It began with the forging of the great Rings. 25 years ago, Peter Jackson launched the greatest cinematic fantasy saga of all time – assembling a fellowship of actors, crew members, and visionaries to pull off a towering achievement that stands taller than the spire of Barad-dûr. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy changed everything, bringing Middle-earth to vivid life, delivering mind-blowing spectacle, reshaping the Hollywood landscape, and conquering the Oscars to top it all off. And now, a quarter of a century later, Empire is marking the legacy of the trilogy with an epic celebration issue, bringing the cast back together to look back on an unforgettable adventure. One reunion to rule them all.
This month’s issue of Empire goes there and back again with Peter Jackson and his cast. Inside, we reunite the four Hobbits – Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd – with Gandalf himself, Sir Ian McKellen, for a brand new interview and photo shoot. Plus, Jackson and co-writer Philippa Boyens look back on the monumental feat of getting the films made against all odds; Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean team up to talk Orcs, arrows, death scenes; Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies discuss Dwarf beards and fantasy weapons; Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler reflect on Elf language, horse-riding and deleted scenes; and Andy Serkis writes exclusively for Empire on his continuing journey into Middle-earth. Yes – there may be some early tidbits on The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum in there too. It’s a star-packed celebration of a legendary trilogy like no other.
This month’s newsstand cover brings our heroes back together again, 25 years later – shot exclusively for Empire by Steve Schofield.
And the subscriber cover is an epic evocation of the light and dark of Middle-earth, illustrated exclusively for Empire by Chris Christodoulou.
It’s an issue you won’t want to miss – and you don’t even have to walk into Mordor to get it. Find it on your local newsstands from Thursday January 15. Pre-order a copy online here. Fly, you fools!
