Liv Tyler stole the show in a scarlet Alexander McQueen outfit as London’s Leicester Square played host to another fantasy premiere last night, with the first instalment in the adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
Joined by Elijah Wood, Sean Bean, Christopher Lee and Sir Ian McKellen, who flew into London from New York by Concorde, the 24-year-old actress – daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steve Tyler – captured the attention of the 2,000-strong crowd of fans who turned up to see their favourite stars.
The premiere attracted a full celebrity guest roster, including Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Bob Geldof, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan, Ruby Wax, Richard E Grant and popstrels Hear’Say.
Sultry Liv, who played the elf Arwen, found herself the centre of attention after the film’s female lead, Cate Blanchett, pulled out of the premiere at the last minute following the birth of her first child less than a week ago.
Now all eyes are on the ratings to see whether the trilogy will surpass hype juggernaut Harry Potter; Sean Bean, who plays the nobleman Boromir, went so far as to say, “I think this trilogy will be even more popular than Star Wars.”
“I think it will go down in cinema history,” said Christopher Lee, who plays dark wizard Sauron. “This and the next two – because no one has ever seen anything like it.” Adding that he usually avoids premieres, Christopher continued, “But this one is extra special. All the filming in New Zealand is now over. I am in the second part – I’m not sure about the third.”
Unusually, the film and both its sequels were shot concurrently over 15 months, and the pressures told on the cast. “It’s been an all consuming, exhausting experience,” said director Peter Jackson. “At times I was almost driven insane.”
J.R.R Tolkien sold the film rights to his book for a minimal sum in 1969 to pay off a tax bill, but his estate still stands to make a vast profit beyond the £100 million that the current 50 percent royalty deal is worth.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
