What was the purpose behind shooting The Lord of the Rings trilogy? The real answer is only one, but when facing the media and reporters, Duke would definitely not be foolish enough to reveal it. Of course, he chose the answer that was most beneficial to the film and its promotion.
"From the very beginning, I've had only one goal—to use realistic filming techniques and stunning visual styles to immerse the audience in the fantastical world described by Tolkien. I want to use modern technology to bring the best scenes from the novel to life, giving the audience an unprecedented visual feast."
With Duke's current status and fame, his words naturally carried immense persuasive power.
This can be said to be the confidence of a top director.
Although it was an unprecedented large production, Duke had already made up his mind to give 200% effort to make it a success. He added, "From the initial concept to the current filming, I have already spent five years on this film, dedicating myself to every detail. When facing the countless loyal supporters around the world, this is the most basic self-requirement I set for myself. Not only that, my team and I must give our best efforts to the filming process."
"My team and I wrote the script together, and just this process took two full years. We'll thoroughly introduce the various characters and scenes from Tolkien's world in the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, hoping to create a realistic world that fully immerses the audience in the thrilling adventure and suspenseful plot, making them eager to see what happens next."
When it was time to cooperate, Duke was undoubtedly a favorite interviewee for all reporters.
Sarah wrote quickly. As soon as Duke finished speaking, she immediately looked up and asked another question, "Duke, could you tell us about your filming philosophy? And will you consider that only a few people in the world have read the original novel when making the film?"
Duke thought for a moment, then answered slowly, "From the very beginning, I didn't want to make a clichéd fantasy film. I wanted to make something with more authenticity. Tolkien's novel describes everything vividly, and we want the first film to give the audience the same feeling. Then we will let the story naturally unfold. The crew referenced the original novel extensively—not just the script, but also every aspect of the filmmaking process. Before filming each scene, we would always go back to see how the novel described it. Even the casting was done in the same way."
"Every time I revisit it, I gain new insights and inspirations. I never come back empty-handed."
At this point, Duke raised his hand and rubbed his chin. "As for the audience who haven't read the original novel, I considered this issue when I first started planning…"
The Lord of the Rings trilogy books have sold over 100 million copies, with countless people having read them. But compared to the population base of the Western world, this group is still a small proportion. Duke understood one thing very clearly: if an adaptation film becomes too fan-focused, it will only cater to a niche audience.
In this era, pure fan-centric films cannot sustain such a large-scale production.
"I also hope that through the medium of film, I can bring a breathtaking surprise to the audience who has never read the novel or doesn't know what hobbits, elves, or dwarves are."
Compared to earlier, Duke's words now aligned more with his philosophy. "I can't present every detail of the novel on the big screen, so I have to make some modifications during adaptation. But I am confident that most of the audience—whether they have read the original or not—will still feel satisfied."
Putting down her pen, Sarah chatted with Duke about the audience for a while before asking, "Directors always need inspiration. What do you do when you can't find any?"
The traditional approach for Hollywood directors is to seek inspiration from the Muse.
However, no one would be foolish enough to say that out loud. Duke simply and calmly answered, "When I don't have inspiration and don't know how to proceed with filming, I close my eyes and imagine those characters in my mind... This way, by the time I'm about to shoot, I already know exactly what each character and scene should look like."
Sarah of course didn't believe this, but since it was a pleasant interview, there was no need to probe further. She continued asking, "Can you tell us what the theme of the film will be?"
"The film will reflect some of the themes from the original work. But the more I read the original novel, the more I realize how complex it is. Although everything is contained within this novel, its scale is unimaginably vast."
Crossing his arms, Duke carefully considered his words before slowly speaking, "In such a vast and complex plot, I want to focus on one central theme: the battle between good and evil, friendship versus corruption. The central theme of the film will be the conflict between good and evil, but how friendship overcomes turbulence in times of crisis is also an important theme. We hope to incorporate this theme into the trilogy."
"Also, I've tried to transform the novel into a film while highlighting these themes. Although I can't fully present the over 1,000 pages of the epic novel, I've made a sincere effort to inject the happy themes that Tolkien envisioned into the film."
