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Story by: Jack Foley
LORD of the Rings mania hit London on Thursday night (December
11), as the stars of Peter Jackson's epic trilogy attended the
UK premiere of the final film in the series, The Return of the
King.
Thousands of fans greeted the cast at the glittering occasion,
with many queuing for hours in the cold and rain just to catch
a glimpse of their favourite stars.
The popularity of the films is such that the star-studded occasion
reportedly attracted a record fan turnout for Leicester Square,
despite unfavourable weather conditions.
The Return of the King is the final film in the Lord of the Rings
trilogy and is an awe-inspiring epic which completes the saga
in suitably rousing, and emotional, fashion.
Journalists were able to see the film in the morning and, without
doubt, the reaction was positive, with several rounds of applause
reserved for some of the film's show-stopping moments, and another
ovation once it had finished.
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Stars who attended the event included Sir Ian McKellen (who plays
Gandalf), Liv Tyler, Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen, who drew
the biggest cheers.
Director, Jackson,said he was relieved and proud to have directed
the trilogy, as well as a tinge of regret that his journey was
now over.
He also described the London reception as amazing, particularly
after hearing that some had been queuing since 5am to catch a
glimpse of their heroes.
The director spent over 20 minutes signing autographs for fans,
as a result, and was delighted to find several dressed as characters
from the movies.
With exactly one week to go before Return of the King opens in
UK cinemas (on December 17), the Odeon cinema chain has reported
its biggest advance ticket sales of the year, with more than £1m
already sold a week ahead of its UK release.
It is little wonder to find that film critics are already calling
for The Return of the King and director, Jackson, to be honoured
at next year's Oscars - particularly as the first two films in
the series have been snubbed in all the major categories, thus
far.
The Return of the King clocks in at three hours and 20 minutes,
making it the longest of the three. But every scene feels worth
it.
IndieLondon will deliver its verdict in due course...
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