holding a party ahead of Monday's premiere.
- AP