“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy was entirely shot in New Zealand, in over 150 locations.
All three movies' primary photography was done simultaneously in a variety of national parks and conservation areas in New Zealand. Filming took place between October 11, 1999, and December 22, 2000. From 2001 to 2004, pick-up shoots were conducted yearly. Seven different units shot the movies in over 150 different locations, including soundstages near Wellington and Queenstown.
All of the production's unit directors, in addition to Jackson, were John Mahaffie, Geoff Murphy, Fran Walsh, Barrie M. Osborne, Rick Porras, and any other available assistant directors, producers, or writers. Over 1,000 shooting days of miniature photography were produced during the entire time frame.
The following are the major filming locations for "The Lord of the Rings”:
Matamata (Hobbiton)
The Hobbiton film set is located close to Matamata. The scenes that took place in the Shire and in the Hobbiton village were filmed here. Only the Hobbiton movie set has not been dismantled after filming; instead, it has been transformed into an outdoor museum. There is no other way to see it than on a tour through the village of Hobbiton.
Tongariro National Park (Mordor)
All of the scenes that took place in Mordor, the realm of the evil lord Sauron, were filmed at Tongariro National Park. Here, you can see Mount Doom, or Mount Ngauruhoe, as it is known in real life, the most recognizable and iconic landmark that has appeared in film.
Even though the mountain appears slightly different in real life than it does in the movies, with a little imagination, you can easily envision yourself making your way through the foreboding lands of Mordor. One can choose the guided Tongariro Crossing Trek and be accompanied by a guide who can tell you everything there is to know about the park and the filming locations.
The Tukino Ski Field in Tongariro National Park is where the Mordor gates were filmed, and Meads Wall served as the backdrop for the Emyn Muil scenes in which Sam and Frodo discover Gollum.
A portion of The Forbidden Pool, which is divided between two shooting locations in Tongariro National Park, is also where Gollum catches a fish before being captured by Faramir. Gollum's appearance in the water was filmed at Tawhai Falls, while scenes with the waterfall were filmed at Mangawhero Falls.
Putangirua Pinnacles (Dimholt Road)
The Putangirua Pinnacles, where they filmed the Dimholt Road and where Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas enter the Paths of the Dead, is another prominent location. The Putangirua Pinnacles are situated not far inland from the North Island's southernmost point, Cape Palliser, on the island's south coast.
A two-hour looping path leads you first to a vantage point from which you can see the pinnacles, then down to the pinnacles so you can walk in between them. It is easy to understand why they chose this location for The Dimholt Road because it gives off a very otherworldly and eerie feeling to walk between these barren rocks.
Wellington
The Lord of the Rings films were heavily influenced by Wellington. In addition to being used as filming locations for Minas Tirith, Helm's Deep, and Rivendell, Wellington is also the location of Weta Workshop. The majority of the props and costumes, as well as all of the special effects for the film, were created at Weta Workshop, which served as one of the indoor filming locations.
Currently, Weta Workshop has converted a portion of the structure into a museum called Weta Cave, where many of the movie-related props are on display and visitors are informed about how special effects and props are created.
The filming location for Rivendell was Kaitoke Regional Park. For the purpose of bringing Rivendell to life during filming, large structures were erected in the surrounding forest. Later, a gate that represented the gate of Rivendell was constructed in the park. Filming for Minas Tirith and Helm's Deep both took place at Dry Creek Quarry. Massive sets were erected in this quarry to film the epic Helms Deep and Minas Tirith battle scenes. Filming for The Battle of Helm's Deep took 120 days.
Peter Jackson actually took inspiration from the French town of Mont Saint-Michel for Minas Tirith. Then, parts of Minas Tirith were constructed using a portion of the Helm's Deep set; however, the large aerial overview shots of Minas Tirith were captured using a smaller replica, which was still quite large.
Mount Owen (Dimrill Dale)
The Fellowship emerges into Dimrill Dale following their escape from Moria, where Gandalf and the Balrog both plunge to their deaths. Mount Owen served as the backdrop for the scene where they leave Moria and enter the woods and hills.
