Major studios typically have their own worldwide distribution arrangements. They and the team behind Jackson-WalshвЂ™s WingNut Films also were backed by HollywoodвЂ™s powerful and intelligent agent (now manager) Ken Kamins the New Liners also included Michael Lynne, co-chairman and CEO Rolf Mittweg and Camela Galano, who oversaw international and Gordon Paddison with his Stradella Road company, who was key in the filmsвЂ™ groundbreaking online campaign. (Stephen Sinclair also was a writer on вЂњThe Two Towers.вЂќ) Jackson and Walsh worked closely with Philippa Boyens, who collaborated with them on the three screenplays. There were three crucial steps for the trilogy: gathering funding then the massive production (in the hands of a filmmaker who was best known for small-scale films) and third, marketing it to the public, many of whom had never heard of Tolkien. Shaye started out by distributing films like the outrageous вЂњPink FlamingosвЂќ and the campy вЂњReefer Madness.вЂќ The company struck gold with вЂњNightmare on Elm StreetвЂќ and вЂњTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,вЂќ so Shaye was comfortable with taking chances, but вЂњLOTRвЂќ was conceived on a much bigger scale than ever before. As Variety reported in 1998, вЂњFittingly, Ordesky was instrumental in bringing Jackson to New LineвЂќ for вЂRings,вЂ™ adding he would oversee production. (When Jackson was in L.A., he sometimes slept on OrdeskyвЂ™s couch.) By the time the trio of films was greenlit, Ordesky had become head of Fine Line, the specialty division of New Line.

When Mark Ordesky was a junior exec at New Line, he вЂњstruck up a rapport with the innovative but bizarre Kiwi helmer,вЂќ Variety reported. JacksonвЂ™s first films had been вЂњBad Taste,вЂќ вЂњMeet the FeeblesвЂќ and вЂњBraindead,вЂќ low-budget movies that he called вЂњsplatoonsвЂќ while Variety described them as a mix of вЂњgore and guffaw.вЂќ He gained international attention for 1994вЂ™s вЂњHeavenly Creatures,вЂќ but it was still considered an arthouse film. In 1998, Variety reported, Jackson pitched two вЂњLord of the RingsвЂќ films to New Line Films chairman Bob Shaye was impressed and said вЂњLetвЂ™s do three.вЂќ Shaye also greenlit the idea of filming the three simultaneously. Jackson and Walsh resisted and were given three weeks to find a new film company. вЂњLOTRвЂќ was developed as two films, but Weinstein later changed his mind and wanted to combine three books into one film. Jackson, Walsh and Miramax worked out a deal for the Tolkien books. Fate steered us there.вЂќ (вЂњEnglish PatientвЂќ was in danger of shutting down as funding collapsed Weinstein and Miramax gave the film the needed cash.) We said вЂWe donвЂ™t know who has rightsвЂ™ and it turned out the rights were held by Saul Zaentz, whom Harvey had just bailed out on вЂThe English PatientвЂ™ (1997). вЂњWe called up Harvey (Weinstein, head of U.S.-based Miramax), since we had a first-look deal with him. So we finally thought, вЂWhy donвЂ™t we inquire about rights to these books?вЂ™ I assumed they would be tied up and impossible.

вЂњWe kept referring to TolkienвЂ™s books, which were such a benchmark as we attempted to write an original. вЂњAround 1995, the time of вЂThe Frighteners,вЂ™ Fran and I began writing an original story,вЂќ Jackson recalled. Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh had been thinking about a film adaptation for years, but it seemed like a remote dream: Various Hollywood companies had held the rights since the 1960s, after the three вЂњLOTRвЂќ volumes were published between July 1954 and October 1955. TolkienвЂ™s works are in two different styles: вЂHobbitвЂ™ was written as a childrenвЂ™s book and вЂLord of the RingsвЂ™ obviously wasnвЂ™t.вЂќ

вЂњOur first idea was to do вЂThe HobbitвЂ™ as single film, then if that worked, do two вЂLord of the RingsвЂ™ movies.

Lord of rings triology