The White Council

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW LINE CINEMA DEBUTS EXCLUSIVE  ONLINE PREVIEW FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS
 LOS ANGELES, CA - April 4, 2000 -- New Line Cinema will offer its first  behind-the-scenes look at the highly anticipated production of The Lord of  the Rings exclusively online beginning at 12:01 AM on Friday, April 7th at  www.lordoftherings.net.
The exclusive "First Look at Middle Earth" will feature on-set interviews  with the cast, showcase the technology used to re-create J.R.R. Tolkien's  fantastic settings and creatures, and will give fans a glimpse into the WETA  workshop where much of the technical wizardry is being orchestrated. Director  Peter Jackson narrates the segment as he gives the first virtual tour of the  technology and talent that will bring the legendary tale to the big screen.
Apple Computer has partnered with New Line Cinema to bring this preview to  the Internet in the highest digital quality through their Quicktime streaming  software. It is anticipated that New Line's partnership with Apple will also  bring millions of new fans to the official The Lord of the Rings  website.
A countdown to the launch of the exclusive online preview is currently being  promoted on www.lordoftherings.net, as well as a myriad of Tolkien fan sites  spanning the World Wide Web.
 One of the most celebrated novels of the 20th Century, The Lord of the Rings  is a groundbreaking epic of good versus evil, extraordinary heroes, wondrous  creatures and dark armies of terror.  Generations of more than 50 million  people around the globe, in 25 different languages have grown up with this  epic history. The legend has inspired an entire genre of movies, fiction, and  has influenced some of the greatest artists of our time. It has made dreamers  out of children and adults, and has recently been named the number one most  popular book of the century.  But it has never been told in its entirety on  the screen.
Using the power of contemporary cinema technology, New Line Cinema is   transforming J.R.R. Tolkien's classic into a history-making motion picture  event.  Beginning in the year 2001, New Line will present a grand trilogy of  live-action feature films -- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and  The Return of the King -- that will take audiences inside Tolkien's living,  breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth. The three separately  released installments will also mark the return of "Cliffhanger Cinema" for  the first time since the serial adventures of decades past.
The Lord of the Rings will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins,  who battles against the Dark Lord, Sauron to save Middle-earth from the grip  of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embarks on a desperate  journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron's greatest strength, the One  Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary  adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the  power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.
Tolkien's mythic vision will come to life through cutting-edge cinema  technology and artistry, forging unprecedented opportunities for marketing  and licensing.
By shooting all three films consecutively during one massive production and  post-production schedule, New Line Cinema is making history. Never before has  such a monumental undertaking been contemplated or executed. The commitment  of time, resources and manpower are unheard of and all three films are being  produced concurrently with the same director and core cast.  Helmer Peter  Jackson, whose visionary style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won  accolades for his Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners, brings his deep  love for the source material to the project.  The film features a strong  international cast that includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean  Bean, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm,  Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John  Rhys-Davis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood. But the real star of the film is the  story itself - a classic hero's quest in which the smallest of beings changes  the course of the future with the vastness of his courage.
Founded in 1967, New Line Cinema is the entertainment industry's leading  independent producer and distributor of theatrical motion pictures. New Line  licenses its films to ancillary markets including cable and broadcast  television as well as to international venues. The company, which is a  subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., operates several divisions including in-house  theatrical distribution, marketing, home video, television, acquisitions,  production, licensing and merchandising units. 
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