It's not simple to get to this shooting location, though. Unless you have a helicopter like the cast and crew did, you're looking at a 6-8 hour walk because the area can only be reached on foot or by air.
Mount Sunday (Edoras)
The impressive Mount Sunday served as the site for the construction and filming of Edoras, the capital of Rohan. The main, imposing Golden Hall was built on top of the cliffs, and the gate and city walls were constructed at the base of the mountain, taking a total of nine months to complete.
Even though Mount Sunday was completely taken down after filming, just like the other sets, it is still interesting to visit. The Rangitata River, which flows in a winding pattern below, and the lush Hakatere Conservation Park, which stretches out in front of you, can both be seen from the mountain.
Twizel (Pelennor Fields)
Perhaps the most epic battle in the entire Lord of the Rings saga takes place at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where the forces of Gondor and its allies battle the forces of Sauron in front of Minas Tirith. In terms of the number of people on the filming set, it was without a doubt the biggest battle.
Over 1700 people were present on the set, including nearly every resident of Twizel who served as extras, as the battle was filmed on the fields surrounding the small town of Twizel.
The fields are on private property, but if you'd like, you can arrange a tour of Pelennor Fields and attempt to recreate the battle. The battle in the movies was filmed over the course of 32 days, so hopefully you can finish it sooner. The area is absolutely stunning, with mountain ranges in every direction and Mount Cook National Park nearby.
Queenstown, Glenorchy & Paradise
The region around Queenstown and the nearby towns of Glenorchy and Paradise is arguably the most picturesque in all of New Zealand, so it makes sense that many scenes were shot there. You truly feel as though you are walking in Middle Earth because of the lake, the nearby snow-capped mountains, the woods, and the green fields.
For instance, Amon Hen was filmed in Closeburn's woods, which are located along Lake Wakatipu. At this point, the Uruk-hai catch up to the Fellowship, kill Boromir, and abduct Merry and Pippin. On his way to sever your head from your body, Lurtz can almost be seen running through the trees. Ithilien Camp and Ithilien Lookout were filmed at the Twelve Mile Delta, a short distance from Closeburn. Sam, Frodo, and Gollum can be seen watching this as Faramir and his rangers engage in combat with the Haradrim on their Mûmakil/Oliphaunt.
The forest where they filmed Lothlórien is reached by traveling even further down the road to Paradise (yes, this place is actually called Paradise, and it lives up to its name). In particular, for the scenes where Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas chase the Uruk Hai that captures Merry and Pippin, many aerial mountain shots were taken in the area you can see here.
The Kawarau River can be reached by traveling from Queenstown in the opposite direction. The River Anduin and the River Argonath, which the fellowship uses to travel from Lothlórien to Amon Hen, were shot in parts on these rivers. Parts of the land of Rohan were filmed in the fields and hills known as Deer Park Heights on the south side of Queenstown. Especially the trip from Edoras to Helm's Deep, where the warg riders attack and Aragorn is forced to jump off a cliff.
Poolburn Reservoir (Rohan)
The Poolburn Reservoir served as the location for numerous other Rohan scenes, including those featuring attacked villages and shots of the vast Rohan plains. This nature reserve immediately transports you to Rohan with its expansive, desolate plains, mesmerizingly blue water, and peculiarly shaped rocky outcrops.
Fiordland National Park
The captivating Fiordland National Park was the ideal location for filming many movie scenes because it is full of enormous mountains, glacial lakes and rivers, dense forests, and lush plains. Snowdon Forest, which is near North Mavora Lake, served as the backdrop for the scenes in Fangorn Forest where Treebeard saves Merry and Pippin.
Further north, Nen Nithoel, the lake on the River Anduin, where the fellowship arrives at Amon Hen's shores and later releases Boromir's body in a small boat so that it falls down the enormous waterfall, was filmed at Mavora Lake. On the Waiau River in Fiordland National Park, additional scenes from the River Anduin were also filmed.
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