This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the second of three films in the record-breaking Lord of the Rings trilogy, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic high fantasy novel consists of three of the most influential films in the history of cinema: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). Directed by New Zealand film director, screenwriter, and film producer Peter Jackson, the epic fantasy trilogy is currently the most awarded film series in cinematic history, with the final installment The Return of the King famously winning all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated in 2004, including Best Picture.
Since the release of this trilogy, The Lord of the Rings has also been expanded with Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy, with 2012's An Unexpected Journey, 2013's The Desolation of Smaug, and 2014's The Battle of the Five Armies. 2022 has also further explored Tolkien's world with the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, debuting on Prime Video.
Given Peter Jackson's roots, it's not surprising that the Lord of the Rings was shot entirely in Jackson's birthplace, New Zealand. Even so, it's hard to picture any other place that could most closely capture the fantastical visual tapestry of Tolkien's Middle-earth.
The trilogy was shot in over 150 locations across the country in both the North and South Islands, many of which you can actually visit to meander Middle-earth in all of its majesty. Scenes featuring the Shire, perhaps the most well-known and beloved location in Middle-earth, were shot close to the town of Matamata on the Northern Island of New Zealand. In fact, the village of Hobbiton is the only set from the Lord of the Rings trilogy that wasn't torn down after filming, but instead turned into a museum where you can take a walking tour through the Hobbiton Movie Set, including the Hobbit hole of Bag End and the Green Dragon Inn.
Other iconic locations on Middle-earth such as Mordor, Rivendell, and Helm's Deep were also filmed on the Northern Islands. Mordor, the black, nightmarish volcanic realm home to the eye of Sauron, was shot at Tongariro National Park. Mordor's Mount Doom, the majestic real-life Mount Ngauruhoe, is visible if you hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a popular tourist destination for Lord of the Rings fans.
Rivendell, Helm's Deep, and Minas Tirith, amongst other places in Jackson's Middle-earth, were filmed in Wellington where Jackson himself is originally from. Rivendell specifically was filmed at Kaitoke Regional Park located in part of a region known as Pakuratahi. Although the set was taken down after filming wrapped, a replica of the Elven archway was recreated in the park.
The record-breaking Battle of Helm's Deep, as well as Gondor's Minas Tirith were both filmed at the vast Dry Creek Quarry where some of the trilogy's most massive, elaborate sets were constructed. Several months after filming the epic battle at Helm's Deep, Jackson reconstructed the set into Minas Tirith, the capital city of Gondor, and a major location in Return of the King.
On the Southern Island, the epic Battle of the Pelennor Fields where Gondor and its allies fight Sauron's forces in front of Minas Tirith was filmed on the fields on the outskirts of the small town of Twizel. In fact, almost everyone living in Twizel was an extra in the large-scale battle.
Following one of the trilogy's most iconic scenes in which Gandalf faces the Balrog, the Fellowship escapes Moria and emerges at Dimrill Dale. The rocky plateau on which they arrive is actually Mount Owen, a grand landscape of glaciated karst. The city of Edoras, the capital of Rohan, was filmed at Mount Sunday where it took a total of nine months to build the set, although many Rohan scenes were shot at the desert-like Poolburn Reservoir.
Although it has been 20 years since we last got to traverse the majestic landscapes of Tolkien's Middle-earth, Season 1 of Amazon's highly anticipated The Rings of Power recently premiered, and like the original trilogy, Season 1 was also filmed in New Zealand (though Season 2's filming will relocate to the U.K.) Middle-earth will grace our screens again soon enough, and when it does, you can bet the scenery will tug you right back into Tolkien's epic masterpiece.