NEW LINE CINEMA'S THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS LIGHTS UP SCREENS AROUND THE WORLD
Xoanon @ 4:48 pm EST

World premieres set for New York, Paris, London, Los Angeles, Copenhagen, Seattle,Toronto, Wellington and Sydney in December

Los Angeles, CA, November 19, 2002 - New Line Cinema's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the central film in Peter Jackson's epic trilogy based on the J.R.R. Tolkien classic, is set to debut in premiere showings around the world, it was announced today by Rolf Mittweg, New Line Cinema's president and chief operating officer, worldwide distribution and marketing.

The film will make its North American bow in New York on December 5, followed by the European premiere in Paris on December 10 and the UK premiere on December 11 in London. On December 15, the film will premiere in Los Angeles and in Copenhagen, with the Queen of Denmark attending. A special screening in Seattle follows on December 16. The film premieres in New Zealand, where The Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot, in Wellington on December 18, and in Sydney, Australia on December 19.

"The opening of this film has truly become a global event," Mittweg said, "because The Lord of the Rings has been embraced by so many different cultures. The first film has shipped 35 million DVD and VHS units worldwide, a testament to the popularity of the trilogy and how widely the fan base has broadened. Multiple premieres of The Two Towers around the globe are a fun and appropriate way to celebrate both the universality of Tolkien's themes and the excitement and anticipation that is building among moviegoers."

New Line Cinema presents The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Peter Jackson's epic adventure scheduled to open December 18, 2002. The trilogy represents an unprecedented undertaking - three films made simultaneously over a year and a half of production. The first film in the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, was released December 19, 2001, to widespread critical acclaim and garnered $860 million worldwide. The film was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, more than any other film in 2001, and won four.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers stars (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Karl Urban, David Wenham, and Elijah Wood.

New Line Cinema presents a Wingnut Films Production, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, directed by Peter Jackson. The screenplay, by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair and Jackson, is based on the classic trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film is produced by Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne. Also executive producing is Mark Ordesky. The director of photography is Andrew Lesnie, A.C.S. The production designer is Grant Major. Michael Horton is the editor. The co-producers are Rick Porras and Jamie Selkirk.