The Lord of the Rings trilogy undoubtedly holds a significant place in fantasy culture and Western literature history, but it does not change the fact that it is a work mostly geared towards children.
This series was originally written by Tolkien for his own children; otherwise, the forces of good and evil in the film wouldn't be so clearly defined.
Putting down his pen, Sarah asked the last question of the day, "Duke, no film in history has ever filmed a trilogy all at once, which means huge risk. How did you consider this?"
"I believe that to be true to the original work, it must be filmed as a whole epic film. Although it's three films, each one will offer the audience a very unique experience, but the trilogy as a whole captures the essence of the original—a grand epic. I look forward to the day when all three films are released and the audience can sit down and watch all three back to back, because that will be a truly unique adventure experience."
This is the West, where humility and subtlety are not highly valued. Duke himself understands the importance of promotion, so he said without hesitation, "I made a decision before the preparations even started: to shoot all three films at once. This is an unprecedented approach in film history, and it will also be the most time-consuming, labor-intensive, and resource-heavy epic in film history. The filming process is incredibly tedious…"
At this point, Duke suddenly changed his tone. "But as a director, I have a lot of freedom to try bold experiments. The story content is very rich, and each completed film will feature touching scenes, grand battles, breathtaking special effects, character development, and much more. What I most hope for is—this series of films will be loved by the audience."
The interview lasted less than twenty minutes. After bidding farewell to Duke, Sarah went on to interview the next target, Charles Rowen, while Duke returned to the outdoor filming location to continue shooting. There were no major actor scenes for today, except for a few solo landscape shots and other scenes featuring hobbits working in the fields.
Compared to places filled with strange creatures and dangers, Brannym was undoubtedly a peaceful paradise in Middle-Earth.
At the end of the day's shoot, Duke returned to the crew's base, quickly washed up, had dinner with Charles Rowen, and discussed the next steps for the crew. As usual, he then went for a walk with his assistant in Brannym.
Since Tina Fey had returned to Los Angeles to handle some matters related to Critical Emergency, only Ivanka Trump remained with Duke.
She had returned to New Zealand in early December, and practical learning accounted for a significant part of her studies at Wharton.
When Duke stepped out of the crew base, several entertainment reporters immediately followed. However, this was practically a daily routine, and the reporters were already used to it, most of them only snapping a few photos to satisfy their duties.
During the filming, there was a mutual understanding between the crew and the reporters. The crew would appropriately release information to the reporters, and reporters would avoid disturbing the crew's filming too much. These two industries are complementary yet competitive; one cannot do without the other.
This time, Duke didn't walk into the usual Cron Road but instead circled around Brannym, heading toward the northern pasture. Livestock farming is New Zealand's pillar industry. Brannym is a small town with a relatively small population. To the north, on the relatively flat grasslands, there are several large ranches, which are also important sources of income for the town's residents.
The sun had already set, and the sky gradually darkened. Duke remained silent, deep in thought about the work plan for tomorrow. Ivanka Trump was reading through Tina Fey's old electronic logs to answer any questions Duke might have.
Behind the two of them were two bodyguards, and farther behind, several entertainment reporters who, having realized there was nothing newsworthy, slowed their pace, gradually losing interest.
"Ivanka, I saw in the media that your father is going to host an NBC reality show?" Duke turned his head slightly and asked.
"Yeah, he's been planning this show. It's probably going to launch next year, about wealth and motivational topics." Ivanka didn't deny it, closing the electronic log. "He also plans to have me guest star if the show gets good ratings."
Some words Ivanka didn't say out loud, knowing that Duke would never accept such an invitation from her father. She didn't think it was a reasonable one anyway.
Brannym was not a large town, and after chatting for a while, Duke and Ivanka realized they had reached the northernmost edge of the town. Here was a small livestock farm, with sheep, cows, and other livestock mixed together. Since it was summer, the air smelled unpleasant.
"We should head back."
Turning around, Duke started to walk back, but after taking a few steps, an eerie screech suddenly came from the direction of the livestock farm. The sound, which was unidentifiable, seemed almost capable of tearing apart one's soul.