The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Return of the King - Hardcover

Russell, Gary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0618430296 ISBN 13: 9780618430291

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004

Synopsis

With Peter Jackson's Acadamy Award-winning epic motion picture trilogy drawing to a spectacular and triumphant close, Gary Russell's detailed research takes us back into the world of Middle-earth, to relive all the visual drama and excitement of The Return of the King.

The Art of The Return of the King illustrates the creative development of the film from sketch to special effect and features 600 images, most appearing nowhere else. This fully authorized book includes pencil sketches by Alan Lee and John Howe, costume designes by Ngila Dickson, magnificent full-color paintings by Jeremy Bennett, and prop designs, concepts, sculptures and digital artwork from Weta Workshop and Weta Digital. From Minas Tirith to Mount Doom, from the Army of the Dead to Shelob the monstrous spider, all the spectacular landscapes, characters and creatures are covered in stunning detail, including concepts that did not make it into the final film.

To accompany this wealth of imagery, detailed and informative commentaries appear by all the featured artists and designers, together with a special afterword by Peter Jackson. Their personal thoughts and explanations offer unique and fascinating insight into how The Return of the King was brought to life. An artistic journey begun in 1997 reaches its glorious conclusion within these pages, giving the reader a unique chance to witness the creative process that led to one of the most spectacular movies of all time.

About this title

Review

“Exquisite tribute to the artwork... this impressive portfolio boasts page after page of stunning designs. Ravishing stuff, this should keep fans happy until the release of the DVD.”
Film Review

“If you were blown away by the film, prepare to be blown away again”
Empire

From the Back Cover

With complete access to artwork created over a five-year period, this authoritative and insightful book illustrates the creative development of The Return of the King. This official book contains over 600 exclusive images; from the earliest pencil sketches and conceptual drawings to magnificent paintings, sculptures and digital imagery that shaped the look of the film.

Contributing artists include John Howe and Alan Lee, artists who have inspired Peter Jackson's vision of Middle-earth and worked with him to bring the trilogy to the big screen. Peter Jackson himself provides the Afterword in which he discuss the importance of the conceptual art to the film.

The book covers most aspects of the eagerly awaited finale to the enormously successful trilogy, from locations and costumes to weaponry and creatures. The artists who created all of these diverse elements explain how they contributed to the development of the film.

Printed on high-quality art paper this lavish book is ideal for Tolkien collectors and film enthusiasts. It also makes a superb gift. Published to tie-in with release of the film, this the last of three books will complete a fascinating and truly collectable set to accompany the film trilogy.

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0618430296
• ISBN 13: 9780618430291
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224